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How do I get rid of smokey looking water in a freshwater fish tank?
electricblue76 asked:
I currently just bought a 3 gal Marineland Eclipse 3 fish tank with the right size cartridge and bio wheel. My old tank didnt have that. About a week after I cleaned and treated the water and put my Tetras in the tank my water turned smokey, makes it hard to see the fish with out the light on. The fish move around fine in it still. I just don’t know how to get rid of the smokey water color or what caused that being I have a newer tank I am not familiar with how to trouble shoot it or if I should start over?
I currently just bought a 3 gal Marineland Eclipse 3 fish tank with the right size cartridge and bio wheel. My old tank didnt have that. About a week after I cleaned and treated the water and put my Tetras in the tank my water turned smokey, makes it hard to see the fish with out the light on. The fish move around fine in it still. I just don’t know how to get rid of the smokey water color or what caused that being I have a newer tank I am not familiar with how to trouble shoot it or if I should start over?
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10. July 2008 at 5:24 pm :
I think you need to purchase water conditioner. Bring a water sample to a pet store - such as Petco or Pet Smart and they will check it for you or you can purchase a water testing kit for not too much $.
Good luck
11. July 2008 at 2:40 pm :
Get a new filter…Clean out the water…or call the pet store.
14. July 2008 at 12:40 pm :
Go to Walmart and buy a water clarifier. Watch the tank clear up before your very eyes. It’s only $3.00
14. July 2008 at 2:36 pm :
You have to let a brand new tank cycle, which means letting the beneficial bacteria that normally live in your filter and on the decorations and gravel in the tank buildup.
These bacteria help break down fish waste and prevent the buildup of ammonia in your water.
Cloudy water in a new fish tank is perfectly normal and usually lasts for a couple of weeks. You do not want to do anything with the filter right now just let it run.
I know it’s tempting to do massive water changes, or want to break down your tank and start over but don’t do it. A 20 to 30% water change once a week is more than sufficient to keep your fish healthy.
In this case patience is definitely a virtue.
Lots of luck
E.
16. July 2008 at 5:37 am :
Rather than using chemicals, it would be best to find out what’s causing the water not to be clear.
Did the water become smokey soon after you added the filter? Did you rinse the filter before you added it? (these put out a lot of carbon dust that will make your water look gray, but will clear up before too long).
Did you use filter material from your old tank to “seed” bacteria into your new one? If not, your tank is cycling (building up a population of beneficial bacteria). You’ll have to keep an eye on ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates and do some partial water changes before they get too high.
See this link if it doesn’t sound like any of the possibilities I’ve mentioned already: