It's the oddest thing...

[Petersgirl]

Hey guys, just wondering if anyone has ever had a problem with a cloudy tank despite good parameters and no obvious changes to their tank composition? Long story short, my parameters are reading 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite, 20 ppm Nitrate and my PH is around 6.4. I water change weekly (around 40-50%) and am feeding earthworms, two a day. I have an airstone fitted and two Interpet PF Filters.

It seems to have started last week, when we did a water change prior to going on honeymoon for three days. I found a tiny amount of ammonia when I did a test on the newly changed water (a reading of 0.25 ppm) and decided to do another small water change (only around 10% or so) which took it down to 0 ppm ammonia for that week. When I came back after three days the tank water seemed cloudy, and my parents, who were taking care of my axxies, had followed my instructions to the letter. I thought at first it was possibly just residue from a few worms that may have been dropped in the tank (and had gotten lost under the slate). But I've water changed today and it's still cloudy.

The cloudiness appears to be the water, it's not the tank glass, and I'm using as much dechlorinator as I usually do, so that hasn't changed. I am assuming for the moment that it's possibly a change in the water that I will need to contact my local water company, but does anyone else have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

 

[linuxrulesusa]

What lighting are you using? I've occasionally had algae blooms in my fish tanks that go away after a day or so. High nitrates while you were gone from the water source could have triggered it, I believe. If it is algae, turning the lights off for a day or two would help and doing a few extra water changes.

See also suggestions here: http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...sion/93907-my-axolotls-have-cloudy-water.html

 

[Petersgirl]

Thanks for the reply!

I am using aquatic blue LED lights that we only turn on for a few hours or so at night occasionally. That link was useful but I don't think it's a cycling issue and I already have carbon foams in both filters as well as white sponge filters and bio noodles in the top of the big one. I check the carbon foams weekly and wash them in tank water, replacing half of each one when they're gunky (I keep one piece in to ensure the bacteria stays healthy). It doesn't look like algae - it's sort of milky white. I can see the axxies just fine when they're close to the front, but the further back they go, the harder it is to see them. There are no bubbles or anything on the surface, save what's coming from the air stone. The other thing is that I test my water after I replace it - the nitrate was 20 ppm when I tested last week and also reads 20 ppm this week, so I'm not so sure there was a nitrate spike, unless it was in the 10% I replaced (because I only tested for ammonia after that).

Apparently it's nothing to worry about if it's the same thing one of the users on the other link had but I do wish I knew what was causing it.

Sorry to change the topic but I'm also having trouble with my slate. I switched my substrate because I'd heard sand could cause impaction and I didn't want to risk it, so I asked my brother to get hold of some unused slate. He found me some, and I boiled it. It's been in my tank for about three months now and I'm beginning to find some sharp bits that have flaked off - my hides are also 'caves' made of slate and they appear to be flaking too. I haven't siliconed it to the bottom of the tank, and I take all of the slate out every week and clean under it.

Is there something I can do to stop it flaking? To be honest I'm a little annoyed as I've had lots of trouble with substrate and was so happy to find one that didn't have a risk of impaction.

 

[Kaysie]

Newly established tanks will often get bacterial blooms that will turn your water cloudy. These generally subside on their own.

 

[Petersgirl]

Thanks Kaysie - I've done another water change today and added some filter floss and that appears to have worked a treat!