cloudy tank after 3 weeks

[ty1]

Hi Guys
I am ty1 I am new hear and new to aquariums. I have a 54 litre tank and it came with light filter (internal) and heater. I am trying to understand the cycle process and the cloudy water process and I get the cycle thing before you put fish in I did that as per pets@home (local pet store) instructions. I bought 7 neon tetras and a pleco and they all get along fine but the water is still cloudy. I got the tank on July 27th cleaned it out with water and a sponge only a clean new sponge.

and I washed all the gravel till the water was clear the tank looked great everything in the tank was scrubbed clean after sitting in pet store and here we are 3 weeks in and its still cloudy I have trying crystal clear and nothing happed I have tonight after a 50% water change and a glass clean up added accu-clear and still its cloudy can any one help a newbie please. this really is making me angry I just don't get why its cloudy with fresh water. I also added ammonia killer and I have tested the water and it reads ok any help please would be great

[Graeme]

Hello ty1 and welcome to the forum.

Sounds like you have an algae bloom keeping your tank cloudy. The tank has not cycled yet and you probably did get a good ammonia reading after using ammonia killer. You need the ammonia to get the cycle going but you have a problem in that the tetras are unlikely to survive the cycling process.

The best thing you can do now is to stop putting chemicals in your tank and to measure the ammonia and nitrite levels daily and let us know what's happening so we can advise.

The Mods will probably join your two posts together as one.

Regards

Graeme

[ty1]

Hi Graeme

thank you for that response the tanks not so bad you cant see the back of the tank.You can see the glass has been cleaned inside and out I hoover the gravel twice weekly. I test the water every 3 days with API water testing strips. this cloud just won't shift as for the cycle of the tank iv'e had that and the tetras seem to come through it but this white cloud just won't shift will an external filter system like eheim professional 3 make the water clear up any or should I stick with the new fluval u2 and the original filter. I checked the new filter today and two days old it had green sludge in it even on the carbon filter side. any help would be great I will continue to test water and change 25% of water a fortnight (two weekly)

[Graeme]

If you can get one you need to do your testing with a test kit instead of test strips. The strips are notoriously inaccurate.

From your photo it looks like you have the tank near a window. Daylight will cause the algae bloom which is making your tank cloudy. You need to move the tank or put a background up the back of the tank to keep the light out.

Do the vacuuming and water change once a week at 25% and when you get a proper test kit post up the readings that you get for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.

It will settle down but you can't rush it! Good to see you keen to get it right!

[ty1]

Hi Graeme
I have a background you just can't see it in this picture very well i will move it at the weekend I am disabled. So I can't move it on my own. but I will move it I will do a 25% water clean at the weekend as well. should I continue to put in ammonia killer etc or just use tetra aquasafe.

thank you again for all your help I am most grateful being new and stupid at aquaiums

[Graeme]

Not sure about the ammonia killer, see what others say. My feeling is that you shouldn't be using any chemicals except the Aquasafe water treatment when you do a water change. Are you getting ammonia readings?

And you're not stupid! Stupid is not asking questions and killing all your fish!

[Big Den]

Did the gravel wash clean? Take a handful out and put it in very hot water, if it stays clear after a vigorous shaking then you can rule that out. Coloured gravel can sometimes leach its colour into the water and its so fine it passes straight through, just a thought.

[ty1]

Hi Guys

well it's been are busy old week but on Thursday night Friday morning the tank cleared I was so relieved to see it so crisp and clear that cloud of white was so annoying so I have left it a few days to make sure the fish are ok and they are for the most part. I have another problem now much easier to fix I hope. I have two wag tail sword fish females both of them but one seems extremely shy and doesn't swim at all just sits in the back of the tank as for the other female she's all over the place through the ruins in the wee house. Now this might sound stupid but can two females bully each other and if I added a male would that help the shy female or not or should I split the females up

[ty1]

Hi Big Den
the gravel was clean rinsed it to death when I bought it. from what I understand anything can affect fish the slightest thing. As for the cleaning I use a plastic sieve very helpful when cleaning and all gravel is washed for 25 mins I do a thorough job still can't get use to washing filters in dirty water but I will. anyway apart from the bullying problem everything good

[Graeme]

Well that's good news!!!

Your new fish might just be a bit shy in their new home. Did you introduce them gently?

Hopefully someone will be later with experience of wag tail sword fish.