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Why does my aquarium become cloudy2007-11-24 23:43:55

Two weeks that I've cleaned my goldfish tank it's cloudy. (cleanig i mean taking the water and gravel out, washing the glass, rinse the plants. Then assembling it all back with clean water) I only have two goldfish in a 24 liter tank with an undergravel filter with quite a powerfull air pump. I don't over feed them and the food is the type that don't cloud the water. I use Easy Balance stuff every week so I don't have to do water changes

Answers:

Well to start off, Everyone is right. Goldfish are the dirtiest fish. So that's not helping. Second Your over cleaning your tank. With an undergravel filter you need to have some buildup. Bacteria grows in it and it's the bacteria that eats the refuse. (Just like a septic tank system in some houses) A undergravel filter should only be cleaned every 6 months or so, and the gravel even less often. The aquarium supply store sells a gravel vacuum, It's basically a siphon, with a larger tube on one end. use that once a week to clean the gravel. It'll pick up the loose dirt, but leave the bacteria below the filter. Also you stated that your rinsing the plants, If they're live plants DON"T. They also help keep the tank clean. The next thing is don't do a total water change to often, it can cause a shock to your fish, Simply replace the water that you siphon out when using the gravel pump. my best recommendation is about a third of the tank each cleaning. Also as a couple of others said Get a pH and a ammonia test kit. With all of the water changes they are most likely way off. I hope this helps

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You need a filter

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GF crap too much. Your ph is off.

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Goldfish are messy, gross fish honestly. Sounds like you have problems with ammonia. You'll want to go to the pet store and pick up something to combat it.

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How clean is the filter and how well does it clean?

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take it back its broken

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Goldfish are the dirtiest fish you can buy.

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goldfish are dirty fish, and you do not need to take anything out of the aquarium to clean it, and disturbing the gravel is a no no, the bacteria built up in the gravel is what balances your tank after it has cycled the bacteria in the gravel is what keeps your tank clean, i've had my tank set up for 3yrs so far and have never disturbed the gravel and have pristine water just got to do weekly water changes and change filter media when it gets clogged(depending on kind of filter) scrubb algae on glass every once in a while, personally i think a undergravel filter is a waste of money,and they have to be cleaned, go natural and you will never have a problem.

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Goldfish need 10 gallons each minimum, unless you want sickly or dead fish. Your water can be cloudy for a few reasons, you could be over stocked (which are you), you could be feeding too much or your tank is trying to cycle. Undergravel filters aren't a good filter to use for goldfish since they are so messy they really need a good power filter, one that filters the water at least 10x an hour. Using Easy Balance or any other additive isn't a substitute for doing a water change. Since you keep fully cleaning out the tank you are not letting the tank cycle which is needed to have a healthy tank. Beneficial bacteria need to colonize somewhere (like a filter) to convert the ammonia to nitrite then a new bacteria converts the nitrite into nitrate, the least deadly form. The cloudiness could be the bacteria free floating trying to find a place to grab onto.

Get your fish a bigger tank and read up on cycling. Your fish will thank you for it and it will be so much easier doing a little water change that having to tear down the entire tank.

http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/cycle.html.