# Turbidity caused by what?



## sb483 (May 29, 2006)

Here's a 55-gallon tank, newly started (actually, recently torn down and _re_started due to floor being redone). As you can see, there's some turbidity.










Top view:









Close up:









But I don't know if it's algae. For one thing, the pH is 6.8 to 7.2 all day (if it were algae, I'd be expecting much higher).

There's one other possibility I'm thinking of: instead of buying dolomite or oyster grit to put in my (otherwise empty) filter, I thought I'd use some seashells I already had at home to increase hardness a bit [so I wouldn't have to buy anything]. I crushed some smaller ones to place in the filter. In a few days, the water became very turbid, I took the shells out and saw one was very soft, almost dissolving in my hand. Since then I've had this turbidity problem, although it's less severe now. If I get really close to the aquarium, I can actually _see _the whitish particles floating around.

One guess is, it's suspended particles from that shell, maybe the salt from it is what's keeping the particles in suspension [from Walstad's Ecology book, saline soils become turbid]. But it was only one shell fragment that was crumbling, so I'm not sure it could have caused all the turbidity in this 55-gal.

Does this look to anyone like an algal bloom, or something else? Anyone else have similar problems? Thanks


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## Urkevitz (Oct 26, 2004)

I am going through a similar problem, in my case I think it is a bacterial bloom.


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## erik Loza (Feb 6, 2006)

My new tank was like that for about the first three of four days. Bacteria bloom plus free sediment in the water, I gu. If the tank is otherwise balanced, that will resolve itself up on its own. My tank has been crystal clear ever since. Good luck.


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

Funky. SInce it's a new setup must be some sort of bacteria bloom in combination with the dissolved shells and particles. Things will settle down after a couple days.

-John N.


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## DataGuru (Mar 11, 2005)

That looks like the beginnings of an algae bloom to me.

I'd add a bunch of fast growing floating plants ASAP.


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## sb483 (May 29, 2006)

Just added some duckweed, the fastest growing floating plant I know.
Sometimes it seems like algae -- I did a 50% water change when the turbidity started, and after clearing a bit it became just as turbid as before -- and sometimes it doesn't -- for example, the pH is fine, the lily is spreading leaves (which, from my experience, somehow makes algae disappear, maybe through alleochemicals). I guess I'll just wait and see what happens.
Thanks for the advice everyone


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## flagg (Nov 29, 2004)

One of the most important things I learned when I set up my fist soil-based tank was to just let things be unless you have a problem. If your plants and fish aren't dying, then you don't have a problem. If the turbidity is green then its def. algae. If it's whitish then it's bacterial. Often, newly set-up tanks have bacterial blooms. I would just let it be and see what happens....

-ricardo


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## DataGuru (Mar 11, 2005)

Of the 7 natural planted tanks I've set up so far, I haven't had a bacterial bloom in any of them. One did have issues with green water. Adding floating plants and daphnia fixed that.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

It does look like a mild case of green water algae. Lily pads, daphnia, floating plants will definitely help.

Is that tank getting direct sunlight from the window? You might want to temporarily cover back of tank with some paper/aluminum foil, etc. That way the lily pads/floating plants will still get window light, but the green water algae won't.

Looks like its going to become a nice tank.


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## sb483 (May 29, 2006)

Just covered the back of the tank. The water's still cloudy, but when it clears up (my guess is in a bit under a week) I'll take another photo.
Thank u


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## sb483 (May 29, 2006)

I guess I was too optimistic; it's been a week, and the cloudiness is still there. Maybe next week.








Here's a slew of floating plants - water hyacinth and duckweek


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

I'd be patient; it won't hurt to wait or try some other floating plants. 

One thing: The floating plants will need to grow for them to do their job. The water hyacinth looks a little like it might be rotting (brownish stuff on foreground plant). This rotting will release nutrients into the water and make the green water problem even worse. Make sure that it starts putting out new leaves and starts forming new plants. If water hyacinth is happy, it should cover this tank within a week or two.

The duckweed looks healthy enough. If it takes off, that will help.


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## sb483 (May 29, 2006)

dwalstad said:


> I'd be patient; it won't hurt to wait or try some other floating plants.


That seemed to work. I took the suggestion to mean "try water lettuce instead", and the water lettuce seems better suited (from what I read, hyacinth maybe needs more humid conditions).
Here are some pictures:








They almost seem to be posing:








Thanks for the help!


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## Urkevitz (Oct 26, 2004)

My bacterial bloom just cleared up last night. It was like magic, I turned on the the lights this morning the tank looks crystal clear. Be patient, it will go away.


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

Looks like things are picking up! 

Awesome photo by the way. It does look like the are posing, or just descended from the fish sky above. 

-John N.


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