# Cure for my cloudy water



## Jookie (Sep 30, 2003)

I have had cloudy water in a new tank I set up with AS substrate for a couple of months now. It was going to be a grow-out tank, so the cloudiness didn't bother me that much, but after a while I thought "what the heck is causing this cloudy water?"

I have used AS before, and it settles down after a week or so, but this was getting ridiculous. It wasn't green water, so I thought maybe it was a bacterial bloom. Usually these are self resolving with patience and a couple of water changes, but this white haze always came back. 

I use Purigen in my big tank, but I drop it in just to help the water stay sparkling clear. I have never used it to clear up cloudy water before. A couple of days ago I dropped some Purigen into the filter of my grow-out tank just to see what would happen. Later that day I noticed a difference. Two days later the water was clear! 

So, for those of you who have cloudy/hazy water that doesn't resolve with time or water changes, you might want to consider some Purigen. It's fairly cheap and it's reusable. Just be very careful to follow the instructions. If you soak the purigen in bleach, be sure to get rid of ALL of it. Rinse, soak in water conditioner, repeat.


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## OperJeff (Apr 14, 2007)

do you just drop a bag of it in the tank or do you place it inline of your filter? also did you ever find out the cause of the cloudiness?

my tank has been very cloudy lately, i thought it was algae so I left the lights ON to make sure it was algae and not a bacterial bloom. leaving the lights on ended up clearing the water quite a bit, but its still a but cloudy. so I may give Purigen a try.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

I have ongoing problems with cloudy water because of the ADA Aqua Soil. Sometimes I just hate the stuff. I end up with fine dust all over the place. I use purigen. (I have it in my filters. I don't think dropping it in the tank works. I think it has to be in the filter with water forced through it.) I think I may be fighting 2 things. I have many night marauders - plecos, loaches, etc. They party every night and raise dance in the AS. I think they stir up the mess. The 2nd thing is that I have been tweeking my plant placement and such and may be stirring it up myself. 

I got a vortex diatom filter. My water was so cloudy that the filter plugged in a few hours. I need to just take a week and keep that thing on my tank - shaking down my plants until it has filtered it all out, (backwashing continuously if need be).

I have a power head in the tank and do wonder if that kicks stuff up. Since I have periods of clear water even with the powerhead running it keeps me thinking that is not the problem. 

I have visions of years from now having no soil at all because it has all been filtered out over the years as fine dust in my cloudy water!


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## OperJeff (Apr 14, 2007)

I guess thats the same thing that could be happening in my tank. I just added some shrimp in my tank and the next morning when I turned on the lights it was real cloudy. and once the lights come on the shrimp go hiding, so maybe thats why the cloudiness went away with the lights on.... 

when I went to the LFS the sales guy tried to sell me plecos because he said they eat more algae faster than the shrimp, which im sure they do. but in my mind I was picturing the pleco turning my tank upside down because they are pretty strong catfish, so i declined his offer and stuck with the shrimp. They arent eating much algae at all, so I just may put a bottle of cocktail sauce in front of the tank to give them some motivation.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

My plecos don't uproot my plants much at all. I have marsilea growing great and even a small patch of glosso. Until it covers the surface I have space in between the plants that I think get stirred up. I love my plecos. I have them because they are so cool with all the color patterns they have. 

For algae control, plecos are not your best bet. If they are hungry they will eat your plants before they eat your algae. You need ottos. They are great little workers!


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## Jookie (Sep 30, 2003)

I drop mine in the filter. You could hang it in the tank somehow, but it wouldn't get nearly as much water flow. I think that the cause of the cloudiness is the AS. Seeing how everything I have ever tried to grow in AS thrives, I am willing to put up with the cloudy water as long as Purigen can clean it up. I looked at the Purigen bag yesterday and I can see where it turned from a nice white to a tan color from absorbing whatever is in the water.

If you are having problems with AS stirring up everyday, try using a foreground plant. I use dwarf hair grass in my 40 gallon and it holds the AS in place very well. 

As far as plecos in a planted tank; use the smaller species like the "pitbull" pleco. Any of those common plecos sold at most LFS's can reach a foot in legth full grown. You don't want that rampaging through your tank every day! Keep in mind that shrimp, plecos, and ottos don't eat algae in the water column, and none of them will eat green spot algae. If your cloudiness is from diatom algae in the water column, only daphnia and filter shrimp will eat it.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Jookie said:


> If you are having problems with AS stirring up everyday, try using a foreground plant. I use dwarf hair grass in my 40 gallon and it holds the AS in place very well.
> 
> As far as plecos in a planted tank; use the smaller species like the "pitbull" pleco. Any of those common plecos sold at most LFS's can reach a foot in legth full grown. You don't want that rampaging through your tank every day! Keep in mind that shrimp, plecos, and ottos don't eat algae in the water column, and none of them will eat green spot algae. If your cloudiness is from diatom algae in the water column, only daphnia and filter shrimp will eat it.


I am waiting for my foreground plant to cover the area. It's working but it takes a while. All my plecos are the small variety. The largest one I have will grow to 6 inches. Most grow to only 4". You can see them all here http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/fish-planted-aquarium/49333-my-new-plecos-take-look.html As far as algae in my water column I have none. I have a UV light. I think I'm pretty safe there. I do think I just what to wait until all the substrate is covered with plants. Then I will be fine. It is a pain though!!


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