Habitat - Indoor :: Problem with cloudy water

[lorib]

Hello,
I have a 55 gal tank with 2 small (4") RES, 1 12" pleco and a horde of guppies (supposed to be turtle food, but the turts think they make better roommates!) and I'm using a fluval 403 (just set up about a month ago, got it used) and I am having a hard time getting the tank to look clean. I have been doing 30%-50% water changes every few days to keep the amonia and nitrite levels down. I know the tank has been trying to cycle, but with a filter as strong as this i would think the water should be clearer. I had to put a coarse sponge over the intake after rescuing 30 guppy fry from the filter at midnight last week (luckily ony 1 or 2 casualties). What can I do to clear up the water?

[BullDog]

Could you give a little bit more info? What sort of media do you have in the filter? What substrate is in the tank? How much water is in the tank? What colour is the cloudiness?

I think part of the problem is it sounds like you've got a lot of stock in the tank. The two RES and a few guppies would be OK in there, but I've heard plecos poop more than they clean. Is it possible to set up another tank for the pleco and a bunch of the guppies?
Also, just so you're aware, there's a good chance that eventually your RES will make a snack of the pleco. It could be tomorrow, it could be in a couple years. If you're attached to the pleco, it might be a good idea to take him away from the turts.

[lorib]

The tank has about 36 gallons of water in it. There is no substrate in the tank. Filter media consists of sponges, bio balls and zeo carb. I just changed the zeo carb last week. I have been thinking about giving away a bunch of the guppies. Only 5 of them are adults, the rest are new within the past couple weeks. The reason I got the pleco in the first place was because someone with RES recommended it to help keep the tank clean. Aparently he has had res and pleco living together for years. The pleco is currently 3X bigger than my turtles and they were terrified of him when I first put him in the tank. I guess I could rehome him if he's adding to the problem rather than helping to solve it! I don't have another tank big enough for him to be comfortable in.
As for the color of the water, it is a yellowish color. It just looks dirty, but doesn't have excesive large particulate matter in it. The sponges and bio balls that came with the filter are pretty old, but I cleaned them VERY well before using them. Aparently they sat unused for years and had very little use when they were used.

[scottpkura]

I'd associate the cloudy water with your fish. Guppies are dirty, not as bad as goldfish but they're dirty. Try taking them out and see if your water improves.

[jozzep]

The problem may be the carbon......Did you rinse it well before putting it in the filter basket?If not it releases the black and makes your water cloudy.
Could also be pieces of the left over fish fouling the water.I used to give my turtles live crayfish (10 at a time) till i figured that the claws would stink up and make the water foul if they sat in the tank a few days.

[lorib]

I did rinse the carbon well before putting it in the basket. As far as bits of fish, I don't think there are any. The turtles haven't been eating the fish (which is why there are so many now). I also have been vacuuming out any larger debris when I do my water changes every few days. I have noticed the pleco does poo a lot. So much for thinking he would clean my tank somewhat! What other types of feeder fish are good for turtles? Are minnows less messy than guppies?

[Sniffa]

My mom used to put whatever those chemicals are that are supposed to break up the poo and the water was alittle cloudy but since we stopped putting those in that waters been pretty clear

[seanwb]

You really do have a a huge load on your filter. I would seriously think about removing the pleco as a fish that large will always add to your problem and never help.

[akaghettoraver]

I don't think the pleco is the problem. How is the flow rate of the filter? I have had a pleco in my tanks for years. I don't have one now because we don't have them where Coca and I live. Maybe your filter pump is going bad or atleast not pumping to full compacity. The guppies do make a mess when being fed in the same tank as a turtle. maybe you should move some of them or all of them into another tank:) Hope your problem gets fixed

[lorib]

Well I just gave away about 20 guppies today. Would have given more, but they are not easy to catch in a big tank with driftwood to hide in. I will keep trying to remove them though. My filter seems to have very strong suction and output. It isn't on a spray bar, but just a 3/4" hose going into the tank that is directed so that it circulates the whole tank. There's quite a current in there. I am currently trying to find a home for the pleco, hopefully a nice pond somewhere. Are there any water conditioners that help clear the water that are safe for turtles? I previously used a product called turtle clean that is supposed to help break down the poo, but I never really noticed a difference.

[seanwb]

A bit of a long shot, but are you certain it is not the driftwood? It can sometimes taint the water a yellowish brown colour. It would make the water still look clearish, but with a heavy tint, as if you were looking through brown tinted lenses

[lorib]

I doubt it is the driftwood, I just put it in the tank a couple days ago and I've had the problem long before that.

[lorib]

Update: I rehomed the pleco and I'm down to about a dozen guppies, most of which are babies. I would have given them all away, but I couldn't catch them all--they're too fast! I also added some live plants (frogbit, duckweed). I'm hoping to see some improvement in my water soon.