Equipment Review and Discussion :: Cloudy water

[dcaron1217]

Hello...I have a Fluval 4plus for a 25 gallon tank. I've had it for about a month now. I cleaned it once a couple of weeks ago. The first two weeks the water was super! Very clear. Since I cleaned out the filters of the Fluval and started it up again the water has been cloudy for about a week now. I understand that sometimes the bacterial needs time to build up again and that's what causing the cloudiness? Is that right. How long will it take to clear. Will this harm my year old RES??
Thanks.

[Chrisbarnett]

Is it white-ish hazy cloudiness? Or is it green-ish type of cloudy?

White-ish, your tank is going through a cycling faze, which would be weird because the Fluval Internal series provides little to no Biological filtration.

I have a Fluval Internal filter on my tank and have never experience cloudiness. Did you purchase the carbon pads for your filter? I did and it greatly enhanced water quality.

[dcaron1217]

The water is greenish cloudy. It's weird cause it was crystal clear the first 3 weeks. Like I said I've since cleaned the filter, but I did not change the carbon filter that is sandwiched in between the two white ones. Maybe I'll try changing that. And I did take out about 1/3 of the water and then replace with new, because you have to be quick when you take that cannister filter out of the water. All the "junk" escapes into to the water while you are pulling it out that's why I needed to take some out and replace it.
This cloudy water won't hurt my turtle will it?
Thanks for your reply.

[marisa]

I used a Fluval 4+ for a while, and if I remember correctly, the thin carbon inserts, according to the package, should be replaced fairly frequently (on smaller Fluval + filters it's weekly).

FYI, the Fluval 4+ isn't a canister filter, it's an internal filter. Canister filters sit outside the tank and provide much better filtration (including biofiltration) than internal filters.

Cloudy water won't hurt your turtle, however, water that's underfiltered and/or has no biofiltration ultimately isn't healthy for him.

How big is your turtle (shell length without the curve)? Perhaps your turtle is producing too much waste for the filter to handle...

[dcaron1217]

Okay I will replace the carbon insert more frequently.
And yes, you're right, it's an internal filter....we call it "the submarine" hahaha
Turtle length is 3 inches.
Thanks

[Bascomb]

Dc 1217 -- You need to up the size of your filter to 5 or more times your water volume. A canister that put out about 300 to 350 gph will do fine. I have a 350 on a 29 gallon tank and it does fine. You want more water movement with turtles. They doo a lot more than fish ans require more filtration. b.

[dcaron1217]

I'm wondering if the green cloudy water is an effect from the uvb bulb creating the algae? Could that be?
It's just baffling me cause the filter has been working for a couple months now. Now the water is greenish cloudy.
Any help from anybody would be great. Thanks.

[steve]

If it's greenish, then you have an algae problem. Any type of light can spur on algae, not just UVB. As mentioned, carbon needs to be replaced. Carbon is a chemical medium, it works by binding impurities and once it has become fully saturated, it ceases to work.

[dcaron1217]

HELP.....how do it fix this algae problem?

[Bascomb]

dc-ron1217----- ANSWER -- GET BIGGER FILTER

[Bumby's Mom]

A filter isn't going to do ANYTHING about algae Bascomb.

If your light is overflowing onto the water then that is creating algae. You can get an above the tank basking area so the light is never going into the water or try ot position the light so it is completely covering the basking dock. If you have your tank by a window the tank needs moved.

[Bascomb]

Yes mum about algea and the filter. I think that is a good place to start. Limiting the light is the key. I concentrate on getting the water as clean as possible. Just a quirk of mine. b.