Cloudy fish tank? New filter & everything?

Ok so the tank was cloudy before you put any fish in it right. Here is the deal what you are seeing is a bacteria bloom in the water it is the reason they put chlorine in it. Chlorine does not allow bacteria to grow and the water stays clear. When you remove the chlorine bacteria starts to consume the phosphates nitrate and silicates that are in the water but are harmless. Once it is all gone the bacteria will starve and the tank will clear up. This has nothing to do with the cycle everyone is yelling about it has not even started yet This bacteria can consume a large amount of the dissolved oxygen in the water and make it hard on the fish. keep the light off and it will clear up on its own I promise.

New Filter Cloudy Water

That's normal. Just wait a couple of weeks and it will clear.

are they goldfish? if so the goldfish made the mess, turn your filter on and do water changes 25%

A lot of people already touched upon the answer: you have no bacteria and the introduction of any organic matter (fish waste, different water from the pet store bag the fish were in) all will cause the water to cloud up. This is especially true if you buy many fish at once ; it is best to introduce your fish one or 2 at a time.

Did you place any chemicals in the tank to help neutralize the water? Here's the deal--your fish will not necessarily kick the bucket right away, but you need to religiously start checking your water several times a day for the next few weeks ( I'd do it in the morning and when you get home from work/school). They do sell kits at the store for controling ammonia, nitrates/nitrites and Ph. The tester strips will tell you what your levels are at and how much drops to put in.

Don't worry, we have all been here before when starting our hobby.

It's really not a big deal. It's all just new. Just cycle the water everyday for a few days and add some water conditioner that will soften the water, making it better for the fish. I always buy a 5 cent gold fish and have them start all the cycles.

Bacterial bloom and your tank is starting to cycle - which also means your water parameters are going to spike

Ammonia and nitrites will make the water toxic and can be lethal to fish

http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_fishless.php

Until your tank is completely established the environment won't be safe

You can either return them and read the link above for a fishless cycle, or get a kit to test ammonia, nitrites and nitrates - partial water changes accordingly

But cycling a tank with fish is risky and you're going to have to be on top of water parameters constantly or you will most likely be facing stress/water related illness/disease and possibly death for the fish

Good luck

Before adding any fish do a fish-less cycle as your fish will thank you for it. It'll take about a month but your fish will thank you. So please return your fish and do some research to learn about fish-less cycling. Here's a link to get you started: http://www.algone.com/aquarium-articles/technical-...

The cloudiness is good as it shows that bacteria are starting to grow. There's 2 types of good bacteria. One grows faster than the other. It grows so fast that it has nothing to latch on to and floats in the water. The cloudiness will clear itself up in a few days to about a week or 2 as the bacteria die/find a home. Adding products will not help or make it worse. As you follow the directions of a fish-less cycle, you'll see that the cloudiness is you're first step to a cycled aquarium.

Happy Fishkeeping!

The water is cloudy because the filter and tank are so new.

Your tank probably now has a white haze to it known as a bacterial cloud or bloom. This happens when a source of ammonia is suddenly available and no bacteria is available to break it down.

This also means that your fish will go through ammonia and nitrite spikes, which may kill them.

Personally, I always recommend fishless cycles. This involves running the tank for 4-6 weeks (the length of time to establish healthy bacteria whether you cycle with fish or without), while adding pure ammonia to mimic fish waste. This primes the tank for fish, so they don't suffer through an ammonia spike.

Please research aquarium cycling to better understand the nitrogen cycle. It is vital for a fish keeper to understand.

Haha, honestly, it doesn't matter when you set up a tank; nothing is going to happen to it if nothing is put inside. Cloudy water can usually be a good thing, typically a bacterial bloom (which you would want) or just high amounts of waste in the water (typically with goldfish or small tanks). Google the "nitrogen cycle" for me if you will; it will help clear things up for you (better than advice given by employees). Cloudy water is normal when moving gravel or if there is waste in the water; if your tank is small it will happen quickly.

You need to cycle a tank for about 2-3 weeks without fish to get everything in balance, or your fish will die.