Brown water.. even after water changes!!!

Hey there. I have a hexagon tank, dont ask how many gallons it is because i dont know!!! Ive noticed that my water goes a really browny colour, I think it from all the fish waste, but how do i get rid of that??? I did a water change and it went a bit better. then it went reallllllly brown again, so i did another water change about a week later, and this time its gone worse!!!! please help me as i cant see my fishies!!!! My sister has a 5 ft tank and they have had it 3 years and they have not once had to take out the fish waste, so what am i doing wrong??? Ive only had thi tank for a few months!!! and its filthy along the bottom with fish waste. PLease help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

is it fresh water if so to get rid of some of that waste i would get some corycats (there GOOD cleaners and fun to watch and really strong to stress and stuff)i have 6 right now 4 albinos and 2 normal ones

yeah i already have 3!!! they dont work!!!! LOL

I'm betting you're having an algae bloom, and that it's not fish waste.

I mean, unless you're really overfeeding them... and you have a barebottom tank... you don't see a whole lot of fish waste on the bottom of the tank.

Mollies will eat some types of Algae, and I want to say either Meghan or Leah had a similar problem and cleared it up by adding some certain fish. Maybe they'll pop on here and give their advice.

excuse me for being the dumb one here, but whats an algae bloom??? I warn you there is loads of fish waste on the bottom of the tank. I dont think i overfeed my fish, they get a pinch of top feeder, and a bit more bottom feeder than top feeder. the bottom has stones on, but its all covered in waste, well not covered, but you know what i mean!!! LOL!! what kind of fish did your friends add to help??

Some of the hexagonal tanks are pretty small, and it's easy to add too many fish. Usually brown algae grows when there is lots of fish, plant and food waste. I never took botany in school, but i believe algae of all types are single cell plants that like to grow in dirty water. When the algae die, they rot and release toxins. Probably the best way to handle your brown algae problem will be to syphon all the gunk off the bottom of the tank and do a 20 or 25 percent water change every day for a week or so. After that, partial water changes can be done once a week. Very large aquariums like your sister has can handle a large biological load without turning to yuck (that's a technical term) for quite a long time, but the weekly partial water change is still recommended for most aquariums. Any aquarium will go bad if it's neglected enough.

Partial water changes can now be done without using a bucket or accidentally drinking aquarium bottom water cootie cocktails when attempting to start a syphon. Several companies (Python, Dell, and Aqueon) make aquarium maintenance systems that let a water tap do all the syphon and fill duties. They're worth the price, and if you already knew about them, don't read this paragraph.

I have had a problem with brown algae before and I have never known it to turn the water brown without me actually scraping and stirring the stuff. It grows super fast and the only way I could get rid of it was to introduce some otocinclus catfish. They love the stuff. I know you don't want more fish, but they could be the answer. An algae b bloom is a sudden growth of algae. So much so that it clouds the water. Usually it is green or milky white in color. I see green when a tank is exposed to a window or other strong light source and I see white when a tank is still in the process of cycling. Brown algae can be the result of too many nitrates which can come from overfeeding. The previously suggested water changes should help. However, your tap water or whatever you are using may already contain nitrates and this is why it is getting worse soon after you change the water. If you have a test kit you should test your water parameters in both the tank and the tap water. If you do not have one, I strongly suggest getting one. It is a life saver for many aquarists.

every couple of days remove the filter media and rinse it off so all the built up yucky stuff comes off .. I have had the same trouble in a 65 gallon tank that only has 4 angels in it. When i feed them, unlike all my other angels, these 4 refuse to eat any food once it hits the gravel so i have to do water changes and use my python to clean the gravel 3 times a week just on this one tank plus rinse off the filter media to keep the tank crystal clear. make sure you also change your filter media once a month as that will help to keep the water clear too.

See there. I told you yucky stuff is a technical term.

PS: In an aquarium it seems like bad things can happen over night, but good things take a while longer.

When you rinse the filter media... Rinse it in aquarium water, but not in the aquarium.

It turns out it wasnt an algae bloom, i doubted it, as there is no algae in the tank, my bristle nose and gibby plec make sure there is no alagae in the tank!!! LOL!! i borrowed a syphon of m friend and did a 50% water change with the syphon getting out as much waste as i can, and that solved it!!! It WAS the waste after all!!! Thanks for all your suggestions guys!!!!!

Great, I am so glad to hear you solved your problem. Brown water can be so frustrating. A siphon for water changes is not only more effective than buckets, but it is also so much more convenient. It is less mess and not so hard on ones back. Many of us use the python system. Just hook it to the sink, turn the pump to drain or fill and turn on the water. It cleans the gravel of fish waste quite well.

I'm so glad it was such an easy fix!

Pythons are the bomb for waterchanges!

i was reading this old post. can u elaborate a bit more on the pythons. and also when water is pumped directly into the aquarium then at what step is the water cleaned of Chlorides/chloramines in the tap water. when do we add the water conditioner.

When I use mine, I put the full amount of dechlor to treat the entire volume of water, then fill it with water from the tap.

The Python and similar clean and fill systems use a pump that fits onto a water tap or a garden hose. It has an adapter for each. The pump has a valve at the bottom. When you turn on the water and open the valve, it creates a partial vacuum in the attached syphon hose. Since I have several aquariums, I usually hook the valve to the garden hose for the draining phase; the citrus trees like all those aquarium cooties. After draining part of the water out of the aquariums, I hook the pump to the kitchen water tap in order to adjust water temperature. Next, the water conditioner goes into the aquariums. When the water is at approximately the right temperature, I close the valve at the output end of the syphon hose, then close the pump valve on the tap and run like heck before too much water pressure builds up, then open the output valve to fill the aquariums. The valve gets closed, then opened for each aquarium and I usually don't trip too many times over the hose while running all over the place. To avoid disasters, it's a good idea to make sure all the fittings are snug. It's way easier and faster than the suck and slosh bucket method.

I just learned something interesting about water conditioners and will post it under a separate heading.

Oh John, that made me giggle! I do the same "run like heck" across the kitchen before it fills the hose! HAHAHA! But for after it's filled, I either have my husband standing sentry at the sink, or I have a bucket RIGHT THERE for the overflow.

I usually fill a large aquarium last, so I don't need to run back to the sink. Once when one of the fittings was loose and I didn't realize it, the kitchen got pretty wet. Most of the year in Phoenix, things dry out fast.