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Hdamaall
 Gold Boarder
Posts: 161 
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I have 50 gal. tank with African Chilids. Recently my fish tank got cloud and I've been change the water...which seems to work a little. My fish have recently been dieing, The fish swims really weird and then floats upside down dead. The are just hanging around the bottom of the tank just doing nothing. Two questions:
1. Why is my tank becoming cloud? 2. Why are the fish dieing?
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Euan
Gold Boarder
Posts: 162
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If the water is a milky white color, it's a bacterial bloom. This happens with a newly set-up tank, overfeeding, over stocking, an unfound dead fish in the tank, or by somehow killing off the bacteria in the filter.
High levels of ammonia - that's why you are having the bacteria bloom. As the ammonia level drops, the water will become clear. But, the nitrite level goes up, which will also kill fish. This is called cycling - you will have to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels low enough to keep them from killing the fish by doing 20% water changes, likely every day. The cycle can take a few weeks. You can speed things up by adding filter media from an established filter - the more you put into your filter, the faster the cycle ends........Frank
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garylane
Expert Boarder
Posts: 145
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Would you use PH down, some chemical that takes away the cloudiness, or 20% water change. Or would you do some of all of them?
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Jasonwest
 Expert Boarder
Posts: 155
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I wouldn't add any chemicals to your current mix. Since it 'sounds' like you have a full tank of fish, I'd follow Frank's advice and begin doing 25% water changes on a daily basis.
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Euan
Gold Boarder
Posts: 162
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............
They wouldn't do a thing as for as clearing the water from a bacterial bloom.
A 20% water change removes 20% of the ammonia and bacteria that causes the cloudiness, and when you replace it with fresh water, dilutes the cloudiness. Live plants such as java ferns, or adding filter media from an established filter is the only other thing you can do to speed the cycle up. When the ammonia spikes and starts to drop, the water will clear on its own. ..........
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Arkhew
 Gold Boarder
Posts: 164
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Just a note on that. Stop feeding, no food at all till the water clears and tests for nitrite show clear. Feeding just adds to the problem.
Nic Aqua Area
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