How to Have Clear Water in Your Home Freshwater Aquarium and Causes of Cloudy Water
Keeping a home freshwater aquarium is a worthwhile hobby that requires some attention.
Having a freshwater aquarium at home can soothe your senses and reduce tension, allowing you to loosen up from the stress of daily life.
However, these benefits may not be realized if your aquarium is full of cloudy water, which can affect the visibility of the water, therefore, the view of your fish.
The reason why the water inside your home aquarium gets cloudy is not always that easy to pinpoint.
This is because there are multiple reasons that could cause cloudy aquarium water.
The reasons can be interconnected, which is why it is important to be very observant when setting up and maintaining an aquarium.
There are some basic causes as to why aquarium water gets cloudy.
If you see green water, this is caused by algae growth.
There are some factors that trigger the growth of algae.
One factor is too much light.
This is why placing the aquarium in direct sunlight is not a good idea, and the same is true when you turn on the aquarium lights for extended periods of time.
I keep my tropical tank away from windows and the lights on for 12 hours a day and don't have problems with algae.
Algae problems can also be caused by too much fish waste by having too many fish, not having an adequate filter system, or by not cleaning frequently enough.
Fish waste can create excessive nutrients in the aquarium that algae use for growth.
Two of these nutrients are nitrates and phosphates and can also be byproducts of decaying matter inside the aquarium.
To reduce excessive nutrients, change the water and clean your tank using a vacuum water siphon and make sure you have an adequate filter system for the size of your tank.
If you observe a white to gray color in the water of your home freshwater aquarium, there could be a myriad of causes behind this.
First, it could be due to improperly washed gravel.
This problem is easy to solve, all you have to do is to rewash the gravel by rinsing thoroughly and adding fresh water to your aquarium.
If this doesn't work then you can use a water clarifier that you can buy at your local fish aquarium retailer.
In this instance, the cloudiness could be caused by the water chemistry in your tank.
Another cause of cloudiness can be due to bacteria.
This is not uncommon, especially for new aquariums.
It might take a few more weeks before the bacteria in the aquarium can get rid of the nutrients, but this many times will take care of itself.
Again, having an adequate filter system can reduce the frequency that this happens.
Thorough maintenance can help control bacterial blooms.
You might also want to consider feeding your fish every other day, versus every day.
Having a clear aquarium comes down to some basic factors: 1) Let your newly set up aquarium run for a few days before adding fish, 2) use an adequate filter system, 3) don't add too many fish to your tank that will add more waste, and 4) implement an appropriate tank cleaning schedule.
Do these simple things, and enjoy a clear home freshwater aquarium for years to come.
Having a freshwater aquarium at home can soothe your senses and reduce tension, allowing you to loosen up from the stress of daily life.
However, these benefits may not be realized if your aquarium is full of cloudy water, which can affect the visibility of the water, therefore, the view of your fish.
The reason why the water inside your home aquarium gets cloudy is not always that easy to pinpoint.
This is because there are multiple reasons that could cause cloudy aquarium water.
The reasons can be interconnected, which is why it is important to be very observant when setting up and maintaining an aquarium.
There are some basic causes as to why aquarium water gets cloudy.
If you see green water, this is caused by algae growth.
There are some factors that trigger the growth of algae.
One factor is too much light.
This is why placing the aquarium in direct sunlight is not a good idea, and the same is true when you turn on the aquarium lights for extended periods of time.
I keep my tropical tank away from windows and the lights on for 12 hours a day and don't have problems with algae.
Algae problems can also be caused by too much fish waste by having too many fish, not having an adequate filter system, or by not cleaning frequently enough.
Fish waste can create excessive nutrients in the aquarium that algae use for growth.
Two of these nutrients are nitrates and phosphates and can also be byproducts of decaying matter inside the aquarium.
To reduce excessive nutrients, change the water and clean your tank using a vacuum water siphon and make sure you have an adequate filter system for the size of your tank.
If you observe a white to gray color in the water of your home freshwater aquarium, there could be a myriad of causes behind this.
First, it could be due to improperly washed gravel.
This problem is easy to solve, all you have to do is to rewash the gravel by rinsing thoroughly and adding fresh water to your aquarium.
If this doesn't work then you can use a water clarifier that you can buy at your local fish aquarium retailer.
In this instance, the cloudiness could be caused by the water chemistry in your tank.
Another cause of cloudiness can be due to bacteria.
This is not uncommon, especially for new aquariums.
It might take a few more weeks before the bacteria in the aquarium can get rid of the nutrients, but this many times will take care of itself.
Again, having an adequate filter system can reduce the frequency that this happens.
Thorough maintenance can help control bacterial blooms.
You might also want to consider feeding your fish every other day, versus every day.
Having a clear aquarium comes down to some basic factors: 1) Let your newly set up aquarium run for a few days before adding fish, 2) use an adequate filter system, 3) don't add too many fish to your tank that will add more waste, and 4) implement an appropriate tank cleaning schedule.
Do these simple things, and enjoy a clear home freshwater aquarium for years to come.
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