Why is My Fish Tank Cloudy after 1 Day.?

The most common question fish tank (aquarium) owners often ask is what to do with cloudy
water. Why does it happen? And how can I fix it?

The good news is that cloudy water in a fish tank (aquarium) isn’t necessarily an emergency
situation. In fact, there are very simple ways to diagnose and treat cloudy water. So, here’s
everything you need to know!

Reasons for Cloudy Fish Tank

If the fish tank is turning cloudy after just 1 day, don’t be disappointed. The cloudiness is
probably due to many reasons. In a new aquarium setup, the reason for the cloudy appearance
could be the substrate that is used. In freshwater aquarium most substrate are epoxy costed.
Substrate for marine aquarium can be extremely dusty and can cause cloudy water.

Cloudy water can also be caused by the water being used. Tap water can contain items like
silicates, phosphates, nitrates, and heavy metals. In the new fish tank, it is not uncommon to
become cloudy. This is due to beneficial, nitrogen-converting colonizing to oxidize ammonia
and nitrites. In an established aquarium, bacteria bloom can also occur when there is a sudden
increase in nutrients. The increased nutrients spark the growth of heterotrophic bacteria and
heterotrophs grow rapidly, causing the water to become cloudy. These bacteria break down
fish waste, decaying plant debris, and unconsumed food into nitrites and ammonia. They also
create a slimy biofilm that will form on decorations and walls of the aquarium

Overstocking the tank means too many fish also can cause cloudy water. If the fish tank is
overloaded, it becomes difficult to identify dead fish. When a fish dies immediately take it out
of the tank. If don’t, other fish will start eating the dead fish

If cloudy water is seen in the morning, then it’s possible that a fish has died during the night.
The other fish can eat the body of the dead fish and leave no trace of the carcass and making
the tank water cloudy. Another reason could be decaying plants. Their decomposition also
releases waste products that mix with the water and make the fish tank cloudy.

Diagnosing aquarium problems isn’t rocket science. Aquarium health means fish health,
and keeping their home clean will go a long way toward keeping them happy.

How Do I Fix Cloudy Water in My Fish Tank?

Here are a few very simple ways to fix cloudy water in a fish tank.

Be Patient

The most important thing is to be patient. The fish tank is a glass container filled with living
things, and no living thing is instant. Patience is sometimes hard for us to achieve in this world.
Fish, invertebrates, and other aquatic life, including filter bacteria, need time to adapt and
grow in their new home. If one tries to rush the natural process of establishing the fish tank
and immediately stuff a new fish tank full of life then things will go wrong. When something
like a bloom of cloudy water happens, first try to figure out what went wrong, and then, once
you know what went wrong, fix it. Don’t just start adding cleaning things and chemicals. That
might set the establishment of bacterial colonies back and actually prolong the duration of
cloudy water. Be patient.

Clean the Residue from the Gravel/Substrate

If gravel is put in a new tank without being thoroughly washed, it will certainly cloud the tank
as dust and dirt are spread throughout the water. To make sure this doesn’t happen, wash
the gravel thoroughly before putting it into the tank. Or, if the water is already cloudy, drain
it and remove the gravel, then wash it thoroughly before replacing it and refilling the tank.

Replace the Tank Water Regularly

Replacing the tank water is absolutely necessary to maintain a healthy ecosystem in the tank.
Once the fish tank is established, try to replace one-third of the tank water every week which
can help speed up the clearing process. The tank water can often become cloudy due to gravel
residue or the reactions between the driftwood and water. There is also the option of buying
prepackaged aquarium water or also buying a reverse osmosis system. RO filters will help to
remove most contaminants from the tap water supply

Add Activated Carbon Media to the Filter, whether Loose or Carbon Pads

Adding activated carbon media or activated carbon pads to the filter will help clear the water
and adsorb nutrients that feed the bacteria blooms and fix the cloudy brown color that occurs
due to decoration pieces such as driftwood, which can add tannins (that are certain chemical
molecules) to the water and can change its color to a cloudy brown. Chemical filters such as
activated carbon can also absorb these chemicals and prevent the tank from turning a cloudy
brown color

Seed the Aquarium

Access to another healthy and well-established fish tank, adding a few handfuls of gravel from
that aquarium will seed the beneficial bacteria and help in the clearing process. Aquatic stores
sometimes keep bio-sponges, filter cartridges, and wheels floating into stocked aquariums to
seed them with bacteria and will send these items home with new setups to help maintain
biological balance.

Arrange a Large Fish Tank

It is best to buy the biggest aquarium if one can afford it. The larger the aquarium, the more
waste aquarium can handle before it becomes a problem for the fish.

Stock and Feed Lightly

Fish do not need to be eaten twice or thrice a day. Their bodies are not designed to handle
that much food. Feed them a light meal once a day, and give them one or two fast days a
week. Many times wild fish only eat a few times a week when they come across food. Many
predatory fish only eat once or twice a week or less.

Remove Dead Fish

To fix cloudy aquarium water, lift ornaments and decorations to search for any dead fish, and
remove them from the net if any are found. Test the water and if ammonia or nitrite is
present, do a 50% water change, and add some filter bacteria.

Remove Dead Plants and Uneaten Food

Decaying plants or excess food that is not consumed can also cause the cloudy water that is
seen in bacterial bloom. Regardless of the cause, don’t panic about bacterial blooms. Keeping
the aquarium clean by removing debris such as decaying plants and uneaten food, and doing
frequent water changes will resolve most bacterial blooms quickly.

Making Sure Glass is Clean

Both the outside and inside of glass matter. Outside of the tank, water stains on the glass can
make the tank look like cloudy water when trying to look inside. Try using a safe cleaner such
as white vinegar to clean the tank glass.

Scrape off the Algae

Algae buildup is a major cause of cloudy water. Although this does not mean that the water is impure, it does make the tank dirty. Algae usually form on the inner walls of the tank and can turn the water cloudy green. The inside walls of the tank should be scrubbed regularly, and the algae should be removed with an algae scraper.

Test Aquarium Water

Many problems that cause tank water to become cloudy can be easily solved if the tank water
is tested and cleaned accordingly

How to Prevent Cloudy Water in Tank

Taking measures to prevent and avoid cloudy water in advance is much better than trying to
eliminate it after it starts.

Avoid Overfeed Fish

Some people are often afraid that their fish will starve to death, so they feed too much and
often. Unfortunately, there are few, if any, nitrifying bacteria present to break down the
resulting waste or uneaten food, which the cloudy water bacteria take advantage of and
continue to grow rapidly. Naturally, Fish do not always eat every day, and some predatory
fish may only eat once or twice a week. No fish ever died of hunger in three days.

Avoid Overcrowding

More fish means more waste and more food for the microbes that cause cloudy water. Too
many fish in a new aquarium may also cause a rise in harmful nitrites and ammonia

Avoid Putting the Tank Direct Sunlight

Putting the fish tank into direct sunlight or near any other light source allows the
algae to grow more easily because photosynthesis can occur more freely.
Algae is a plant, and like all plants, it too grows through photosynthesis. Algae
growth, in turn, will turn the water a cloudy green color.

Avoid Adding Chemicals without Knowing About Their Impact

Adding any chemical additives to make water healthier can have unintended consequences.
The chemical may react with any decoration, and it can make the tank water cloudy. Avoid
using chemicals if you don’t know exactly how a chemical will react with other things in the
tank.

How Long Does It Take to Fix a Cloudy Water Tank?

During routine maintenance, cloudy fish tank water after cleaning will clear up after one to
two days. Free-floating bacteria present in the tank may need time to settle at the bottom of
the tank. Tank water will become clear when the bacteria are not floating freely in the water.

Most Common Fish Diseases due to Unclean Water Conditions

Even the best-kept fish can suffer from poor health. It doesn’t necessarily mean that there is
something wrong with the fish tank when this happens. It may be that a fish has died from an
age-related disease or trauma (injury), in which case there is absolutely no need to treat the
aquarium because both conditions are contagious and the victim is already dead.

Before using any medication in an aquarium first try to determine what the problem is. This
can be done by carefully observing the fish and then noting all the symptoms. You should be
able to determine the probable cause of the illness.

What are the Signs of Fungal Disease?

The spores of various fungi are always present in the fish tank. The fungus usually does not
attack healthy fish because the mucus that covers the fish fights the infection. But if the fish
is injured by hitting something sharp, having rough handling, being attacked by another fish,
or being stressed by to a bad environment, the fungus takes advantage and gains a hold. Once
the fungus gets past the fish’s natural defenses, it will spread and further weaken the fish unless
treated.

How will I Recognize Fungus on my Fish?

The fungus is often given the common name of ‘cotton wool disease’ because the fungus looks exactly like cotton wool attached to a fish. Its color can vary slightly from almost white to gray,
it may even appear green if algae get in amongst it too. Although this does not seem very
serious, it actually is. Under the ‘cotton wool,’ the fungus is eating away at the fish’s tissue, so
immediate treatment is essential. Two common fungal infections seen in fish are:

Saprolegnia
Ichthyophonus hoferi

Treatment of Fungal Infections

The first step in treating fungal infections in fish is to thoroughly clean their tank. Then
potassium permanganate is put into the fish tank. Make sure that external pathogens are
removed from the fish’s skin and also raise the water temperature to 82 degrees because
most of these fungal infections thrive in cold temperatures.

Why is My Fish Tank Cloudy after 1 Day.?

Reasons for Cloudy Fish Tank