Cloudy water!

[IhaveaGuppy]

Ok heres the story I have just moved so I had to take my tank down and euthanize my fish but back to the point I set it up on sunday, Then I filled it to the max with tap water then added all my chems ("AquaSafe, Zeolite Crystals to filter, Amquel+, O and my PH was over 7.5 so I added some a half of a Correction Tablet). So now it's Tuesday and my water is cloudy but yesterday it was beutiful! I get my fish today so WHAT DO I DO! Wait after testing my PH is 7.7 and I haven't haven't done ANYTHING to the water! I am going to correst it now!

Ph is 7.7

I do not have any tests for nitrites or nitrates. I let the pet store test my water except for PH.

[Judge]

Sorry I am not understanding your post. Why did you have to euthanize your fish just because you were moving? I am assuming you kept the original substrate and filter media so you still have retained the beneficial bacteria?
I think I would let things settle down before adding fish. I also recommend purchasing a good test kit so you can monitor what is going on with your tank.

[IhaveaGuppy]

I was moving across the country and no one would take my fish so I had to "take care of them". Oh and My mom says that all the tests and chems and junk is all a load of Bull @#&! so I can't get them. What I did get was a PH test kit but thats not enough I still need nitrites nitrates and ammonia. The tank has been up 2 days so it can circulate the water. I am also getting my water tested for everything at the pet store today. It is not a bad fog just like if you poured some FINE sand in the filter it would shoot it out and make it all cloudy - kinda like that. And yes all my tank substrate media, ornaments, and hardware are old so yes I have the good bacteria. Oh and my substrate is just pebbles no sand.

My mom WILL NOT let me get anymore testing supplies unless an "Expert" tells us to.

[IhaveaGuppy]

I was moving across the country and no one would take my fish so I had to "take care of them". Oh and My mom says that all the tests and chems and junk is all a load of Bull @#&! so I can't get them. What I did get was a PH test kit but thats not enough I still need nitrites nitrates and ammonia. The tank has been up 2 days so it can circulate the water. I am also getting my water tested for everything at the pet store today. It is not a bad fog just like if you poured some FINE sand in the filter it would shoot it out and make it all cloudy - kinda like that. And yes all my tank substrate media, ornaments, and hardware are old so yes I have the good bacteria. Oh and my substrate is just pebbles no sand. Oh and My mom WILL NOT let me get any testing supplies.

[LiVe4fIsH]

Originally Posted by IhaveaGuppy

And yes all my tank substrate media, ornaments, and hardware are old so yes I have the good bacteria. .

Unless you kept your substrate media, ornaments, and hardware in water or 'wet' and did not let it dry out, then you are golden, but if these things were sat out to dry then any bacteria will die. The good bacteria that we are discussing here, must be saturated with liquid in order to stay alive. Since your tank is cloudy, this 'could' be a sign of a new tank and leading to the start of a new cycle. Thus, this 'could' mean that all of your substrate and what not, was dried out, leaving no good bacteria in it.

Izzy

[IhaveaGuppy]

Thats it I dried it out! My mom told me too! I went I tested my water for ammonia and it was pretty high so I FOR SURE started a new cycle... therefore I have to wait for the Nitrites and Nitrates to kick in... 2 MORE DAYS TILL I CAN STOCK MY TANK! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[Judge]

Ah...have some patience there! lol. It'll be ok. I am curious though, where are you getting this 2 days before you can add fish? If your tank is just now beginning to cycle then it will be longer than 2 days...

[Dmaaaaax]

It might take a full week for the bacteria to start changing your ammonia to nitrite and a second week for the second species of bacteria to start changing the nitrite to nitrate. Keep bringing your water in to be tested and be patient, your fish will thank you.

BTW next time you move try taking your fish back to a pet store.

[orb4me]

oh little guppy, I didnt know you were moving or I coulda told ya.

Read the article or watch the video on cycling a tank. If you can get an old filter or some old gravel out of someone elses tank, that will help move the cycle along, but you better be prepared to cycle about 2 weeks if not more.

Im probably more your moms age with the thinking about fish tanks. For some reason all the old thinking has gone out the window, and now we take more care of the water than we do the fish.

I thought I was going to buy a fish tank, some pretty decorations and gravel, bring it all home, set it up and plop in the fish and ta da!!!!! instant fish tank.

Nope!!! ya gotta cycle, do water changes, very little food, clean the filter in the fish water that you just changed. it goes on and on. A person cannot even raise fancy guppys if the water is not just right. etc.

Cheer up and be patient little guppy.

[Loman]

You are getting some great advice here. Every tank cycles at a different pace and manner. That said it will almost certainly be more than 2 days. I understand the limitation regarding the test kits imposed by your mom so you will need to relay on the LFS to test for you. I would get the real numbers and not just you look okay or need to wait. You really want to wait till there is undetectable ammonia and nitrite levels. Given the system was setup and dried out I expect the ammonia levels to spike fairly high. I had a system like that and eventually threw out the gravel because the ammonia was so high for so long I decided it was not worth the wait. Given your mom's comments I suspect that she would not be keen on replacing fish if they die so I would still adise going slow. Push them at the LFS or other accepted "expert" (based on your Mom's definition) and see if they will not say the ammonia needs to come down befor stocking. Several places will say that these days