Instructions
Check the chemicals in the water. Often, the chemicals used in an aquarium can react causing cloudiness and obscurity. Consider reducing the chemicals used. Only use cleaners that are necessary. If additional solutions are needed in the water, use small doses and the exact amount listed on the instructions. Some additives that are safe include aquarium salt, preventive solutions such as QuickCure and water conditioner.
Check the tank for any decorations that were not sold as aquarium decorations from a reputable pet store. Be sure to thoroughly check any rocks that were put in the water to see if any of them changed shape like they are melting, or if any section of one has become soft or loose. If you find any soft spots or any change in shape, you should remove this item from the water.
Check the filter. When a filter is initially used in an aquarium, it must have time to run through a complete cycle of cleaning the water. During this process, it can stir up debris without properly managing the waste, thereby causing cloudiness. Check to make sure the filter is running and make sure it has had time to fully run. Eight hours should give the filter time to reduce the cloudiness.
Avoid overpopulation and overfeeding. Too many fish in a tank leads to stress, shortened lives, additional maintenance, algae growth and cloudy water. Keeping your tank's population at or below 1 inch of fish per gallon of water for small community freshwater fish will keep this cloudiness under control. Also, watching overfeeding will reduce cloudiness that comes from floating amounts of uneaten food. Uneaten food can also lead to debris from breakdown and bacterial formation. Feed the aquarium population according to the directions listed for feeding. Fish should consume food in less than three minutes. Remove any uneaten food with a fish net.
Change the water regularly. Changing the water in the aquarium is manually recycling the water to help ensure freshness and cleanliness. Do this by remove 20 percent of the water and replacing it with fresh water weekly, or more often for tanks larger than a gallon. As you take out old water, you take out waste, uneaten food and bacteria as well. You can use the old water for watering household plants and flowers.
How to Get Tank Water Clear
While a clear, vibrant fish tank is a peaceful and enjoyable sight, a tank of dirty and darkened water is unsettling, for you and your fish. Murky water is quite common in water tanks and aquariums for a range of reasons including fish waste, chemical buildup and flaking items not meant for submersion. Floating debris can also cause cloudy water. With preventive maintenance and cleaning, getting tank water clear can be a quick and simple process.