How to Get Rid of Cloudy Water in Fish Tanks

A home aquarium is a great way to display your pet fish and create an attractive piece of home décor. Unfortunately, sometimes the water in your tank can get dingy and cloudy. Cloudy water is caused by bacteria from leftover fish food and dying plants in your tank. Clear your tank of the offending dingy water with a few simple fixes that are effective as well as safe for your fish.

Things You'll Need

  • Cup
  • Fine mesh net
  • Aquarium salt
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Remove a small amount of water from the tank with a cup and introduce clean water in its place once a day until the water clears up. Take 1/5 of the water in the tank out at a time to allow the fish time to get used to the change. Do this once a week.

    • 2

      Monitor your fish when they are eating. Remove any food that they did not consume after five minutes using a fine mesh net.

    • 3

      Reduce the density of fish in the water to allow the filter to circulate the water properly. Each average size fish requires 1 gallon of water in the tank.

    • 4

      Make sure your filter is set up properly and actually is cycling through the water in the tank. If the hoses are not connected or are not in the water, impurities will not be filtered out.

    • 5

      Add 1 tbsp of aquarium salt for every 15 gallons of water in the tank. Wait several days for the cloudiness to dissipate.