What Causes a Fish Tank to Become Blurry After Cleaning It?

It is not unusual for fish tank water to turn blurry even after thorough cleaning of the filters and substrates. This cloudiness is caused by several factors and occurs in both newly set and older tanks. The root cause of the blurriness in the water is determined by the color of the water, with gray reflecting bacterial bloom, while green depicts algae bloom. To effectively treat cloudiness in the aquarium, you must know the underlying cause of this problem, because aquarium water should be clear.

  1. Bacterial Bloom

    • Bacterial blooms plague both new and well-established tanks. White or gray cloudiness in the tank is due to free-swimming bacteria that result from the ammonia from fish waste outweighing the beneficial bacteria in the filter. Bacterial blossoms are not dangerous to the fish as long as the aquarium has an excellent established biological filter that balances the situation. A partial water change in the tank often rectifies the bacterial blossom.

    Overstocking

    • Overstocking the aquarium results in production of more waste than the filter can cope with. The ammonia emanating from the fish waste occupies the fish tank, resulting in blurriness of the water. Excess ammonia in the aquarium is detrimental to the fish, even causing death. Keep an appropriate number of fish in the aquarium to correct this problem or carry out regular water changes. Using products that convert ammonia into a non-toxic form will also get rid of the blurriness.

    Overfeeding

    • Overfeeding is putting more food in the aquarium than the fish can feed on. Surplus uneaten food winds up at the bottom of the tank, and sometimes this organic matter might rot, resulting in blurriness of the water. Decomposition also releases a variety of inorganic and organic substances that can cause chemical imbalance in the aquarium. Feed the fish for about five minutes and ensure they clear all of the food to prevent accumulation of excess food. Alternatively, stop feeding them for a couple of days until they eat all of the excess food in the tank. Revise the type and quantity of food if the water in the tank clears up after minimal feeding.

    Algae Bloom

    • Green algae bloom can also cause cloudiness in the aquarium. Although green algae pose little danger to the fish, it is an eyesore and decreases the visibility of the fish. Algae growth can be prevented by reducing lighting to the aquarium to about eight hours a day, reducing amount of direct sunlight, reducing amount of food and carrying out regular water changes.