Fishes are charming pets with their attractive colours, and calming swimming movements. However, it can be terrifying and distressing when your fishes are dying without any apparent reason. Guess what? All fish keepers have experienced cloudy water in their fish tank at some point. But, you know there is always a reason. Keep reading to find out the ultimate solution as to why your fish tank is cloudy and fishes are dying and how you can save your fish and prevent the cloudiness in your fish tank.
Why is your new fish tank water cloudy?
Has your new fish tank water suddenly turned cloudy after being crystal clear on the first day? Don’t worry. It can be explained simply. The new fish tank is just like a blank biological slate because there is no life present. Hence, the nitrate and phosphate level elevates when left unchecked, thus causing cloudiness in the tank water.
In this scenario, if you add too many fishes all at once or feed too much, the natural bacteria will not be able to balance the contaminants, causing fish death ultimately. Do make sure that before putting fishes in the tank, you are regularly monitoring and testing the nitrate and ammonium levels, and changing the water if required to reduce the toxicity. This would keep the fishes safe.
What to do if the fishes are dying after changing the water rapidly?
The number one solution to this problem is to partially change the water regularly (approx. 26 % monthly). This is proven to be successful by many fish owners. Still, the ‘new tank syndrome’ is an exception in this case. The simple explanation is that in a healthy established fish tank, the water chemistry is perfectly balanced with the resident fishes, plants, and bacteria.
Then, if you change the water rapidly in large quantities, this would disrupt the water chemistry, cause fish death, and cloudiness in the fish tank. The ultimate solution is to change the water slowly, swapping in small quantities, and to wait for 3-4 days before changing the water again so that fish can adjust to the regular changes.
How to prevent cloudy water and fish death in a fish tank?
- Strictly avoid overfeeding your fish
Strictly follow a feeding schedule for your fish. Check the feeding quantities until your fish consume all the food in 2-3 minutes. If you still overfeed your fish, it would lead to a lethal rise in nitrate levels and ultimately cause fish death and cloudiness in fish tank water.
- Avoid putting too many fish together in your fish tank
If you put too many fish in one tank, it would lead to an extra wastage of food, and an increased food source for the microbes. This would create cloudiness in the fish tank. Additionally, too many fishes would elevate the nitrates and ammonia level as well, causing cloudiness and fish death.
Final words
By now you have learnt why your fish tank is cloudy, and fishes are dying. If you have a fish tank at home, then you must be aware of the fact that owning fishes is one of the most fantastic experiences ever. And, if your fishes are dying, you need to act fast. So, stop thinking and start applying these tips for real.
