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Old 20-04-2003, 07:20 AM
SLEngst
 
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Default Cloudy water - NO3 deficiency

A 30 gal. heavily planted, moderately fishy tank has been going quite cloudy.
I changed water - 50%, its fine for 24 hrs than becomes cloudy, again. Double
Finally got around to testing all parameters. Ammonia, zero, NO3 below
measurable with the spendy NO3 test kit, PO4 about 0.3 ppm (or is that 0.3 *
4.4?) K - 2.3ppm. Other parameters - KH - 16 deg.; GH 20, pH about 8.1 reduced
to 7.3 with the DYI-CO2 system. So I added some Seachem Nitrogen - halfway
between beginner dose and final dose I will need and water immediately cleared
up. 2 days later its cloudy, again. More NO3 its clear. Mind, I removed all
the easily accessible fish during this phase of trying to resolve the problem.
Strangely, the other 30 gal. tank that now has a fish overload does not have
those problems. I expect there's a DUH! in there somewhere as I don't overfeed.


The question is, what is the cause of the cloudiness? PO4 - NO3 ratio
imbalance, alone? Or something else I need to chase? Possible fungus or yeast
(suspects of past problems)? In this tank, there is excessive "pearling" in the
evening and it would appear that it is the algae pearling. Is this O2 or CO2
bubbles?

Thanks for any help you can provide.