Jul 1, 2009
Posted by Freshwater Aquariums in FAQ | 2 Comments
How Long Will It Take For An External Aquarium Filter To Clean The Aquarium Once It Has Been Set Up?
İt is a tetratec filter. İ have only had the aquarium for a week and i have chanaged the water. The other day İ bought some sand and stones along with a few artifical plants. However the water became dirty. İ took everything out and left it but it was still the same. Now i dont know what to do. İs there something my filter is not doing properly?
Are there fish in the tank? As long as there is a source of ammonia in the tank (fish, fish food, pieces of dead plant), bacteria will start to colonise on your filter media, your gravel and your tank walls, causing the water to become cloudy. This is a normal occurence with any tank that has just been set up; it is known as cycling.
Did you rinse the sand before putting it in your tank? Otherwise, silt and tiny particles might be being sifted up by the water flow. Put your sand in a bucket (not all of it; fill the bucket about 1/4 full), fill it with water and then stir the sand up with your hand. Stir as best as you can and then drain the bucket of water (try not to pour any sand out along with the water, though this is almost impossible). Keep doing it until the water in your bucket is clear when you fill it up. Then, repeat with the rest of your sand.
If your aquarium has only been set up for a week, it isn’t dirty yet – it’s probably just foggy from everything being so new, and especially the sand if you didn’t properly rinse it. Just have patience and everything will clear up. Don’t forget to learn how to stock your tank and cycle the water.