Cloudy aquarium water is one of the most common problems plaguing aquarium owners. They can appear out of nowhere and persist for long periods of time, endangering the health of your fishes. Identifying the kind of cloudiness that you have in your aquarium waters can help you identify the causes and zero in on an effective solution to the problem.
White cloudiness in the water is generally brought about by a bloom of bacteria, which is very common in new tanks. This is not a very persistent and dangerous problem; and given that your tank has a good filtration system, the white cloudiness will eventually clear out in time. To hasten the process, you can do more frequent water changes until the cloudiness eventually clears out. A new tank should have 15% water changes until the cloudiness is completely removed.
Green cloudiness in fish tanks can be caused by excess nutrients in the water. The green coloration is actually caused by microscopic or single celled organisms called algae that bloom with the presence of nutrients. Although this may not initially cause any harm to your fishes, the unclear water can be very unpleasant to look at. If untreated for long periods of time, these organism can use up large amounts of oxygen in the water and eventually leave nothing out for your fishes.
The increase in nutrient content is generally caused by overfeeding so to remedy that, stop adding too much food on to your tank. Make more frequent water changes until the water eventually clears out. To facilitate the removal of the algae, put the lights out for a couple of days to inhibit photosynthesis.
And finally, the cloudy yellowish coloration in the tank is brought about by tannins from drift wood or decaying plant matter and from accumulated fish waste. When the aquarium is not cleaned out as frequently, all of these wastes can accumulate in the water, producing that unsightly yellowish coloration and stale smell. To remove this, you need to conduct very through aquarium cleaning. Vacuum your gravel to remove all of the accumulated wastes, rinse your aquarium accessories to remove debris that have settled in over time and change the water more frequently until it all clears out. You can also add on a carbon additive to your tank to further remove all the wastes and smaller debris.
Cleaning and re-filtering the pump can also help accelerate the removal of the cloudy water. Once you have replaced all the cartridges, wait for 6 hours before putting your fishes back in the tank to make sure that all of the cloudiness is gone. If the problem persists, then you can look on other possible causes and solutions.
A good way to monitor good water quality and reduce cloudiness in your aquarium would be to invest in a master test kit that can measure your aquarium water's pH, ammonia, nitrate and nitrite levels. This kit can help you understand your tank better and zone in on problems and imbalances that many not be readily visible by the naked eye. Master test kits are easily available in local pet stores.