Causes of cloudy water and countermeasures

Water quality may deteriorate in the keeping of goldfish and other living creatures. By noticing such changes in water quality as soon as possible, it is possible to prevent the risk of disease and other problems before they occur. When checking for changes in water quality, it is important to check what color the water is. In this article, we will discuss the causes and remedies for cloudy water.

About the color of water

Water quality may deteriorate in the keeping of goldfish and other living creatures. By noticing such changes in water quality as soon as possible, it is possible to prevent the risk of disease and other problems before they occur. When checking for changes in water quality, it is important to check the color of the water. In general, the colors of water that you may have seen when keeping aquatic organisms are,

The first, green water, is caused by the proliferation of plant plankton such as green algae (e.g., chlorella) and green beetles, and is known as green water.The second, white water, will be explained in the following pages.

Causes and Countermeasures for Cloudy White

As a possible cause of cloudy water,

The above four are the most commonly noted causes. Of these, the most common causes in keeping goldfish are "dead bacteria" and "food debris.Dirt on water plants" can cause the water to become cloudy when dirt and other contaminants become suspended in the water, such as when new water plants are added or when water plants become old.As a countermeasure, it is important to make sure that the new water plants you are adding are not dirty, and if they are, it is important to make sure that the dirt is removed. In addition, frequent maintenance of the water plants will reduce the amount of dirt and improve their appearance, so if you are able to do so, please be sure to maintain them as well.Driftwood scum can dissolve into the water and make it cloudy if the scum is not properly removed when the driftwood is purchased and placed in the water.As a countermeasure, it is only natural to remove the water scum from the fish, but before putting the fish in a tank, check the fish in a bucket to make sure that the scum has been removed properly. If you are worried about the bacteria or if you are not good at removing the bacteria, you can take measures such as using driftwood that has been scrubbed to remove the bacteria. The remaining "dead bacteria" and "bait scraps" are explained separately in the following section.

Turbidity caused by bacteria

If you keep ornamental fish such as goldfish,The most common cause of cloudy water is an imbalance of bacteria, which results in the death of large numbers of bacteria. When the water becomes cloudy due to an imbalance of bacteria, it is often seen when the filter in the filter system is replaced or when the aquarium is newly started up.So it is often a problem that those who are new to keeping ornamental fish run into.The first remedy is to increase the frequency of water changes if the water is cloudy. Increasing the frequency of water changes will reduce the number of bacteria and bring in new bacteria, which may improve the balance of bacteria. However, as explained on the water change page, never change more than half of the water in the aquarium.No matter how unbalanced the bacteria may be, if you completely change the environment in which the organisms are living, the risk of disease will increase. To maintain the balance of bacteria, there are some commercially available water products that contain good quality bacteria, so it is a good idea to add them to the water. For example, Zicra Water, sold by Zicra, is a good example. Even those who have just started keeping ornamental fish such as goldfish can solve the problem by taking proper measures, so please do not give up.

Turbidity caused by bait residue

The next most common cause of cloudy water in ornamental fish keeping, next to the above-mentioned "caused by bacteria," is "turbidity caused by feed.This is more than tropical fish, killifish, etc,Goldfish tend to have a higher incidence of this problem. This is because goldfish have a larger appetite than other ornamental fish, and their keepers often overfeed them because they eat so much. If the excess food is left as it is, bacteria and other fungi will multiply and cause the water quality to become unbalanced, resulting in a cloudy white color. The first step is to avoid overfeeding. As explained on the page on how to feed, it is fine to feed the fish once a day for about 5 minutes.If you feed more than this amount on a daily basis, you need to review the amount you feed or take some other measures. If you must feed them, please collect the uneaten food using a net or something similar. The worst thing you can do is to leave the leftover bait as it is, so please take measures to prevent this.If there is a lot of debris or debris at the bottom of the aquarium, it is likely that the white turbidity is caused by the bait.White cloudiness caused by bait can be prevented by the owner taking proper measures, which should be taken as soon as possible.