[yonp11]

Hey all,

Bit of a problem. I'm currently fighting with my tank temp and have a few questions I hope some of you can answer. Here's the dilemma: If I take the glass top off my 46g bowfront, the water temp stabilizes around 76-77. Perfect. This is where'd I'd like it, as I have a community tank and everyone likes it at this temp. However, with the top off, my water gets really cloudy, with a white tinge to it. It's really annoying and not fun to look at. I don't know why it does this, it's not like the air in my house is hazy or anything, I guess particles just accumulate on the water surface when the top is off.

This can be remedied by dosing some clarifier and putting the glass top over the aquarium. Looks beautiful. However, thanks to the wonderful sunny South Florida weather, with the top on the tank the water temp will stabilize at 80-81 (Less room for evaporation and heat from light being trapped by the glass top I assume). This isn't a problem for most of my fish (black neons, rummies, an angelfish, cherry barbs), but I have White Cloud Minnows who probably don't enjoy this higher temperature.

Any opinions on to what my options are? I love these White Clouds, they make the rest of my fish feel more comfortable when they're zipping around at the water surface. Before I got them the fish would just kind of hang out at the bottom of the tank, now they swim around all of the tank.

Will the White Clouds be ok at this temperature (they seem ok right now, swimming and chasing each other, flaring their fins, etc), from what I've read they're a hardy fish that can withstand pretty extreme temps, just not sure if that includes the higher end of the spectrum.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Wasserpest]

I have heard/read this before - in Summer, with higher temps, tanks clear up, while with lower temps, there is some hazy water developing. I think it's not dependent on "particulates" collecting with an open top tank, but on the temps.

Not sure what the exact reason is, perhaps with the higher temps metabolism is sped up and the fast lifecycle destroys bacterial blooms (if that is what it is).

I'd suggest you try to clear up things at lower temps. Some ideas - make sure there is enough filter capacity, and the filter media is not hopelessly dirty. Increase water changes. Reduce the fish load if that is an issue. Perhaps do some vacuuming of the substrate if there is an accumulation of "stuff" (in unplanted areas). Remove dead plant matter/non-growing plants. Reduce feeding, make sure there is no food falling into inaccessible spots in your tank.

 

[yonp11]

Thanks for the reply Wasser, I hadn't heard about temp affecting cloudiness. For filtration I have a Whisper 60 HOB and a Rena xP2, so I think I have enough filtration. The media is pretty clean. I have 500mL of Purigen, and some coral life 50micron filter pads to try and combat the cloudiness. Are these 50micron pads the same thing as filter floss?

I do a 50% water change every week, where I vacuum up the stuff on the substrate. I'll try reducing feeding, I feed them a little bit, twice a day. I definitely wouldn't call it overfeeding.

I guess I might try keeping the lid on and floating a bag of ice in the water, to test your theory. If you're right, if I can keep the temp down to 76, it should get cloudy even though the lid is on the tank, and I'll know what the problem is. I'll keep the thread updated. Everyone else feel free to chime in!

 

[tropicalfish]

For my small tank, I take the cover off the power filter (HOB). You could try this on your Whisper? I don't know if it will also get haze into the tank...