why is my water cloudy with plants?

[Finleya]

My tank water turned cloudy after adding new plants. It's a 20 gallon with Java Fern and Anubias, substrate is gravel. Filter is a HOB, been running for 3 months. Water params are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. Lights are on 8 hours a day. What's going on?

[kokomo]

Sounds like a bacterial bloom, happens when you add new plants. They can bring in extra organics. How often you doing water changes? Might wanna bump it to twice a week for a bit. Also, check if your filter media needs cleaning.

[tiderun]

My tank water turned cloudy after adding new plants. It's a 20 gallon with Java Fern and Anubias, substrate is gravel. Filter is a HOB, been running for 3 months. Water params are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. Lights are on 8 hours a day. What's going on?

Yep, classic bacterial bloom. Had the same thing happen when I added Crypts to my 40 breeder. It'll clear up in a few days if you keep up with water changes. Don't mess with the filter too much, though, or you'll crash your cycle.

[dayton]

Could also be dust from the substrate if you didn't rinse the plants well. I've seen that cloud things up real bad. What kind of gravel you using? Some of the cheaper stuff leaches fines for weeks.

[angler_09]

Bacterial blooms are common with new plants, but your params look solid. How's the flow in your tank? Low flow can let debris settle. Might wanna tweak your HOB output or add a small powerhead if it's stagnant.

[dusker]

Monitor your ammonia levels closely for the next few days. Even if it's zero now, the bloom can cause spikes. If it gets worse, consider a partial blackout for 24 hours to slow the bacteria down.

[Finleya]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I'll try increasing water changes and check the filter. Gravel is CaribSea, rinsed it pretty well but maybe not enough. Flow seems decent, but I'll keep an eye on it.

[maplesyd]

Sounds like a bacterial bloom, happens when you add new plants. They can bring in extra organics. How often you doing water changes? Might wanna bump it to twice a week for a bit. Also, check if your filter media needs cleaning.

Agreed. I'd also add some Seachem Stability to boost your beneficial bacteria. Helps speed up the clearing process.

[adapros]

Yo, same thing happened to me last month. Cloudy water for days, but it chilled out after I cut back on feeding. You overfeeding your fish? Extra food can fuel the bloom.

[kaidos]

If it's still cloudy after a week, might be worth checking your tap water. Sometimes there's weird stuff in there that reacts with the tank. You using a water conditioner?