Filtration problems cloudy water

[Seli]

I’ve had a fish aquarium for probably 6 to 8 months now and I started out with goldfish and a couple of Coi fish. I now have three goldfish which started with me in my 10 gallon tank, and currently have 4 Coi fish, a total of seven fish in a 39 gallon tank. I’ve had intermediary spells of Clearwater but I cannot maintain Clearwater. I’ve had cloudy water problems in mine 39 gallon tank. Maintaining clear water has been an issue. I have recently just today ordered a new filter system so I could start using foam and the filter rings. I ordered a Fluval filter. I am really new at the aquarium hobby and I have only lost two fish in my 10 gallon tank. I understand I need other items like A machine to move the water around more efficiently and something to measure the nitrogen levels in the ammonia levels in my fish tank something that I don’t do often. However today when I pick up my new filter system I will bring my tank water sample and have them test my water. At that time I will know where my levels are. I am needing some suggestions on how I can get a good handle on my pH levels. One of my young cois appears having a little difficulty so before the water levels get out control, I want to be able to conquer this beast of PH any suggestions are welcome. I am still very much a amateur beginner at this new hobby that I really love. I am watching many YouTube videos on how to get the most out of my filtration system and this is why I bought a food Val filter 50 gallon per hour. I am not sure about the wattage but I know my current wattage on my filter is 120 V measuring out to be about ???
I can say I’m somewhat mechanical and can understand how to get my filter working more efficiently but that cloudy water!! I do use tap water and put proper doses of salt and just last night, put water conditioner product into the tank water. I notice when I use the water conditioner it causes more cloudiness in my water!! I’m not even putting the correct amount in it, and still the water is not clear!!!
does anyone think I should buy filtered water, and remove 50% then remove my substrate which are small rocks, plastic plants, fresh plant.
I also need help with having quieter under water bubbles and more. My fish are growing and need increased Oregon levels!!!!
That seemed like a lot but I’m desperate and new and love my fish!!!

 

[JRS]

Welcome to the forum! You are to be commended for seeking help to take the best care of your fish. Please do not be discouraged by the suggestions received, it is part of the learning process.

Although you have increased your tank size, it is still much too small long term for so many fish that can grow large over time. I am especially concerned by the 4 koi which can grow much larger than goldfish. Is this a temporary tank and you are planning on moving the fish to a pond? If not, you will want to consider alternatives, especially for the koi. How large are the fish currently?

Are you doing partial water changes? The cloudy water is a sign of an overtaxed filtration system which can be helped with regular fresh water. The pH level is not critical if in a normal range, do not worry about it as long as it is stable. Most drinkable tap water is fine as long as it is treated with a water conditioner if chlorinated by a city.

Please let us know the results of you water tests. Here is a recent discussion of a similar problem as yours but in an even larger tank: https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/fish-dying-in-aquarium.28432/

 

[j.w]

and welcome @Seli
I'm thinking perhaps your fish are going to grow and grow. Koi get huge and goldfish can get to 12". These fish can really dirty up your water even when small. Do you have room outside for a pond?

 

[GBBUDD]

1. to many fish
2. Koi are NOT aquarium fish
3. your probably over feeding if you use the rule where if the fish take 5 minutes to eat all the food then thats the right amount. Is WAYYYYYY off that rule had to be made by Tera or some other fish food company. There's no dinner bell in the wild and make no mistake about it fish are wild. and if you feed three times a day or more . BIG PROBLEM..
4. Fluval is a decent filter but it's not a miracle worker. Never do more then the top section in rinsing/ cleaning. and even then you should only do it with aquarium water. And frequently until you get a hang of the hobby. 1/3 water changes but water needs to be the same in temperature. and use dechlorinater with public water supply. if you use salt in your well water then thats another issue
5. How many inches of gravel are one the bottom of the tank. and what kinda gravel is it.
6. Throw some achanaris or fox tail in the tank
7. pictures are worth a thousand words The round photo to my name is my old fish tank

 

[poconojoe]

Our intention is to help, so don't take our suggestions the wrong way...

Most so-called aquarium or big box pet stores either don't know what they are talking about or just want to sell you fish and equipment. They should never have sold you any koi considering the size of your tanks.
As previously stated: koi are not aquarium fish. It is said that you need at least 1,000 gallons for your first koi. Yeah, a 1,000 gallons! That's not a typo.

Koi excrete a lot of waste which is affecting your water quality.

No salt...these are fresh water fish.
No "miracle" chemicals or clarifiers. You should be able to have a healthy habitat by achieving a natural ecological system. Something is out of balance which is causing your problems.

Think about either building a pond outside or rehoming those koi in the Spring before they get too big. They grow pretty fast.
We can help with a pond build if you go that route.

Stick around and read as much as you can. We are a friendly bunch. We're not a stuck-up or condescending bunch and you can learn from our experiences.

 

[JamieB]

I agree with what I’m reading above. You have come to the right place. We will tell you what you need to know, but are not being mean, just trying to inform you.
To start with, you have too many fish for that size tank, unless they are small fry, less than finger length. Can you set up more or larger aquarium or tanks? Larger and more would be best. If these fish are even hand sized, you’ll want about 30+ gallons each. Next step is filters. Each aquarium needs a filter that is sized for about twice what is recommended, as in instead of buying a 20-30 gallon sized filter for a 30 gallon aquarium, you’ll want to go for something around 60 gallon filtration. That will help reduce how much you are fighting things. Get a test kit, test your water. Don’t add anything except water conditioner to neutralize chlorine/ ammonia, and stress coat products. These fish will do better with a stable ph rather than a ph that bounces between “ perfection “ and too high/ too low. Test your tap water first, and post results. The only concern is if the tap water has a ph of under like 4-5, or over 9. If that’s the case, we will tell you how to do a slow steady improvement of it to get it in a safe range. Things like fish waste will change the ph of the water, so test that next, and post the results as well.
If you cannot find filters in your price range , watch king of diy on YouTube, on how to make a filter using a power head, water bottle, and plastic scrubbies. You drill lots of holes in the bottle, fill it with plastic scrubbies, attach the power head, and that becomes your filter. Be sure to use a good sized bottle, I’d recommend like the semi rectangular ones apple juice comes in, and set it up in one corner of the tank. I’ve done this method, and you’ll want to change just the bottle every few months. Rinse the scrubbies out well about once a week or when they build up a grey clumpy gunk, and use old aquarium water to do so. When they get to a point that it’s not all coming out, that’s when you cut the bottle open, rinse the scrubbies well, and put them in a new prepared bottle. It’s not ideal, but it worked.
You will need a pond come spring. Think 60 gallons per goldfish, 1000 per koi. If you cannot do so, consider rehoming the fish and trying a different kind of fish. Guppies are very hardy, and come in many colors. If you want bigger fish, get things well set up first, then research what will do well in the conditions you have. I recommend guppies as a good starter fish because they are so hardy about tolerating ph, salinity, and temperature except extreme high/ lows. Ideally, they are kept at room temp or a little warmer, high 60- low 80s. They don’t produce near the waste that goldfish do.
The common myth of fish only growing to their environment is blatantly false. Tanks too small result in bad water quality, stunted growth, bent spines and fins, and premature death after a bad life. It’s better to opt for fish that won’t get too big, and that you can keep in good water conditions. If you are set on goldfish, absolutely must have goldfish, consider that your 30 gallon is good for only a single of the “ fancy” types, the bubble eye, celestial, etc, where the fish have a very round body, typically have double tail, and stay much smaller than the “ common “ type of the long sleek body. I’ll go find pictures to explain the difference.

 

[JamieB]

https://www.fishkeepingworld.com/fancy-goldfish/
This link has ok info, but keep in mind that doing research from multiple sources is better.

 

[sissy]

My koi thrive on the 2 water pumps 2 filters and an aerator and plants in my filters and in the waterfall pond .I do not feed them much and have airstones in each filter and add koi clay to the water every 3 months or so .Water is clear koi are over 3 feet long now .I find they need lots of air and lots of filtering of water It may take time but do it right the first time and read on ponds look at video's and you will be happy