cloudy tank

[deriter]

I have been running a new set up tank for about a week now and with only a large apple snail in it it just doesn't seem to be able to clear itself. There seems to be a lot of tiny white cloudy water in it. It has a powwer filter with charcoal/bioballs/and filter mayerial in it. The snail has been eating lettuce and I wonder if it has contaminated the water. I tried a 25% water change but it seems no better. Any ideas??

[thegrandpoohbah]

Sorry, don't have time to type too much at the moment. Here's some info to get you started: http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=aquarium+nitrogen+cycle&btnG=Search&meta=. Good luck!

[Melody]

Yup, a bacterial bloom can be part of the cycling process. It's a bit early in the game so I'd cut back on the food and make sure you remove any leftovers. Your snail will need a more varied diet than lettuce, if you didn't know that already. Rich in calcium & a variety of washed vegies. The vegies may need to be blanched if it's a Bridgesii Applesnail. The plant eaters can eat many vegetables raw.

The cycle usually takes about 6 weeks. If your snail heads to the waterline or stays above it, you'll have to do some 50% waterchanges until things settle down again but avoid vacuuming the gravel, just suck up the surface debris.