How to Clear Up Saltwater Fish Tanks
There are various reasons your saltwater fish tank could become cloudy. It may be due to overfeeding, too many fish in your tank, filters being clogged or filters being too small. Whatever the reason, clearing up a saltwater fish tank is a simple process that will lead to a clean, attractive aquarium with healthy fish.
What You’ll Need
- Fresh saltwater that is the same salinity and temperature as your fish tank
- Algae scraper
- New, clean filters
- Activated carbon
- Check the recommendations for your saltwater fish tank to make sure you have the appropriate number of fish for the size. If you have too many fish, you may need to get a bigger tank or take a couple of your fish back to the store where you got them.
- Cut back on your feeding a bit. If your cloudiness is due to overfeeding, this should help your saltwater fish tank clear up within a few days. If it does not clear up after reduced feeding, you may have bacteria in your tank that needs to be dealt with.
- Clean your fish tank following your usual cleaning process. Scrape the sides of the tank using an algae scraper. Be sure to clean any surface in your tank, and disturb the gravel on the bottom so the algae can be filtered. Run your filter for several hours to clear as much of the loosened algae as possible.
- Replace one third of the water in your tank with the new saltwater you have prepared.
- Replace your filters once the algae have settled. Make sure the filters you have are suitable for your size and type of tank.
- Add or replace some activated carbon in your tank. Carbon is a natural filter and should be changed occasionally.