[dragnz2159]

I'm going to give some background information first. I'm doing a fishless ammonia cycle and have been for quite some time now. My Mignon 150 power filter stopped working after six weeks and I was temporarily using a Tetra internal filter. I just purchased a new HOB filter and set it up on Saturday, 08-23-14. This filter has all new media in it. I did a 100% water change with bottled water. I did not add anything to the tank (no Prime, ammonia, or bottled bacteria), just water. I let the filter run for a day and I noticed that the water was really cloudy again (like it has been throughout a good chunk of my fishless cycle). When I looked through the side of the tank, instead of through the front, I noticed a kind of oily, denser area of water swirling around the heater. The heater was not on at this time. Is it possible that the heater is leaking a toxic substance into my tank which is keeping it from cycling and making the water cloudy?

 

[MattsBettas]

It may be possible by some huge stretch, but I highly doubt it. Most heaters are essentially wire in a glass tube, as far as I know there isn't anything inside then that would be capable of leaking out.

Do a 50% water change, wait a day to see if it gets worse, and keep doing water changes until it goes away. You could just do one 100% water change too.

Why are you using bottled water? There shouldn't be any need for it, it's completely unnecessary unless your tap water is compromised of course.

 

[Pandanke]

It's probably a bacterial bloom. They typically go away after awhile.

 

[dragnz2159]

A bacterial bloom from a 100% water change? That's all I did was change the water and the filter.

 

[MattsBettas]

It's definitely possible, and happens relatively often in new tanks. You can do a water change to help clear it up, but it'll go away on its own fairly quickly, as the tank establishes.

Once again, why are you using bottled water?

 

[dragnz2159]

I was trying unsuccessfully to cycle my tank with well water, and it has over 20 nitrates in it straight out of the tap.