[loachers]

I have a 29g planted tank that currently has very cloudy water and it's getting worse. I didn't think it was green cloudy but it could possibly be starting to look slightly green. There also seems to be a large amount of particles floating around the water (I repositioned my intake to be out in the open but to no avail). The tank is well established, but I have done a lot (probably too much) within the past 2 weeks.

• 1.5 weeks ago, I started EI dosing.
• 0.5 weeks ago, I replaced a small submerged filter I had been using for years with a Fluval 206 canister filter. I always fully washed the submerged filter under tap water. The tank was well established enough I believe it was not needing the filter's bio support. Along with this I replaced the heater and co2 diffuser with an inline heater and inline co2 diffuser.
• Between that time, I have done fairly major replanting and disturbing of the substrate (which is several years old now, and obviously not vacuumed in a heavily planted tank. That alone kicked up enough debris in the tank you couldn't see in it, but it then settled, and this is very different than just dirty being kicked up in the tank).

I did a 50% water change 1.5 weeks ago as well as .5 weeks ago. It looked OK, not super clear but ok, last week, and was clear after the water change, but since has turned very cloudy. My water is now super cloudy and today I noticed my otos have very red mouths (one really bad, one not as bad, see pic). I also have 3 SAEs, 12 cardinals, and lots of red cherry shrimp who appear to be doing fine. The plants are also doing very well and pearling like crazy.

I tested my water (albeit with a pretty old liquid test kit), and ammonia and nitrites are 0, and nitrates are about 10ppm, so that leads me to believe the tank isn't re-cycling and that my EI dosing (at least for Nitrates) levels are ok. CO2 is on a PH controller keeping PH at 5.85 (I have very low KH) with a healthy CO2 level that has been constant for over a year and I've had no such issues throughout that year.

I dose macros (KNO3/KH2PO4/K2SO4) after water change, along with 1 tablespoon per 20g of Equilibrium (Sunday). Then micros (Plantex CSM+B) Monday, then macros Tues, micros Wed, macros Thurs, then rest day Fri and Sat.

It could be an algae bloom, but that doesn't explain both otos having red mouths (I doubt both got injured at the same time).

So, any ideas and what it might be and what I can do to stop/fix it? I was thinking of doing a water change but don't want to disrupt my EI dosing routine. Next water change would be 50% on Sunday (today is Wednesday). I also have Melafix (for the otos) as well as water clarifier (for the tank) if you think that would help. How does that interact with EI dosing though?

See attached pics for Otos and the tank itself. Pics of the otos make the water look really green, but the tank shot is a better representation of what it actually looks like (more of a haze)

 

[Yo-han]

I still think your new filter produces nitrite, this has nothing to do with EI. Green water is usually causes by ammonia. By taking of your filter and putting in extra ammonia by disturbing your substrate your aquarium needs to cycle again. Ammonia is converted into nitrite by your filter, but because it is new, it is not quickly converting the nitrite into nitrate. The red mouth (gills) indicate your fish has not enough oxygen. Test nitrite again with a new test, if it is any higher than 0, do a large waterchange daily till it is zero again. You can add extra oxygen as well and to save your fish (but ruin some plants) adding a little salt to the water might help as well.