Just won't go away

[E.Y.]

I've been having issues with cloudiness for five weeks now.      Same Brighton water I've been using for the last two years.     Fish are all eating normally.    I've tried several small water changes, as well as, several large water changes.     Liquid water clarifier works, but only for a day and then it is cloudy again the next morning.  It is whitish, not green.  No windows in my office.

Any suggestions?   Tried posting pictures but it says the "files aren't writable"

Nitrates 5ppm
Ammonia 0

[Steve]

Substrate still the same as always, haven't changed to different sand or anything lately? I know you said the same water you've been using for two years but has this same tank been up and running for two years as well? What filtration are you using and when was the last time you did filter maintenance? 

[E.Y.]

The pool sand substrate has always been the same.  Tank has been up and running for two years.  Fluval 306.

Filter maintenance was approximately 10 days prior to this occurrence.  I was thinking that was the culprit, but I don't understand why it would still be cloudy.

[Steve]

I would probably place my money on that as well since it was just about 10 days prior to the cloudy water. Could be a bit of a mini cycle or something like that. If it is because of that then it should clear up on its own with in the next week or so.

[E.Y.]

It's been 5 weeks so do I just keep giving it time and it will fix itself?  Keep up with normal water changes?  I do about 30% weekly.

[Steve]

Oh I thought you had just done it 10 days before it started and it had only been a few days, yeah if its been 5 weeks then I doubt that is it. Normally it is caused by the bacteria colony being disturbed but it should have settled by now. Have you vac'd and stirred up the substrate lately? If not perhaps there's bacteria in the substrate building up and causing the cloudiness?

[E.Y.]

I stir up the substrate when cleaning. I move the piles to where I want them, and then my fish move them back to where they want them.   I guess I could try stirring more. 

[E.Y.]

I definitely think it's bacteria, I'm just not sure why it won't go away.  It's literally a daily fight.

[cranialdisturbance]

What about trying to transplant some cycled filter media from a "normal" tank to the cloudy tank?  A bacterial booster shot.

[E.Y.]

Maybe I could try that. 

I went to New Orleans for the last six days.  Came back to the same cloudy tank.  It seems that it only clouds to a certain extent no matter how long I don't treat it.  It went 6 days, and still as the same cloudiness as if it had gone 2 days. 

I can still see the fish, and they are still hungry as ever.  Added some clarifier this morning and it clears up in the matter of an hour.  Repeat cycle tomorrow.

[E.Y.]

I recently picked up a bottle of aqueon water conditioner...  Maybe that might have something to do with it.  I normally use prime.  Grasping at straws.

[Steve]

I doubt that would do it even if it were expired or something, but it's so weird the way there doesn't seem to be anything that should be causing it I would say maybe get a new bottle of Prime and see what happens.

[Marty]

See if you can find someone with a diatom filter and run that on the tank for a day.

[E.Y.]

I will see what I can do about a diatom filter.  This is a pretty frustrating situation.

[gturmindright]

Did you try not doing water changes for two weeks?