# API root tabs cloudy water .



## 914joe (Jul 21, 2012)

I added 4 API root tabs to my 5,5 gallon under 4 or 5 crypt wendetti ,and now my water seems to be cloudy so i assume it is the tabs.Will this harm my little buddy ,do i need to do a water change or can i wait for when i normally do my water change.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

how deep did you plabt them an what kind of substrate do you have? 
you may have skyrocketing nitrates. test your water...


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## 914joe (Jul 21, 2012)

Just regular gravel from petco ,you got me worried i am checking nitrates right now.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

shake that bottle real well...

The problem is unless you have very fine gravel, gravel has relatively large gaps, and stuff from the root tabs can easily leech into the water column


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## 914joe (Jul 21, 2012)

I just checked and you are right i haven't even waited 5 minute and it 40 or 80 would a 50 % water change be good enough to bring it down .


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

50% will bring it down to 40 I believe another 50 will bring it down to 20ppm

take those tabs out!

what is your stocking and lighting by the way?


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## 914joe (Jul 21, 2012)

I just removed 50 % i am going to get some new water up to temp and add conditioner,do i need to do the water changes back to back or can i do the other 50 tomorrow, and thanks i would have never of known that the nitrates were high, i am new to plants.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

do it back to back, incae it spikes again when ur asleep...
can you tell me your stocking and what lights you are using?


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## 914joe (Jul 21, 2012)

Wow this is bad i just tried to remove one the tabs and it just disintegrated ,i am doing another water change now,I have just 1 betta in the 5.5 and i just replaced my lighting yesterday to a zoo med ultra sun 6500k.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

do u have a siphon? siphon the tabs out... dont use your hands 
oh and remove your betta to a separate container and just do a very thorough gravel vacum. test the nitrates again, and if it's ok. go ahead and fill and put the betta back in.

I had a friend who dosed too much ferts and his nitrates was above 100 for the longest time. His betta couldn't take it any more and jumped T__T apparently it was 4 years old when it suicided


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## 914joe (Jul 21, 2012)

Yes i do have a siphon i will use that thanks ,is it okay if i do 3 or 4 50 % water changes i have done 2 so far and want to do another one using the siphon where the plants are,the tank is still a little cloudy .


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

do as many as you want lol...
it's probably a good thing your tank is gravel. would be hell if it were sand.
And don't worry, this happens to all of us 
Personally I think that your tank will do fine without the roots tabs. I prefer to use seachem flourish.
so I guess the lesson for you is... not roots tabs in petco gravel!
oh and I heard seachem tabs are also better.... they don't contain as much nitrates phosphates and potassium...Usually provided by your fish and poop anyway...


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## 914joe (Jul 21, 2012)

Thank you Akashi so much for your help he would have been in there for another couple of days until his regular water change if you had not told me about the nitrate.I have 5 small crypts wendetti from petco in there,the water is still a little cloudy but i just checked nitrates again it is at about 5 or 10 ppm ,i will do another change tomorrow morning and siphon the rest of the tabs.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

ok XD
thanks for the hard work  you may goto bed now


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