Cloudy water is not healthy, be it water in a swimming pool, aquarium, or pond. There are many reasons why water can be very cloudy, but after some experimentation, you should usually be able to clear up cloudy water.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Method One: Purifying the Water in the Pool
Step 1. Clean up organic waste
Use the pool net to filter out any large debris seen in the water. Organic waste is usually in the form of leaves, twigs, and insect carcasses.
Organic waste can damage and make deposits in the water. Dirt in the garbage can also make the water cloudy
Step 2. Turn on the water filter (filter)
Turn on the appliance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until the water is clean again.
- If the pressure meter shows a reading of 3.6 to 4.5 kg higher than the initial pressure when turned on, the filter must be washed or cleaned.
- As long as the pressure gauge does not reach this value, allow the waste to enter the filter. Some dirt and debris in the filter will actually help because it allows the filter to filter out small particles.
Step 3. Measure the composition of the water in the pool
Measure the water's pH level, chlorine composition, and cyanuric chloride. Once measured, you can make some adjustments to adjust the level of this water composition.
- Pool water quality test kits at home are usually quite useful.
- If you don't have the kit or if you're concerned that the results won't be accurate, take a sample of the water in your pool and then take it to a pool supply store to have it professionally tested there.
- The chlorine level should be between 1.0-3.0 bpj (parts per million or parts per million/ppm), and the pH level should be between 7.2-7, 4. Meanwhile, the cyanuric acid level should be between 40 bpj.
- Also pay attention to the level of calcium hardness and total alkalinity.
Step 4. Perform shocking
If the amount of chlorine in the swimming pool is very low, perform shocking or super chlorination (increasing the level of chlorine use than usual) by adding 1.35 kg of chlorine beads per 2500 L of water.
- Low chlorine levels are the most common cause of cloudy pool water. Sunlight can damage chlorine and make it less effective. When this happens, bacteria will multiply in the water and make the water cloudy.
- If you find that your chlorine level is just slightly lower than normal, you can work around this by increasing the amount of chlorine according to the label directions. Shocking is only necessary if the chlorine level is very low.
Step 5. Dissolve the water
If your water has a high cyanuric acid level, shocking alone may not be enough. Lower the cyanuric acid level by draining 20 percent of the water, then refill the pool with new water.
Cyanuric acid levels that are too low will make it easier for sunlight to break down the chlorine in your swimming pool, making the water easy to dirty and harbor bacteria. You only need to dissolve or drain the water if the cyanuric acid level is 100 ppm or more
Step 6. Use a pool cleaner
If all of the above methods fail, you can try using a pool purifier made of chemicals to purify the water. Instructions/doses for use vary by manufacturer, so check the label directions before using.
Chemical purifiers will bind to and freeze the tiny particles, making it easier for the filter to filter them out
Step 7. Check if the water filter has a problem
If none of these methods work to purify the water, there may be a problem with your filter. Check and fix this problem before starting to try again.
- Make sure the water filter is not too small for the size of your swimming pool.
- Make sure the parts of the water filter are still working and nothing needs to be replaced.
- Check the pressure of the water filter. Pressure that is too low may indicate a blockage in the appliance. This could also indicate a faulty backwash valve.
- If you are using a DE/Diatomaceous earth filter, disassemble and clean all parts. Also check if anything is broken.
Method 2 of 3: Method Two: Purifying the Water in the Aquarium
Step 1. Replace some of the water
Change about 20 percent of the water in the tank every day, until the water is clean. Replace some of the dirty water and immediately replace it with new water.
- Do not change more than 20 percent of the water in a day. If you replace more than this amount, the fish can become stressed and sick or die.
- Replace some of the water and leave some of the dirty water. The bacteria in the water will starve which will then make the water clearer.
- Once the water is clearer, you will only need to change the water once for about two weeks.
Step 2. Reduce the amount of fish food you feed
If the fish don't always finish the food you give them, reduce it by 5-10 percent.
- If not eaten, fish food will settle and make the water dirty. Rotten food will also make bacteria multiply.
- Check the tank approximately 10 minutes after you feed the fish. If by this time the fish have stopped eating, use a net to pick up any uneaten food.
Step 3. Add a chemical-based aquarium cleaner
Too many chemicals are not good for fish, but proper application of aquarium salt, water conditioner or quick cure (formalin, malachite green) will help keep the water clear. These chemicals are formulated to clean dirt and bacteria.
- Follow the aquarium salt instructions on the box label, and use this salt only once.
- Follow the directions on the conditioner bottle label and use it every day until the water is clear.
- Use half a dose of quick cure daily until the water is clear.
- Use only one of these chemicals. Mixing chemicals will damage the aquarium ecosystem.
Step 4. Add some pebbles
Sprinkle a handful of gravel from another (long enough) bred aquarium into your tank. Wait for about 24-48 hours and see the results.
- There are useful bacteria in the gravel in the cultured aquarium. Unlike the harmful bacteria that live in your aquarium, these bacteria can digest dirt and balance other harmful bacteria.
- These good bacteria also help create bacterial colonies in the water filter. When bacterial colonies multiply in this tool, they influence and attract other bacteria to come out of the aquarium tank, so the water will be clean.
- Gravel should be taken from an aquarium that has been bred and contains healthy fish. You can usually buy some of these pebbles at a fish shop or ask a friend for them, if you have one.
Step 5. Check the water filter
The aquarium must have a strong and durable water filter, so it must be clean and functioning properly.
- Hold the outside of the water filter. If it feels very hot, it may be clogged or damaged.
- Check the cleaning instructions for your type of water filter, to find out the correct method.
Method 3 of 3: Method Three: Purifying the Water in the Pool
Step 1. Add green straw
Sprinkle two bunches/bundles of green hay boxes for approximately 0.4 acres of pond surface every two weeks. Do not do it more than four times a year.
- Green straw can be used to clean (sediment) cloudy mud.
- For best results, use alfalfa, red clover, bermuda grass, or another type of legume hay.
- Untie the green straw, then spread it evenly over the deep edge of the shallow pond.
- When the green straw decomposes, it will produce organic acids and positive ions that can neutralize the negative ions in the mud.
- Green hay stimulates the growth of good bacteria. However, do not use green straw too often, because green straw can deplete oxygen and kill some of the fish that live in the pond. Therefore, green hay is better used in ponds that have low levels of natural organic matter.
Step 2. Use plaster (gypsum)
Use approximately 182.5 kg for 1000 cubic meters of water. If within four weeks this initial dose does not make the water clear, use a second dose of 45.625 kg for 1,000 cubic meters of water.
- Gypsum is also used to clear cloudy mud, because it can attract mud particles, then bind and prevent them from settling.
- Use a small trowel to evenly sprinkle the cast over the pond.
- Gypsum is known by the chemical name calcium sulfate. Calcium mixes easily, so this method is usually less effective if you have hard water (a lot of minerals in it), which already contains a lot of calcium.
Step 3. Keep the pond out of reach of your livestock
Roaming cattle can easily make the pond cloudy, but you can work around this problem by fencing the pond.
- When livestock are near a pond, the dirt on the edge of the pond can enter the water and make it cloudy.
- If you want your livestock to be able to drink from the pond, you'll need to drain the water into two different tanks. You can also fence off the entire pond by leaving a little space in the corner, so your livestock can still drink while you can minimize the amount of dirt that gets into the water.
Step 4. Balance the pond ecosystem
Aquatic animals hiding under sediment can contaminate and make the water cloudy if not checked.
- Fish or aquatic animals that can make the water cloudy include: lobsters, water insects, goldfish, and bullhead catfish.
- You can control lobster and insect populations by introducing predators into the pond. Examples are largemouth bass and channel catfish.
- The large number of catfish or other fish that like to stay at the bottom of the water can be controlled with dough balls (cakes) or other baits. You can also control the catfish population by including largemouth bass and bluegill.
Step 5. Protect the pond from natural disturbances
Wind, waves, soil erosion, and watersheds (watersheds) can contaminate your pool and make it cloudy.
- To minimize disturbance from the watershed, put vegetated soil (soil that can be lifted and has plants on it) to protect the edge of the pond, extending approximately 30.5 m around the pond. Rolled grass (sod grass/turf) is usually a good choice.
- Reduce wind disturbances by scattering small rocks around the edge of the pool that is exposed to strong winds.
- You can also plant trees or shrubs around the pond to withstand the wind, plant it on the side of the pond that is opposite to the direction of the wind. Plant aquatic plants on the side of the pond that is in the direction of the wind.
- Never plant trees in a dam, tree roots will damage the structure of the dam.
- If any water flows through or through the pond, install a sediment filter upstream of the stream.
