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Internet dudes can ruin anything

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

This morning a Reddit user with a female name and icon posted a photo of a new aquarium that had just been set up on Thursday. By Saturday (she) had added fish to it, and she was writing to ask why the water seemed a little cloudy. I knew immediately what was going to happen. She'd be man-splained to hell and back by supposed experts and would be so frustrated she'd quit. So I wrote:

Looks nice! A brand-new setup is usually hazy with very fine-grain particulate from the gravel. Some filter cartridges can do the same. It'll settle out in a few days.

As some of the others have pointed out you'll likely experience a surge in ammonia etc as the nitrogen cycle starts. I would suggest a good-sized sponge filter; perhaps replace the small airstone on the left. Your local fish store *might* be willing to sell you an old sponge filter that's already full of bacteria; you can tell because it'll be gross. Some aquarium plants might also be a good idea to kick-start the bacteria population that does all the work in the nitrogen cycle.

Whatever happens, don't let people panic you. Find some sources e.g. on Youtube you think are credible and don't try to do too much. No "ammolock" or other chemical treatments, just water conditioner in the tap water and daily water changes should be fine.

Welcome to it and have fun!

I returned to Reddit some twelve hours later and found that indeed the thread and the poster's user account had been deleted under a hail of stupid comments that she was going to kill all her fish and that she should return them to the store. Way to fucking go, guys.