"landrydenise" wrote in message
...

Len;215887 Wrote:
cycling means that the water has to be given time to grow useful
bacteria
that will help to get rid of ammonia and nitrates and turn these into
less
harmful nitrates which can be controlled with water changes.

However now I cannot keep the
water clear its always cloudy. I have even began changing the filter
cartridge frequently. Today I did a 1/4 water change and started
everything as if I was just beginning.

Denise,

The filter cartridge contains the 'good bacteria' that convert the Ammonia
into Nitrite and the Nitrite into Nitrates. If you change it without
transferring some of the good bacteria you are breaking the cycle. If you
have gravel (not really recommended with Goldfish) it will also contain the
'ggod' bacteria. It's better to rinse your filter media in some water from
the tank using a bucket if possible. But it sounds like you have a filter
like the Whisper with its foam pouches, which makes this a less viable
option. If you don't have a sponge in your filter that you can rinse in tank
water then try to transfer some of the bacteria from your old cartridge to
the new one when you change media. I used to squeeze the water out of the
old Whisper pouches onto the new one when I changed it. Don't forget to use
Dechlorinator when you do water changes and make sure the temperature of the
new water is the same as in the tank.

I'll bet you only have a 10 gallon? Which is a little small for these fish,
especially as they get bigger.