Cloudy water - help
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Category: Help
Forum Name: General Help
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URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=85458
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Topic: Cloudy water - help
Posted By: PaysonReef
Subject: Cloudy water - help
Date Posted: July 23 2019 at 7:42am
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Hello all, I am wondering if anyone can give me a hint on how to take care of a cloudy water issue in my aquarium. I have been cycling my aquarium for about a month now and all my parameters are testing well (nitrates are high because I have yet to do a water change). I only use rodi water to fill it. The problem I am having is that my water is really cloudy to the point where I can barely see anything in the tank. I turned off the powerheads for a couple days to see if it would settle and it did not so I do not think it is an issue with the sand being blown around. I am going to do a water change in the next couple days but hear that that might actually make it worse in the long run so I am nervous about it. Does anyone know how I can clear it up so I can begin adding some fish and coral to the tank? Thank you for your help and ideas. |
Replies:
Posted By: Krazie4Acans
Date Posted: July 23 2019 at 8:02am
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What was your method of cycling the tank? Are you currently adding food to the tank? Did you use live rock or bottled bacteria to seed the tank? Answering thosequestions will help in getting to the bottom of this but my first response is that you are experiencing a bacterial bloom in the water column. Ghost feeding or leaving a shrimp in the tank after the cycle has completed can cause this type of issue. Water changes, reduced feeding or removal of the food already in the tank, and running UV can all help in clearing the water and getting the bacteria under control. ------------- My ocean. 90g (yup, won it!), 40g, 28g, & 10g Systems PADI Advanced Open Water http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=63568&title=krazies-nano-paradise" rel="nofollow - Tank Thread: |
Posted By: knowen87
Date Posted: July 23 2019 at 1:28pm
| +1 for bacterial bloom. You can also wait if you don't have a lot of fish in there. |
Posted By: PaysonReef
Date Posted: July 24 2019 at 3:21pm
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Thank you for your replies. Let me answer your questions and maybe that will help to determine what to do next. To cycle the tank, I began by adding a couple pieces of shrimp in there with some clean dry rock and dry sand. I also added about 10 lbs of live rock (to seed it) and about 2 lbs of live sand. It wasn't getting my ammonia levels up very far so I added 100% ammonia to the tank until the ammonia levels began to drop and the nitrite levels began to raise to kickstart the cycle. That is when I stopped dosing with ammonia. I also added some bottled coralline that had bacteria in it (I found out it had bacteria after I added it). I have not been feeding the tank, though, should I be? I never have the previous times I have done the cycle. I tried to remove the shrimp but I honestly cannot find it and I am not sure there is enough in there to make the tank this cloudy. As for waiting, that is what I am doing until I can get this figured out and cleaned up. I do not have any fish or coral or cleanup crew in there right now, just the rock, sand, and a piece of chaeto in the sump. Any ideas? Thank you
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Posted By: knowen87
Date Posted: July 24 2019 at 3:42pm
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Please clarify this because it says two opposite things "so I added 100% ammonia to the tank until the ammonia levels began to drop" how much ammonia did you add? do you still have detectable ammonia levels? My money is still on bacterial bloom. How long has it been this cloudy?
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Posted By: PaysonReef
Date Posted: July 24 2019 at 4:03pm
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I am sorry for the confusion. I added 100% ammonia each day and kept it at about a 4ppm until it began to drop and the nitrite levels began to rise. I am not sure how much ammonia I added exactly but I added it until it got to that level and continued to add it to that level until it began to disappear. My ammonia levels are at 0 now, as are my nitrites. My nitrates are high and I know I need to do a water change, I have just been waiting to do it because I have read that if I do it the bacterial bloom just gets worse because the bacteria has more nutrients to eat at that point. I am guessing it is a bacterial bloom also, just trying to figure out what to do with that at this point. It has been cloudy like this for about a week now. Thank you
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Posted By: Krazie4Acans
Date Posted: July 24 2019 at 4:05pm
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I'm quite sure you are seeing a bacterial bloom in the tank and it will clear on it's own over time or you can Do the water changes or UV as described. The reason I asked about feeding is that during the cycle the bacteria levels in the tank are established. If those bacteria are not fed by either adding food to the tank or via fish/coral waste then the populations of bacteria begin to die back off. I would plan on feeding them something but get through the current bloom first and then worry about that. ------------- My ocean. 90g (yup, won it!), 40g, 28g, & 10g Systems PADI Advanced Open Water http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=63568&title=krazies-nano-paradise" rel="nofollow - Tank Thread: |
Posted By: PaysonReef
Date Posted: July 24 2019 at 4:19pm
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Thank you. I will do a 40% water change this weekend and then wait and see what happens until it is cleared up. Then I will begin adding things in the tank. Thank you both for your help.
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Posted By: knowen87
Date Posted: August 01 2019 at 3:32pm
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How is this going? is the water more clear now? |
Posted By: PaysonReef
Date Posted: August 01 2019 at 8:27pm
| Thanks for checking in. The water cleared up a lot but now that it has been a few days it is as bad or worse than before. I am going to try turning off the lights for a few days and see if that helps. If not I may look into a UV sterilizer. I have been told that will take care of it but don’t want to do it if It isn’t needed. |
Posted By: knowen87
Date Posted: August 02 2019 at 9:37am
| When you get a chance. Tell us what your Ammonia, Nirtite and Nitrate levels are at. Also, have you added anything to the tank in the last week other than doing a large water change. I think you have essentially "overfed" the bacteria in your tank and they do not need more right now. |
Posted By: PaysonReef
Date Posted: August 02 2019 at 11:51am
| Ammonia and Nitrite are both at o, Nitrate is at 20. Nothing has been added. I am waiting to fix the cloudiness issue before adding anything. |
Posted By: sabeypets
Date Posted: August 03 2019 at 10:41pm
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I can see ammonia tests 0 but cloudy water like you are experiencing is usually from high ammonia levels. Where there is no livestock I wouldn't do any water changes, just let it work its self out as it cycles. ------------- Shaun American Fork "Would you leave a dead cat in your kitchen till tommorow?" Builderofdreams |
Posted By: PaysonReef
Date Posted: August 09 2019 at 2:31pm
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Hello everyone, Thank you all for your help and advice. Good news...I waited it out and now the water is clear. I will be doing a water change this weekend and beginning to put in livestock this weekend. I will probably start with a couple corals and snails/hermits and will go from there. Thank you again for all your help and advice.
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Posted By: knowen87
Date Posted: August 09 2019 at 2:37pm
| That's great. It can be hard to wait for the tank to fix its self but sometimes that is the best way to go. If you have no ammonia then you should be to add your first fish. |