cloudy water... why?

[ClownfishReefer]

Hi all, i have been battling cloudy water for three weeks and its frusterating

 

Calcium - 450 ppm

alk 8.3

mag 1350

 

Phophate 0.1

 

I run low nutrients, and i removed the sand three weeks ago to help with that.

 

I've also been doing some extra water changes to help but nothing helps :/

 

i run Perigen and Filter floss and i dose NO3PO4X a few times a week

 

can anyone help

[Fishmademepoor]

Try a bag or reactor of carbon?

[TFish77]

yeah carbon for sure. However without a lot more information about the tank it will be hard to tell. Tank size, normal maintenance, any dosing, exact feeding schedule and types of food, etc. The more information the better.

[ClownfishReefer]

yeah carbon for sure. However without a lot more information about the tank it will be hard to tell. Tank size, normal maintenance, any dosing, exact feeding schedule and types of food, etc. The more information the better.

 

sorry about that..

35 Gallons

once a week water change

dosing calcium as needed but i always test

daily dosing NO3PO4X --> 2-3 ml per day

Feeding every other day with LRS Fish frenzy

 

i thought Purigen was better than carbon though?

[jimmyree]

Temp? Bad salt? Do you have chalky build up on surfaces? If so could be calcium precipitation.

[mystersyster]

Hey man. This could be a bacterial bloom. You have an imbalance in bacteria. Removing the sand may have done this, as it hosts lots of beneficial bacteria. It may have allowed new bacteria to grow in the water column (the kind that makes it cloudy). I battled with this for a few months before i spent 40 bucks on a UV sterilizer. Gone a few days after that. Unfortunately carbon or filter socks won't help. You should research this, YouTube and google. If all else fails, your fix will cost you 40 bucks. Keep us updated

[blasterman]

Yep....i bet its bacteria bloom. I have a 2month old sps frag tank that is currently so milky you can barely see the back.

 

This tank has never had a fish in it nor fed. Nitrate and phosphate are non existent. Bloom also gets worse after a water change with distilled water.

 

The problem is that fresh salt mix contains trace amounts of ammonia and minerals to fuel these blooms. Its also a bare bottom tank so theres little conpetition. I threw some fat paly colonies in there and cut the water changes which should solve the problem.

[Pinner Reef]

I too believe it's a bacterial bloom. Wouldn't go for a uv sterilizer until you try a cheap bottle of Microbacter or something similar.

[ClownfishReefer]

Hey man. This could be a bacterial bloom. You have an imbalance in bacteria. Removing the sand may have done this, as it hosts lots of beneficial bacteria. It may have allowed new bacteria to grow in the water column (the kind that makes it cloudy). I battled with this for a few months before i spent 40 bucks on a UV sterilizer. Gone a few days after that. Unfortunately carbon or filter socks won't help. You should research this, YouTube and google. If all else fails, your fix will cost you 40 bucks. Keep us updated

 

I'm pretty sure ts a bloom, i got some white slime on the glass now

[dandelion]

How big is your tank? Do you run a skimmer? Carbon dosing with no3po4x will probably cause a bacterial bloom. If you're not skimming or under skimming it may cause water to be cloudy. Try cutting down on that stuff?

[ClownfishReefer]

its a 34 gallon and yeah, i run a big skimmer (made for 100 gallons)

[mystersyster]

 

I'm pretty sure ts a bloom, i got some white slime on the glass now

If all else fails I'll let you borrow my green killing machine UV sterilizer if you pay shipping (recieving/returning). Let me know bro.

[Matteo]

do you have live rock in there??? also carbon FTW regardless

[brandon429]

nopox works by boosting bacteria, which then must be exported efficiently and if not, goes cloudy...nopox and not enough skimming caused it

whatever you do, do not Google: no3 po4x causing cloudy water it produces too many pages of cloudy issues

[markalot]

 

sorry about that..

35 Gallons

once a week water change

dosing calcium as needed but i always test

daily dosing NO3PO4X --> 2-3 ml per day

Feeding every other day with LRS Fish frenzy

 

i thought Purigen was better than carbon though?

 

 

Howdy,

 

maybe a nitpick here but you said you dose calcium and always test. Calcium should be seen as fairly useless and something that should be dosed in equal parts to Alk but never worried about or used to control dosing. Alk should be tested on a regular basis, almost daily for those of us idiots who like SPS, and equal parts 2 part dosed based on the Alk usage.

 

So that said, perhaps one of your tests are off an you are precipitating something? Salifert are some of the best and cheapest kits to buy for Alk and Calcium testing, plus you will also want to test Mag monthly.

 

Otherwise, sorry, no idea what it might be.

[jdog]

Do you have any macro in your tank/sump?

[ClownfishReefer]

 

 

Howdy,

 

maybe a nitpick here but you said you dose calcium and always test. Calcium should be seen as fairly useless and something that should be dosed in equal parts to Alk but never worried about or used to control dosing. Alk should be tested on a regular basis, almost daily for those of us idiots who like SPS, and equal parts 2 part dosed based on the Alk usage.

 

So that said, perhaps one of your tests are off an you are precipitating something? Salifert are some of the best and cheapest kits to buy for Alk and Calcium testing, plus you will also want to test Mag monthly.

 

Otherwise, sorry, no idea what it might be.

 

Actualy, i dose calcium only... my alkaliniy is always fine. and yes, i use salifert

[markalot]

 

Actualy, i dose calcium only... my alkaliniy is always fine. and yes, i use salifert

 

That can't be, so I think you have found part of your problem. Perhaps your Mg is low? Something is off or probably precipitating.

[HarryPotter]

Good catch Markalot! Everyone was thinking bacterial but you were right on with dosing

[ClownfishReefer]

 

That can't be, so I think you have found part of your problem. Perhaps your Mg is low? Something is off or probably precipitating.

 

i just got a new test kit... my alkalinity kit was a defect i think.

[jack1978]

I had the same thing....looked like someone poured a couple gallons of milk in my tank......got bad enough to only be able to see halfway into the depth of the tank. Bought a UV Sterilizer off of Amazon for like $20 bucks delivered......1 day almost gone, 2nd day it was crystal clear. I'd try the UV Sterilizer.

[ClownfishReefer]

I had the same thing....looked like someone poured a couple gallons of milk in my tank......got bad enough to only be able to see halfway into the depth of the tank. Bought a UV Sterilizer off of Amazon for like $20 bucks delivered......1 day almost gone, 2nd day it was crystal clear. I'd try the UV Sterilizer.

 

which one? can you link me to it

[RaquelAceraa]

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I'm literally going through that same problem also. I am 30 days and same thing every day. I do water changes and it seems to get worst. I change the sponges and added charcoal twice double amounts in less then a month and still cloudy. I get this green film on the glass and I wipe it off and 5 minutes later its back with a vengeance.

[Mariaface]

 

I'm literally going through that same problem also. I am 30 days and same thing every day. I do water changes and it seems to get worst. I change the sponges and added charcoal twice double amounts in less then a month and still cloudy. I get this green film on the glass and I wipe it off and 5 minutes later its back with a vengeance.

 

 

Have you tried dosing a bacterial supplement? Add a few mL a day for a couple of weeks, make sure flow and mechanical filtration are adequate?

[ClownfishReefer]

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I'm literally going through that same problem also. I am 30 days and same thing every day. I do water changes and it seems to get worst. I change the sponges and added charcoal twice double amounts in less then a month and still cloudy. I get this green film on the glass and I wipe it off and 5 minutes later its back with a vengeance.

 

 

 

 

Have you tried dosing a bacterial supplement? Add a few mL a day for a couple of weeks, make sure flow and mechanical filtration are adeq

what about TDS? could it cause this, i just tested and my TDS is 50