Cloudy Water after Change

[MikeW]

Hey guys,

So I've done a little research on this but can't seem to find a reasonable answer so I'm turning to ya'll for some information.

My tank is a 1.5 year old NanoCube that has overall been doing fantastic. Loaded with coral and a couple smaller fish. I check water parameters every Saturday and log everything into an excel spreadsheet to watch for fluctuation and patterns...everything is perfect.

So I've noticed that my water becomes extremely cloudy when I do water changes. None of the coral or fish seem to be affected at all by it but it takes about a day or so to clear up to the crystal clear water that I am used to seeing. Any idea what could be causing this?

A few things about my water changing procedure, I mix up all the water in a separate container 24 hours before a water change with a powerhead, a heater, air pump for added O2 and thermometer to match temps. I double check that the SG is the same and that the temp is the same. I do add trace minerals into the new water. The water color change in my tank is instantaneous as soon as I add the new water. I hold a plate on the top of the water when I put water in to help diffuse it and keep the water from mixing up the sand.

 

So any idea what could be causing the water to get cloudy?

 

Thanks!

Mike