Problem - Cloudy water...

[Curry02]

I recently finished my rockwall... about 3 weeks ago. First I washed and tested the tank with regular hose water. I then drained it, dried it and wiped it down.

 

I used Loctite epoxy (it is resin epoxy and dries to an inert state)

 

I used great stuff foam (red can)

 

I used GE 1 Sillicone

 

I took it back inside filled it and mixed my salt like I normally do... (power heads, pumps and heater on)

 

There is NO sand in the tank at this point.

 

I let everything sit for 5 days. To my surprise the water was still cloudy. I drained the tank again wiped it down and set it to dry.

 

Filled it back up mixed my salt. This time around it was not as cloudy... it was more hazy in the back.

 

The way it looks in the tank 4 days later. If you look at the rocks in the back it looks kinda hazy but if you look at the rocks in the front it looks clear.

 

I started doing 1 gallon a day water changes. (30g tank)

 

I have been running carbon and filter floss from day one. I have not tried cycling the tank yet.

 

Water is still hazy. Anything else I could try? Not sure what to do at this point.

 

Can I throw a damsel in there to see if it lives

 

j/k

[Austin]

I take a sip of my tank when the water gets cloudy. If I get diahrrea, then I know something's amiss.

 

 

Something is almost certainly leeching into your water if it's still cloudy after 5 days with no livestock or anything like that. I'm inclined to think that you might not have let the silicone cure properly before adding your wa-wa. Just a guess though.

 

Either way - sounds like it's going to be a cool looking tank. Pics!

[Curry02]

Everything was cured for 72 hours before any water got into it. After that I just rinsed the tank a few times with fresh water and filled it up.

 

It did clear up significantly after I dried it out and wiped it down but it is still hazy. I recently started doing 1 gallon water changes in hopes that will help the situation.

 

Pics are on page 3 of my thread. See sig for link.

[nick1912]

I took a look at the pics and I don't see anything as bad as you made it out to be. I say give it more time and it should clear up. Run some carbon and phoslock to help collect anything.

[Austin]

That rockwall looks awesome! If I was a crab, I would climb on it all day. You know what I mean? Sometimes I look at my tank and wish someone would shrink me so I could swim around in there. ANYWAY

 

You know, I had a cloudy tank problem too and I bought this stuff called Pureflo, it is some sort of filter pad that you put in your sump/filter/whatever for supreme 100 micron filtration. I believe it comes in different filtration ratings too. Well - after about a week of this (which required daily changing of the pureflo) my tank became super clear. I never figured out for sure what caused the cloudiness but I THINK it was a disintegrating sponge colony that came with some zoos I got.

 

Pureflo - check it out. Totally mechanical too, no magic chemicals. Worked for me.

[Curry02]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I will give it a shot. I am running carbon and I'm running purigen.

 

Its funny you mention crabs. A few days ago I found 2 hermits climbing around on the wall! I'm guessing they were hiding in my rock when I had pulled it from the old tank. I am amazed they survived for so long... and in extremely low salinity water...

 

I wasn't able to really get them out but they seem to be doing fine...

[franklypre]

Add a Teaspoon of sugar and let the biological bloom, might take a day or two but it's always done the trick for me.

[Curry02]

Add a Teaspoon of sugar and let the biological bloom, might take a day or two but it's always done the trick for me.

 

Sugar??

[franklypre]

Yep, acts as a carbon source to stimulate bacteria blooms, vodka is just better for drinking, LOL. I use this for most of my tanks and while I have no scientrific proof I firmly believe sugar or whatever carbon source you use will help your tank to cycle. I believe it is much better food, for the coral food than anything you will find in the store.

[BLoCkCliMbeR]

I take a sip of my tank when the water gets cloudy. If I get diahrrea, then I know something's amiss.

seriously? though, you drink it to test it?

[Curry02]

Yep, acts as a carbon source to stimulate bacteria blooms, vodka is just better for drinking, LOL. I use this for most of my tanks and while I have no scientrific proof I firmly believe sugar or whatever carbon source you use will help your tank to cycle. I believe it is much better food, for the coral food than anything you will find in the store.

 

Didn't know that... Can't hurt to give it a shot. lol.

 

Thanks

[lakshwadeep]

Do you have any live rock in the tank? If not, you're looking at up to six months or more for all the bacteria needed for at least basic filtration to basically fall from the air. It could be the cloudy water is a sign of some type of bloom, though not necessarily the type you want. In the meantime, adding a damsel would be as inhumane as adding the damsel into a bucket of plain saltwater.

 

Do more research on how to seed dry rock, which is the same as seeding your rock wall. People pay so much for live rock because that's the surest way to get all the necessary micro- and macroorganisms necessary for a healthy tank. IMO, adding sugar without live rock or live sand is not going to help.

[Curry02]

Do you have any live rock in the tank? If not, you're looking at up to six months or more for all the bacteria needed for at least basic filtration to basically fall from the air. It could be the cloudy water is a sign of some type of bloom, though not necessarily the type you want. In the meantime, adding a damsel would be as inhumane as adding the damsel into a bucket of plain saltwater.

 

Do more research on how to seed dry rock, which is the same as seeding your rock wall. People pay so much for live rock because that's the surest way to get all the necessary micro- and macroorganisms necessary for a healthy tank. IMO, adding sugar without live rock or live sand is not going to help.

 

My plan was to add a few pieces of live rock to seed what is in there already, I just haven't done so as yet. I'm supposed to go pick up some this week, maybe tomorrow if I can.

 

Don't worry I have no plans to put a damsel in there. There are 3 hermits running around in there I wasn't able to get to them so I just left them. Ill probably get them out when I get my rock.

 

The water was cloudy from the minute I put it in which is why I figured it was something to be concerned about.

[nick1912]

I have a feeling if you don't add at least 50% LR you can have serious algae issues and maybe even cyano/dinos.

[Curry02]

I'm gonna do that, maybe more if I can.

[Curry02]

Good news. We're doing a lot of house projects and I redid the basement so I ended up having to move the tank. I made a new batch of RO water and got the tank filled and so far its looking 99% clear. Much better than when I filled it the first and second time. Picking up more salt monday and live rock on tuesday.

 

I got hold of those hermits that were in there and put them into a 3 gallon standard AGA

[Noonan]

I have a feeling if you don't add at least 50% LR you can have serious algae issues and maybe even cyano/dinos.

Why do you say that?

 

Just asking. I have a few established and thriving tanks that I only used about 10% of my total rock weight in live rock. The rest is laced rock that was eventually seeded. No algae issues...

[nick1912]

I just feel he might not get all the benifits of premium Rock if he went with no rock at all. I actually started a tank with No LR at all and this was the issue. %10 seems low but if it was very good rock then that is all it took. Plus I believe rock walls are not as porous and that leaves less surface area.

 

 

Why do you say that?

 

Just asking. I have a few established and thriving tanks that I only used about 10% of my total rock weight in live rock. The rest is laced rock that was eventually seeded. No algae issues...

[Curry02]

Actually the wall is very porous... I used A LOT of rock and as little foam as possible. When I carved the foam there are some spots I didn't cover with epoxy which means lots more places for bacteria to live.

 

The rock I used to build the wall was rock that was once live but now dead. Very porous light rock all different shapes and sizes. A few pieces are there acting like ledges for coral to grow out on.

 

Take a look at the pics and you'll see what I mean.

 

The live rock is going to be whats leaning up on the wall to make the caves. It will cover to an extent some of the sides of the tank. My cycle make take a bit more time, but I am in no rush to go anywhere.