reynaldoramon
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- Dec 4, 2014
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As the title says, I've been battling a cloudy tank. Back story:
I've a 90 gallon mixed reef with a 20 gallon sump..probably about 105 total volume water. In late february I decided to start dosing Vibrant to rid my tank of bubble algae. It worked. I dosed once a week as per the bottle's instructions for a dirtier tank. My tanks perameters were all in line. 0 Phos, 0 Nitrates, Mg 1380, pH around 8 to 7.8. slowly but surely the bubble algae disappeared. During this time, I noticed some of my corals losing color, mostly my softies and lps like acans, hammer, favia, and mushrooms. My zoas got more colorful. Very confusing results. So I decided to stop dosing, even though there was some bubble algae remaining. It was manageable. About 1.5 to 2 weeks later my water was cloudy. Checked my parameters and my Nitrate was up to around 10, still 0 on phos. So figured my nitrates were up from some of my algae and cheato die-off. Not sure if coral die of was maybe contributing to it since colors were fading. So I did some pretty vigorous water changes and dosed some Microbacter 7 to see if that helped with nitrates and clarity. Within a week my nitrates were down to 2.5, but cloudiness remained. I was debating algae bloom vs bacteria bloom. So I went lights out for 3 days. Water cleared up and parameters were in check. within 1 day, cloudiness started creeping up again. So I did lights out for a day. No change. did another 3 days and it cleared up crystal clear. Again, today is day 2 and cloudiness is as bad as ever. I've never ever had an issue with my tank. Ever. I don't count the bubble algae as an issue. The even more back story to that is that I moved from the east coast last August. During that time I housed everything in a 40 gallon rubbermaid pond while I stayed at my brothers and got my apartment set up. Bubble algae took hold and I'd been fighting it since then. The tank itself has been set up since first week of October. I've asked questions on Vibrant thread but owner can't explain. Is this related to Vibrant? Is it something different? They mentioned the coral decoloration may be because low nitrates that often result with dosing Vibrant, but when my issue started, my nitrates were up. Should I dose some kind of bacteria and see if it clears up the cloudiness. Up to know, the only things that clears it up is lights out, which would suggest Algae. I've never seen anyting so soupy. Fish are happy. Of course the stress of it all, and lights out is taking a toll on my GARF Bonsai and birdsnest. All survived the trip from the east coast, but they're suffering now.
Thanks for suggestions in advance.
I've a 90 gallon mixed reef with a 20 gallon sump..probably about 105 total volume water. In late february I decided to start dosing Vibrant to rid my tank of bubble algae. It worked. I dosed once a week as per the bottle's instructions for a dirtier tank. My tanks perameters were all in line. 0 Phos, 0 Nitrates, Mg 1380, pH around 8 to 7.8. slowly but surely the bubble algae disappeared. During this time, I noticed some of my corals losing color, mostly my softies and lps like acans, hammer, favia, and mushrooms. My zoas got more colorful. Very confusing results. So I decided to stop dosing, even though there was some bubble algae remaining. It was manageable. About 1.5 to 2 weeks later my water was cloudy. Checked my parameters and my Nitrate was up to around 10, still 0 on phos. So figured my nitrates were up from some of my algae and cheato die-off. Not sure if coral die of was maybe contributing to it since colors were fading. So I did some pretty vigorous water changes and dosed some Microbacter 7 to see if that helped with nitrates and clarity. Within a week my nitrates were down to 2.5, but cloudiness remained. I was debating algae bloom vs bacteria bloom. So I went lights out for 3 days. Water cleared up and parameters were in check. within 1 day, cloudiness started creeping up again. So I did lights out for a day. No change. did another 3 days and it cleared up crystal clear. Again, today is day 2 and cloudiness is as bad as ever. I've never ever had an issue with my tank. Ever. I don't count the bubble algae as an issue. The even more back story to that is that I moved from the east coast last August. During that time I housed everything in a 40 gallon rubbermaid pond while I stayed at my brothers and got my apartment set up. Bubble algae took hold and I'd been fighting it since then. The tank itself has been set up since first week of October. I've asked questions on Vibrant thread but owner can't explain. Is this related to Vibrant? Is it something different? They mentioned the coral decoloration may be because low nitrates that often result with dosing Vibrant, but when my issue started, my nitrates were up. Should I dose some kind of bacteria and see if it clears up the cloudiness. Up to know, the only things that clears it up is lights out, which would suggest Algae. I've never seen anyting so soupy. Fish are happy. Of course the stress of it all, and lights out is taking a toll on my GARF Bonsai and birdsnest. All survived the trip from the east coast, but they're suffering now.
Thanks for suggestions in advance.
