Cloudy tank, can't figure out the cause

[jrawk1120]

Yeah put a UV light on in the tank. I keep a small in tank for emergencies but otherwise don’t use it.

Do I need to turn anything off to use UV?

 

[LegendaryCG]

Do I need to turn anything off to use UV?

Nope but dosing bacteria while running it isn’t a good idea as It kills it.

 

[jrawk1120]

Nope but dosing bacteria while running it isn’t a good idea as It kills it.

I'll have to go find my uv

 

[terraincognita]

ur cal was super low, what's your mag?

Read this over.

Why Is My Saltwater Aquarium Water Cloudy?

Learn why your saltwater aquarium water is cloudy and how to fix it. We discuss the most common reasons for cloudy reef aquarium water and what to do about it.

www.reef2reef.com

IF you alk and mag are super low compared to cal you will have cloudiness the 3 elements need to be in harmony for sure.

 

[terraincognita]

What changes have you made in the last month? Did you add any bio load?

What corals do you have up there?

What are you dosing just Cal? Are you not dosing any other elements?

How frequent are your water changes and how much water do you change?

 

[iamacat]

What changes have you made in the last month? Did you add any bio load?

What corals do you have up there?

What are you dosing just Cal? Are you not dosing any other elements?

How frequent are your water changes and how much water do you change?

These are what needs to be looked at not bacterial blooms. The calcium being so low is an indicator for precipitation. The info of dosing only calcium leads even more to precipitation.
We need numbers for alk and mag as well as the answers to these questions

 

[HB AL]

Put some gac in your sump and add a uv unit and run it 24/7 and keep everything else running especially your skimmer. Within a day or 2 it should pretty much be cleared up. Going forward always keep the uv running, it won't cause any negative effects to your livestock. You mentioned it gets better when the lights are off so its definently a bloom from organisms that multiply using lights so the uv filter will clear that up quick and keep it from resurfacing.

 

[terraincognita]

If you read the article I linked, there's several reasons why. Just go through it and start trying to pin point.

My bet is on precipitation since it's been 2 weeks. But could be wrong.

Until you get your water clear again as well tests on CAl MAg and Alk may not be accurate as the cloudiness is the elements loose in the water, and the test kits we used aren't made to test with the elements in states of precipitation but rather stable.

IF you can't pin point It I'd do 3-4 50% water changes over 2 weeks with fresh made perfect param saltwater, and you'll probably solve it like that as well.

 

[Pillahump]

my guesses are: precipitation or anemone/snail spawning,

 

[jrawk1120]

If you have been dosing calcium over the past few weeks without dosing alk you will have precipitate and it looks just like you have. Basically what you are dosing isn’t being used because it isn’t being balanced.

Any idea how to correct that?

 

[jrawk1120]

my guesses are: precipitation or anemone/snail spawning,

I hope it's not anemone spawning. Too many in the tank already.

 

[jrawk1120]

If you read the article I linked, there's several reasons why. Just go through it and start trying to pin point.

My bet is on precipitation since it's been 2 weeks. But could be wrong.

Until you get your water clear again as well tests on CAl MAg and Alk may not be accurate as the cloudiness is the elements loose in the water, and the test kits we used aren't made to test with the elements in states of precipitation but rather stable.

IF you can't pin point It I'd do 3-4 50% water changes over 2 weeks with fresh made perfect param saltwater, and you'll probably solve it like that as well.

Looking for the link. I've done 2 20%changes over the last couple weeks.

Just weird that it clears up with no light.

 

[jrawk1120]

If you read the article I linked, there's several reasons why. Just go through it and start trying to pin point.

My bet is on precipitation since it's been 2 weeks. But could be wrong.

Until you get your water clear again as well tests on CAl MAg and Alk may not be accurate as the cloudiness is the elements loose in the water, and the test kits we used aren't made to test with the elements in states of precipitation but rather stable.

IF you can't pin point It I'd do 3-4 50% water changes over 2 weeks with fresh made perfect param saltwater, and you'll probably solve it like that as well.

Found it, read it.

Didn't really say much of how to clear that precipitation. Should I cut the doser off and wait it out?

 

[iamacat]

Any idea how to correct that?

There’s been info left here for you in the thread. It’s a fairly basic part of reefing but not one that is managed without proper parameter monitoring and equal balanced dosing. Read up and learn. It’s the best way to get further in this hobby. I took advice all day but I never learned until I put the time into educate myself. Something I wish I did early on. Would have saved me thousands of dollars and lots of time and energy throwing crap at the wall and seeing what stuck.

 

[jrawk1120]

There’s been info left here for you in the thread. It’s a fairly basic part of reefing but not one that is managed without proper parameter monitoring and equal balanced dosing. Read up and learn. It’s the best way to get further in this hobby. I took advice all day but I never learned until I put the time into educate myself. Something I wish I did early on. Would have saved me thousands of dollars and lots of time and energy throwing crap at the wall and seeing what stuck.

I'm just new to using a doser. I always corrected my levels by measuring by hand and dumping it in until this tank.

I'm not a newb to the hobby, just to the excitement equipment.

 

[iamacat]

I'm just new to using a doser. I always corrected my levels by measuring by hand and dumping it in until this tank.

I'm not a newb to the hobby, just to the excitement equipment.

But you are dosing only calcium. Doesn’t matter where you are at in this hobby you learn new things. Sometimes people learn at different stages

 

[jrawk1120]

But you are dosing only calcium. Doesn’t matter where you are at in this hobby you learn new things. Sometimes people learn at different stages

Do you dose alk Emden when it's not needed. Just tested my alk and it's 10

 

[iamacat]

I dose all for reef and it is based off my alk. I don’t care to mess with 2 part when I can use one. I’m not to the stage where I need more than that with my new tank.

what is your salinity, like real actual salinity?
What was your most recent magnesium test results?

 

[jrawk1120]

Salinity matches on my Milwaukee digital to my apex probe at 34.

Mag read 1300 yesterday

 

[Garf]

Do you dose alk Emden when it's not needed. Just tested my alk and it's 10

No.