cloudy water 4 days

[bruce337]

so scratching my head here.... waters been cloudy (milky) last 4 days - no new additions to tank, all livestock is accounted for, filter changed on Sunday (normal monthly change ~15th of month penguin 250, 2 filter model) all parameters are ok (I stopped with the reef roids and switched to reef energy...roids were playing havoc with my nitrate #'s they were up to 40-50 after a broadcast for several days - used recommended amount too) :

does reef energy make it cloudy for that long? I started out with just 4 mL daily to see how it affects parameters-so far no spikes so I'm debating on upping a tad next week. The Kenya Tree is open so water quality is ok - same for orange tree gorgonian. everyone's eating and happy. Did the corals spawn maybe? Although this is a new reef tank - but that happened to me many many years ago. 55g tank w/ live rock. Lights on 4 hr in am 4 hr in pm feed 2x a day rotating flake, pellet, mysis frozen, and angel frozen- w/e they eat in a min or 2 plus a sm amt extra for crabs.

tank inhabitants:

• Maroon goldflake clown
• Powder Brown Tang
• Zoe’s
• Red, green, orange mushrooms
• Red monti
• Asterospicularia Coral
• Rose BTA - who my clown has literally "loved nearly to death" she's too big for it she's moving onto the white LTA hopefully. She's been feeding it and hovering by the LTA a few days now hasn't gone in just yet but getting closer lol
• Sun coral
• Kenya tree
• Purple tip neon hammer
• Lepto’s
• Pink and green Duncan
• Galexa
• Favia
• Star polyp
• Orange tree georgonian
• Birds nest
• yellow cats paw
• Torch
• 4 hermits
• 5 snails
• White LTA

 

[CoralB]

Sounds like a bacteria explosion, try adding microbactor 7 or another comparable. Concerns me that you mentioned a filter change !!! Was that the only filter you had going ,if so you took away good bacteria media which is bad . Let’s start with giving a little more info like how big your tank is , what kind of filtration you have and all your current parameters . A picture would be helpful as well .also how long has the tank been up

 

[vetteguy53081]

so scratching my head here.... waters been cloudy (milky) last 4 days - no new additions to tank, all livestock is accounted for, filter changed on Sunday (normal monthly change ~15th of month penguin 250, 2 filter model) all parameters are ok (I stopped with the reef roids and switched to reef energy...roids were playing havoc with my nitrate #'s they were up to 40-50 after a broadcast for several days - used recommended amount too) :

does reef energy make it cloudy for that long? I started out with just 4 mL daily to see how it affects parameters-so far no spikes so I'm debating on upping a tad next week. The Kenya Tree is open so water quality is ok - same for orange tree gorgonian. everyone's eating and happy. Did the corals spawn maybe? Although this is a new reef tank - but that happened to me many many years ago. 55g tank w/ live rock. Lights on 4 hr in am 4 hr in pm feed 2x a day rotating flake, pellet, mysis frozen, and angel frozen- w/e they eat in a min or 2 plus a sm amt extra for crabs.

tank inhabitants:

• Maroon goldflake clown
• Powder Brown Tang
• Zoe’s
• Red, green, orange mushrooms
• Red monti
• Asterospicularia Coral
• Rose BTA - who my clown has literally "loved nearly to death" she's too big for it she's moving onto the white LTA hopefully. She's been feeding it and hovering by the LTA a few days now hasn't gone in just yet but getting closer lol
• Sun coral
• Kenya tree
• Purple tip neon hammer
• Lepto’s
• Pink and green Duncan
• Galexa
• Favia
• Star polyp
• Orange tree georgonian
• Birds nest
• yellow cats paw
• Torch
• 4 hermits
• 5 snails
• White LTA

Reef energy can
What are you utilizing for filters and carbon ?

 

[bruce337]

Sounds like a bacteria explosion, try adding microbactor 7 or another comparable. Concerns me that you mentioned a filter change !!! Was that the only filter you had going ,if so you took away good bacteria media which is bad . Let’s start with giving a little more info like how big your tank is , what kind of filtration you have and all your current parameters . A picture would be helpful as well .also how long has the tank been up

55gal parameters were in initial post (attached again) it's a 2 filter system I take out one filter then later in month the other. manual says change filter monthly (there's a biowheel on it that never gets changed)

also update clown is in LTA -literally while I'm typing I looked over - I can't take a closer pic b/c I don't wanna have her startle or think imma feed her again and leave it lol this has been a 2 week process lol- i am literally stuck on the couch now not moving. Maybe she'll give the poor mini bta a break now lol.

 

[bruce337]

**** took pic and she left anemone lol

 

[CoralB]

Looks like on the 25 th your nitrates zeroed out ( not good get them up) I’m also wondering if you have powerhead in the tank ? But can’t help but think your filter system is inadequate for the tank size and amount of inhabitants. Looks like a bacterial explosion . Do you know what your phosphates are ,

 

[bruce337]

Reef energy can
What are you utilizing for filters and carbon ?

penguin 250 w/ 2 carbon filters and bio wheel. hmmm darn it I was wondering if it was the reef energy...well shoot.. I don't like the reef roids it was messing with my nitrates every time I used it to the point where the fish were lethargic up to 40-50!! (1/2 tsp 2x a week per instructions) I tried less and same thing. That's why I switched to reef energy and started @ 4 ml daily... should I go to every other day? any better reef foods?

 

[Lionfish hunter]

so scratching my head here.... waters been cloudy (milky) last 4 days - no new additions to tank, all livestock is accounted for, filter changed on Sunday (normal monthly change ~15th of month penguin 250, 2 filter model) all parameters are ok (I stopped with the reef roids and switched to reef energy...roids were playing havoc with my nitrate #'s they were up to 40-50 after a broadcast for several days - used recommended amount too) :

does reef energy make it cloudy for that long? I started out with just 4 mL daily to see how it affects parameters-so far no spikes so I'm debating on upping a tad next week. The Kenya Tree is open so water quality is ok - same for orange tree gorgonian. everyone's eating and happy. Did the corals spawn maybe? Although this is a new reef tank - but that happened to me many many years ago. 55g tank w/ live rock. Lights on 4 hr in am 4 hr in pm feed 2x a day rotating flake, pellet, mysis frozen, and angel frozen- w/e they eat in a min or 2 plus a sm amt extra for crabs.

tank inhabitants:

• Maroon goldflake clown
• Powder Brown Tang
• Zoe’s
• Red, green, orange mushrooms
• Red monti
• Asterospicularia Coral
• Rose BTA - who my clown has literally "loved nearly to death" she's too big for it she's moving onto the white LTA hopefully. She's been feeding it and hovering by the LTA a few days now hasn't gone in just yet but getting closer lol
• Sun coral
• Kenya tree
• Purple tip neon hammer
• Lepto’s
• Pink and green Duncan
• Galexa
• Favia
• Star polyp
• Orange tree georgonian
• Birds nest
• yellow cats paw
• Torch
• 4 hermits
• 5 snails
• White LTA

I wouldnt add anything to clear this up, adding things creates problems a lot of the time. A uv sterilizer will most likely clear your water up in a few days. Your water will probably more clear than before. They are magic with bacteria and algae blooms and work every time.

 

[bruce337]

yep have powerhead which moves 1320 ghp. (thats on top of 250 from peguin filter) I actually haven't gotten phosphate test (now i remember which one I went to the store for a few weeks ago and forgot)

 

[Lionfish hunter]

penguin 250 w/ 2 carbon filters and bio wheel. hmmm darn it I was wondering if it was the reef energy...well shoot.. I don't like the reef roids it was messing with my nitrates every time I used it to the point where the fish were lethargic up to 40-50!! (1/2 tsp 2x a week per instructions) I tried less and same thing. That's why I switched to reef energy and started @ 4 ml daily... should I go to every other day? any better reef foods?

I have used reef energy. It will give your water a tint temporarily. What you have is not caused by reef energy. Could be a algae or bacteria bloom feeding on the reef energy though.

 

[bruce337]

ok i'll head to lfs and look @ a uv sterilizer Friday after work thanks. should i lay off the reef energy too for a day or so?

 

[Lionfish hunter]

ok i'll head to lfs and look @ a uv sterilizer Friday after work thanks. should i lay off the reef energy too for a day or so?

If you think it is causing this, you could. Just make sure the corals have some other source of food like fish poop, nitrate, and phosphate.

Is the water green at all? If so that is probably algae. UV sterilizers have different effective flow rates for algae and bacteria.

 

[ZoWhat]

Bacterial bloom = lack of O2 bc its being consumed by bacteria = you better watch your fish for sign of suffocation = do a 30% WC = run skimmer wet

 

[bruce337]

If you think it is causing this, you could. Just make sure the corals have some other source of food like fish poop, nitrate, and phosphate.

Is the water green at all? If so that is probably algae. UV sterilizers have different effective flow rates for algae and bacteria.

no algae green or brown/read

 

[bruce337]

Bacterial bloom = lack of O2 bc its being consumed by bacteria = you better watch your fish for sign of suffocation = do a 30% WC = run skimmer wet

yeah I was debating on a water change too figure midas well vac substrate too while I'm at it. usually vac ~15th of each month and then as a function of vac replace ~10% water I have some water ready at all times

 

[bruce337]

Bacterial bloom = lack of O2 bc its being consumed by bacteria = you better watch your fish for sign of suffocation = do a 30% WC = run skimmer wet

I've been watching them they are normal watching pbt devour his seaweed sheet and clown acclimating to LTA as we speak she's about to go back in fingers crossed

 

[vetteguy53081]

penguin 250 w/ 2 carbon filters and bio wheel. hmmm darn it I was wondering if it was the reef energy...well shoot.. I don't like the reef roids it was messing with my nitrates every time I used it to the point where the fish were lethargic up to 40-50!! (1/2 tsp 2x a week per instructions) I tried less and same thing. That's why I switched to reef energy and started @ 4 ml daily... should I go to every other day? any better reef foods?

Your marineland 250 is insufficient offering vert small surface area for sediment entrapment and hence you would see both milky appearance and elevated nitrates as you are lacking chemical and biological filtration. The 250 is mechanical. A hang on fuge would be more ideal and an addition of a hang on protein skimmer such as iceCap K1-50 or 100

 

[bruce337]

sorry forgot to update.. so the next AM it cleared up on its own, no water change, no additives, no uv light- no idea what caused it, Now I'm afraid to use the reef energy too lol. I stopped all reef feeding and kept tank lights off since wed. I am totally and completely stumped... I went out bought micorbactor the next day (hadn't checked tank in AM was running late-returning it today) got home noontime -it fixed itself, no casualties, I REALLY want to know what it was!!! Only other thing I did prior to the issue about a week earlier was I used the aqua stik epoxy putty coralline red and reef glue cyanocacrylate adhesive to secure some plugs the crabs kept knockings off. Could that have done it? I am totally afraid to feed the corals now and start the issue all over. Appreciate any ideas here so I don't have another meltdown in the tank. I'm gonna test parameters in a bit and post too.

 

[bruce337]

 

[Lionfish hunter]

sorry forgot to update.. so the next AM it cleared up on its own, no water change, no additives, no uv light- no idea what caused it, Now I'm afraid to use the reef energy too lol. I stopped all reef feeding and kept tank lights off since wed. I am totally and completely stumped... I went out bought micorbactor the next day (hadn't checked tank in AM was running late-returning it today) got home noontime -it fixed itself, no casualties, I REALLY want to know what it was!!! Only other thing I did prior to the issue about a week earlier was I used the aqua stik epoxy putty coralline red and reef glue cyanocacrylate adhesive to secure some plugs the crabs kept knockings off. Could that have done it? I am totally afraid to feed the corals now and start the issue all over. Appreciate any ideas here so I don't have another meltdown in the tank. I'm gonna test parameters in a bit and post too.

Use brightwell coral amino if you have sps