Cloudy Water, Bacteria Bloom?

[Skep18]

So I've had my 225gal up and cycles for a few months now. There's 6 fish, all pretty small. I've been making little changes here and there just getting stuff dialed in.

A few days ago now, probably 3, I got a tool in to reach the back glass. Using it to clean my back glass, I also used it to redistribute some of my substrate to fill voids my flow has caused. I've only got maybe an inch of special grade aragonite, even a half inch in some places so I didn't think it was an issue to kinda mix up the top layer a bit. (I even thought I was kinda supposed to be doing that) Now I don't have any algae issues or anything, I was just keeping it mixed up I guess.

Well following my cleaning of the back glass for the first time and some substrate mixing, the water unsurprisingly got cloudy. I didn't think anything of it figuring it was substrate particles. The aragonite was well rinsed before using it.

Fast forward 24hr later, the tank kinda cleared of what had looked like dust but had a fine cloud look to it. I again thought it must just be substrate that my filter socks couldn't capture. However, now the third day, I can't tell if it's even getting worse but it's definitely not getting better. I'm thinking now it must be a bacteria bloom...

1. With a tank this new and cycled, I'm assuming a bacterial bloom isn't odd for my situation? I understand it's a nutrient conversation and I guess I'm just surprised something this new and under fed can go through that.

2. Is there anything I can or should do to help it beside oxygenate the water? I think I read all I can really do is wait it out.

Photo of the first day:

 

[Skep18]

Third day (now) :

 

[Fudsey]

I used a Marineland in tank polishing filter with D.E. to clear my tank when I had cloudy issues from the sand when my tank was cycling.

 

[Skep18]

I used a Marineland in tank polishing filter with D.E. to clear my tank when I had cloudy issues from the sand when my tank was cycling.

Maybe having a brain fart, but what is D.E.?

 

[Fudsey]

Diatomaceous Earth, pool grade not food grade

 

[Porpoise Hork]

It's most likely just the fine silt that settled to the bottom of the sand bed. It will either be filtered out by your mechanical filtration or settle back down and the tank will clear in a few hours. To reduce this from happening in the future methodical cleaning of the sand bed will remove the finer particles leaving the larger pieces behind. The end result is next to no silt kicked up when you mess with the bed.

 

[Skep18]

It's most likely just the fine silt that settled to the bottom of the sand bed. It will either be filtered out by your mechanical filtration or settle back down and the tank will clear in a few hours. To reduce this from happening in the future methodical cleaning of the sand bed will remove the finer particles leaving the larger pieces behind. The end result is next to no silt kicked up when you mess with the bed.

That's what I thought but it's been ~72hr already with no real change.

 

[Skep18]

Day 4 - still cloudy as ever...

 

[Skep18]

Added some GAC.

Also am running the skimmer a bit wetter. Not sure if this skims out but GAC dust did so fingers crossed.

 

[Skep18]

Well day 5 and some poor decision making later I'm pretty positive it's a bacteria bloom. Guess I'll just have to wait it out.

 

[Skep18]

bump.

its getting worse. can't see overflow boxes on a 24" deep tank right at the tank surface... RIP fish/coral?

Any advice welcomed.

 

[Fudsey]

#reefsquad

 

[Anirban]

Do you dose carbon for nutrient reduction? If so then stop dosing it for few days or a week. Possibly its bacteria in the water column caused by the nutrient spike. What was your pH before and after you stirred the substrate?

 

[Skep18]

Do you dose carbon for nutrient reduction? If so then stop dosing it for few days or a week. Possibly its bacteria in the water column caused by the nutrient spike. What was your pH before and after you stirred the substrate?

No carbon dosing. I figure its locked up stuff in the substrate its just this looks worse than most I've seen in searching.

pH has been steady before and after @ 7.8 - 8.0 throughout the day. I'm running my skimmer a bit higher to aerate more and I've got a box fan blowing across my sump just to keep fresh air in there. I've got an air pump and air stone en route coming Friday to try and keep levels up/higher. I figure pH being a relation of CO2 in the water, its a good parameter to keep an eye on for aeration.

My long term concern is clouding out my coral. They'er getting some light still but this density shows no sign of slowing...

 

[Anirban]

No carbon dosing. I figure its locked up stuff in the substrate its just this looks worse than most I've seen in searching.

pH has been steady before and after @ 7.8 - 8.1 throughout the day. I'm running my skimmer a bit higher to aerate more and I've got a box fan blowing across my sump just to keep fresh air in there. I've got an air pump and air stone en route coming Friday to try and keep levels up/higher. I figure pH being a relation of CO2 in the water, its a good parameter to keep an eye on for aeration.

My long term concern is clouding out my coral. They'er getting some light still but this density shows no sign of slowing...

Keep checking your nutrient too..bloom can create sudden drop of nutrients and cause damage to corals.

 

[Skep18]

Keep checking your nutrient too..bloom can create sudden drop of nutrients and cause damage to corals.

I've got a ammonia badge on there (though I'm not too sure how much I trust it) but as I suspect you're speaking of NO3/PO4, they tested similarly on Monday (my water test day) as in the past @ 4ppm/0ppm (Red Sea / Hanna). But I will start testing them every few days to keep an eye out.

 

[Skep18]

I guess I've just read a bunch of posts that this will subside on its own if you remove the nutrients feeding it. Seeing as I released some nutrients and thus isn't a constant feeding thing, I was hoping to see similar results as others in that it would start clearing up in a few days, week and a half max. Its still only been 5 days but seeing as its getting darker, I guess I'm getting nervous.

I'm on the cusp of buying an expensive UV sterilizer but then I read it will only mask the issue to which it will just come back when I turn the UV off... Not interested in running UV 24/7...

 

[JaimeAdams]

@Gregorjw

 

[Skep18]

Today :

 

[Gregorjw]

I'm having what seems to be the same problem, and I cant for the life of me figure it out either, I used a uv sterilizer and it seemed to clear up, then it came back. 2nd time it happened I skipped the sterilizer and it seemed to clear up in the same time, about a week. This time. The third time, I've tried cutting the flow and it seemed to do nothing, I just set up a carbon reactor hoping that may do the trick. The first time it happened I blamed it on me accidentally turning the powerheads all 100 on and that stirred up the substrate a bunch, the second and third time I cant think of any cause. And my tank is stocked with just a couple snails, I had a couple corals in it but pulled them back to quarantine after the first cloudy spell.