Cloudy water over a month now.

[Danroo]

Good morning to everyone.

I’ll start with my tank being 6 months old now it’s a 20 gallon FOWLR tank with only a hob filter for the filtration. My parameters the last week I checked were

salinity: 1.022
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 2
Phosphate: 0.03
Temp: 78F
Calcium: 390
Magnesium: 1260
Alkalinity: 8.2

test kits: salifert

livestock: 2 clownfish, 2 Bengai cardinals, orchid dottyback. Cleaner shrimp. Red brittle star. 3 trochus snails. 3 hermit crabs.

Feeding: only rinsed mysis shrimp once a day which would be gone in 3-4 bites.


I started with dry rock and live sand. My nitrates and phosphates have been constant after I have replaced 2 HOB filters after my tank has been cycled. Both were aqueon one was more powerful than the others.

I was replacing cartridges which also brought in the cloudiness. Would be constant after that because of the removal of beneficial bacteria

3 weeks ago I gave in with the removal of this cartridge and bought a tidal cause I also needed the surface skimming. The beneficial bacteria did form on the matrix but I feel like it’s not enough to get outcompete the cloudiness and ordered fritz turbo ( will arrive on Tuesday).

It has been a month since I did a water change due to phosphate and nitrate being constant and yesterday I added filter floss.

so my question is. Is there a lack of biological filtration?

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

Did you rinse both your dry rock and sand? It is almost essential that you do so. I have live rock and some dry rock and dry sand in my tank. I forgot to rinse the dry sand which plagued me to this day and I rinsed the dry rock which made a world of difference in cloudiness in the bucket while rinsing then in the tank.

 

[acanman]

You using a skimmer? And add some carbon till it clears up

 

[acanman]

Did you rinse both your dry rock and sand? It is almost essential that you do so. I have live rock and some dry rock and dry sand in my tank. I forgot to rinse the dry sand which plagued me to this day and I rinsed the dry rock which made a world of difference in cloudiness in the bucket while rinsing then in the tank.

He said he was using live sand so there would be no reason to wash it. And it comes with the little packets in each bag to help clear your water

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

He said he was using live sand so there would be no reason to wash it. And it comes with the little packets in each bag to help clear your water

Didn’t catch the live sand part. Still wondering about that dry rock though because it still can be a reason

 

[Danroo]

Did you rinse both your dry rock and sand? It is almost essential that you do so. I have live rock and some dry rock and dry sand in my tank. I forgot to rinse the dry sand which plagued me to this day and I rinsed the dry rock which made a world of difference in cloudiness in the bucket while rinsing then in the tank.

I didn’t rinse my my dry rock nor the live sand. There was no cloudiness in the first few months it started after my tank has been cycled or I would replace the cartridge which holds the bacteria from fritz turbostart. Now I just replaced the whole filter. The cloudiness isn’t severe as I first started my tank.

 

[acanman]

I just started a 250 gallon with all dry rock besides 20 lbs and didn't wash it, I forgot lol and it's been running for about a week and it was crystal clear after adding the live sand and opening the packets they come with to clear the water. But I do have alot more filtration than he does I wouldn't think dry rock would keep his tank dirty for that long

 

[acanman]

No the bacteria also will cling to the rocks in the sand ect it's not that. I mean when yoy change out your media ya it will get a little cloudy especially on a smaller tank but it should clear up especially you set your skimmer to skim wetter

 

[acanman]

You have a skimmer right?

 

[Danroo]

You using a skimmer? And add some carbon till it clears up

The only equipment is the tidal. The aqueon cartridge already had carbon in it. But still had the same cloudiness before switching to tidal.

 

[acanman]

Idk what tidal is im guessing a hob filter? I'd add a hob skimmer and I bet money your tank will clear up

 

[One Breath 808]

Good morning to everyone.

I’ll start with my tank being 6 months old now it’s a 20 gallon FOWLR tank with only a hob filter for the filtration. My parameters the last week I checked were

salinity: 1.022
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 2
Phosphate: 0.03
Temp: 78F
Calcium: 390
Magnesium: 1260
Alkalinity: 8.2

test kits: salifert

livestock: 2 clownfish, 2 Bengai cardinals, orchid dottyback. Cleaner shrimp. Red brittle star. 3 trochus snails. 3 hermit crabs.

Feeding: only rinsed mysis shrimp once a day which would be gone in 3-4 bites.


I started with dry rock and live sand. My nitrates and phosphates have been constant after I have replaced 2 HOB filters after my tank has been cycled. Both were aqueon one was more powerful than the others.

I was replacing cartridges which also brought in the cloudiness. Would be constant after that because of the removal of beneficial bacteria

3 weeks ago I gave in with the removal of this cartridge and bought a tidal cause I also needed the surface skimming. The beneficial bacteria did form on the matrix but I feel like it’s not enough to get outcompete the cloudiness and ordered fritz turbo ( will arrive on Tuesday).

It has been a month since I did a water change due to phosphate and nitrate being constant and yesterday I added filter floss.

so my question is. Is there a lack of biological filtration?

Is it cloudy from a bacteria bloom or from yiu removing things? My tank was cloudy from bacteria bloom and I added a UV Sterilizer and now my water is crystal clear.

 

[fachatga]

I’m not sure what fritz will do to help. The bacteria is in the rock and sand since it’s been 6 months. Replacing hob won’t remove the beneficial bacteria from your tank.

 

[One Breath 808]

Also, it seemed anytime I added BRS carbon my tank got cloudy so I stopped and just use a UV Sterilizer

 

[acanman]

Also, it seemed anytime I added BRS carbon my tank got cloudy so I stopped and just use a UV Sterilizer

Did you wash the carbon first?

 

[One Breath 808]

Did you wash the carbon first?

I always do, with RODI water.

 

[acanman]

I always do, with RODI water.

Weird maybe it was getting too much flow and tumbling and breaking up?

 

[Danroo]

Idk what tidal is im guessing a hob filter? I'd add a hob skimmer and I bet money your tank will clear up

Tidal is the hob filter which I got instead the aqueon cartridge filter.

 

[Quietman]

As with most things....I'd recommend upping WCs. That load on an HOB might benefit from a more aggressive WC schedule. WC support more than just nitrate/phosphate removal.

 

[Danroo]

Is it cloudy from a bacteria bloom or from yiu removing things? My tank was cloudy from bacteria bloom and I added a UV Sterilizer and now my water is crystal clear.

I’m not sure anymore. The cloudiness is constant I haven’t done any water changes only topping off. The only equipment I keep changing in these months is the HOB filter haven’t even touched the inside of the tank.