Cloudy water

TheEngineer · Dec 24, 2015

My lights just came on and my water is cloudy. Fish looks fine, corals are all open. Just hazy and cloudy water. Thoughts or ideas?

TheEngineer · Dec 24, 2015

Just got back home. Still cloudy. I'm going to turn the skimmer on and see if it helps.

chefjpaul · Dec 24, 2015

Bacterial bloom?
Kalk overdose?
Lots of options

TheEngineer · Dec 24, 2015

I don't dose and haven't added any chemicals to the tank. I did stir up the top 1/8" about 4 sq in of sand yesterday while moving some empty shells. That cleared up yesterday though.

sc8kv123 · Dec 24, 2015

+1 on a possible bacterial bloom. I just battled one last week. Are you running a carbon reactor?

TheEngineer · Dec 24, 2015

Nope, no carbon reactor or passive carbon in the tank.

sc8kv123 · Dec 24, 2015

Has the cloudiness increased or decreased since yesterday? You might run some carbon too help clear up the water faster. Keep an eye on your fish's behavior and breathing. Bacterial blooms can lower the oxygen in your water. Running an air stone in the sump (away from your return section) can help if you notice any abnormal breathing patterns from your fish. Keep us posted!

TheEngineer · Dec 24, 2015

sc8kv123 said:
Has the cloudiness increased or decreased since yesterday? You might run some carbon too help clear up the water faster. Keep an eye on your fish's behavior and breathing. Bacterial blooms can lower the oxygen in your water. Running an air stone in the sump (away from your return section) can help if you notice any abnormal breathing patterns from your fish. Keep us posted!

Thanks. I have some activated carbon I can use. Need to see if I have a media bag somewhere. I'll keep the skimmer running to add extra air to the water.

smh254 · Dec 24, 2015

Do you have any clams in your tank.

TheEngineer · Dec 24, 2015

Nope. Zoanthids and an acan frag that is slowly recovering from extreme neglect.

sc8kv123 · Dec 24, 2015

Quick fix media bag= pantyhose

Oh and don't forget carbon is awesome when it comes to absorption but not so much when it comes to longevity. Be sure to rinse and replace your carbon. Hope things start clearing up for you.

TheEngineer · Dec 27, 2015

The water is pretty much cleared up at this point. I guess it was me stirring the sand. I ran the skimmer for a couple of days and that seemed to have helped.