Cloudy water

[yanni]

Hey all!

I’ve just set up my Waterbox 20, and have added my saltwater, and after 24 hours, added my Dr Tim’s and ammonia chloride. I’ve taken out my filter socks, and only have two sponges, carbon, and bio balls as filtration. My sand was mostly rinsed prior to adding, the water was coming out almost perfectly clear, slightly cloudy which I thought was good enough prior to adding it.

The water I added was 0 TDS, and my SG is 1.026. Using Red Sea Coral Pro Salt.

The first photo is the day I filled it up, the other photos I took only just now, so about 26 hours after filling, and 12 hours after bacteria addition. I noticed it was cloudy super early in the morning, 6 hrs before I added bacteria. It’s like a milky cloudiness. I also had my filter sock in, but removed it before I added Dr Tim’s, and noticed it was this light brown shade.

 

[Dom]

It looks like a bacterial bloom. I am unfamiliar with Dr. Tim so I don't know... it may be normal.

 

[SeaworthyAquatics]

Yep, bacteria bloom. Common with new tank and it will pass as the tank matures and the bacteria colonizes the substrate instead of blooming in the water column.

 

[yanni]

It looks like a bacterial bloom. I am unfamiliar with Dr. Tim so I don't know... it may be normal.

So should I just wait it out?

 

[yanni]

Yep, bacteria bloom. Common with new tank and it will pass as the tank matures and the bacteria colonizes the substrate instead of blooming in the water column.

Ahh okay. Should I just wait for it to pass in that case?

 

[design.maddie]

Yup! just wait, should be done in a few days


edit:Oh and real slick tank, almost like mine. Good luck and keep asking those questions

 

[yanni]

Yup! just wait, should be done in a few days


edit:Oh and real slick tank, almost like mine. Good luck and keep asking those questions

Lovely, I'm stressed about every little change I see, the joys of keeping a small slice of the ocean hey! It'll all be worth it, I love getting into this hobby!

I'm looking at your build thread now, tank is awesome!

 

[Dom]

So should I just wait it out?

The trouble with a bacterial bloom is that it reduces oxygen levels in the water. But during a cycle, I don't see any harm in waiting it out as there isn't anything in the tank being deprived of that oxygen.

 

[yanni]

The trouble with a bacterial bloom is that it reduces oxygen levels in the water. But during a cycle, I don't see any harm in waiting it out as there isn't anything in the tank being deprived of that oxygen.

Ooh sweet, very good to know. I vaguely remember something about lower oxygen concentration affects pH. Whether this is true or not, will that affect my cycle?

 

[SeaworthyAquatics]

Ooh sweet, very good to know. I vaguely remember something about lower oxygen concentration affects pH. Whether this is true or not, will that affect my cycle?

Lower oxygenation of the water will lower your ph. Shouldn't hurt your cycle though and won't matter much until you start adding corals. Ph shock can hurt fish, but it's usually from conditions during shipping and acclimation and not the actual tank.

 

[Idech]

You can aim a power head at the surface to increase oxygenation, it helps during cycling and it’s good to have for the fish, when you get them.

It seems like your rock work is sitting on the sand. Ths shouldn’t be. Rocks need to be directly on the glass, and sand on top. This is because fish and critters like to dig and there is a risk your structure will fall.

The tank looks great. Take it easy and go slow; this will prevent a lot of bad things happening.

 

[melonheadorion]

im going through the same at the moment. its been a while since my tank cycled, but mine is caused by an additional dose of fritzyme that i put in, or something else. in any instance, i have 5 fish in my tank while this is happening, and i just find that my skimmer and surface agitation is keeping up with any kind of oxygen issues, so as long as you have good circulation and whatnot, it should be ok to stock, if you wanted. i definately wouldnt go too heavy too fast, if you do

 

[yanni]

You can aim a power head at the surface to increase oxygenation, it helps during cycling and it’s good to have for the fish, when you get them.

It seems like your rock work is sitting on the sand. Ths shouldn’t be. Rocks need to be directly on the glass, and sand on top. This is because fish and critters like to dig and there is a risk your structure will fall.

The tank looks great. Take it easy and go slow; this will prevent a lot of bad things happening.

Maybe I’ll do that with my powerhead. Thanks for the tip!

It may not look it. But my rocks do sit directly on the glass. I added my sand around them, not my rocks to the sand if that makes sense.

Thank you! I’m in love with this tank, slowly slowly getting there.

 

[yanni]

im going through the same at the moment. its been a while since my tank cycled, but mine is caused by an additional dose of fritzyme that i put in, or something else. in any instance, i have 5 fish in my tank while this is happening, and i just find that my skimmer and surface agitation is keeping up with any kind of oxygen issues, so as long as you have good circulation and whatnot, it should be ok to stock, if you wanted. i definately wouldnt go too heavy too fast, if you do

Ahh okay. I think I added too much Dr Tims, which would explain a lot . Easy as, I think I’m just gonna play it slow and stock it once I can guarantee the cycle is completed, would rather be 100% safe and certain.

 

[Dom]

Maybe I’ll do that with my powerhead. Thanks for the tip!

It may not look it. But my rocks do sit directly on the glass. I added my sand around them, not my rocks to the sand if that makes sense.

Thank you! I’m in love with this tank, slowly slowly getting there.

I never considered the possibility of borrowing creatures could dig out under the rock and cause a collapse. Seems unlikely. Does it happen often?

 

[yanni]

I never considered the possibility of borrowing creatures could dig out under the rock and cause a collapse. Seems unlikely. Does it happen often?

Depends on the rockscape and some critters you keep. I saw a thread a while ago, where someone’s pistol shrimp dug a massive burrow, and one of his rocks fell and cracked his bottoms glass panel

 

[Dom]

Depends on the rockscape and some critters you keep. I saw a thread a while ago, where someone’s pistol shrimp dug a massive burrow, and one of his rocks fell and cracked his bottoms glass panel

That's a "pane"... get it?

 

[yanni]

That's a "pane"... get it?

ha ha ha....I gotta respect it. Dad joke meets reefkeeping