EMERGENCY

fluffyhobo

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Hey guys so Ive been going on a little over a month now with no issues whatsoever with my tank. This morning I woke up to my water being cloudy and my two clownfish at the surface on the edge of dying as well as my anemone very closed up. I have had the clownfish from the beginning but only recently added the anemone in the past week but had no issues with it, and the clowns were already hosting. Last night I did a regular 25% water change as well as adding in a second BRS titanium heater, 4 hours later the tank was completely fine with no signs of anything so I headed to bed. So far I have tested the basics being Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 and Nitrate around 2 so nothing has changed there but there is definitely something wrong as the water is now cloudy but I have absolutely no idea what happened and could really use some help. Also just to note I have a qt tank running thank god otherwise I would've lost everything.

IMG_3353.jpg
 

IslandLifeReef

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Sounds like a bacteria bloom. The fish are in need of oxygen. Do you have a skimmer? If so, increase the air flow in that and if you can, add an air stone to the tank. Turn off the lights and add/change your filter socks.
 

Jake_the_reefer

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Has the tank cycled? Meaning you at one point had ammonia which turned into nitrites then finally nitrates?
If you have an airstone go ahead and add that to get more oxygen into the tank for the fish.
If the tank isn't fully cycled I would add seachem prime as soon as possible and keep adding every other day until its cycled properly
 
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fluffyhobo

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Has the tank cycled? Meaning you at one point had ammonia which turned into nitrites then finally nitrates?
If you have an airstone go ahead and add that to get more oxygen into the tank for the fish.
If the tank isn't fully cycled I would add seachem prime as soon as possible and keep adding every other day until its cycled properly
Tank has been completey cycled and then some, first week was lights out with nothing but firtz tubostart and I continued dosing for a bit after every few days.
 
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fluffyhobo

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Sounds like a bacteria bloom. The fish are in need of oxygen. Do you have a skimmer? If so, increase the air flow in that and if you can, add an air stone to the tank. Turn off the lights and add/change your filter socks.
No skimmer, would a bacteria bloom/lack of oxygen be causing the water to get murky like this?
 

IslandLifeReef

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No skimmer, would a bacteria bloom/lack of oxygen be causing the water to get murky like this?
Yes, the cloudiness is the bacteria in the water column. If a skimmer is an option for you, it will help oxygenate the water and remove whatever the bacteria are feeding on as well.
 
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fluffyhobo

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I see no power heads for flow. Sounds like oxygen depletion if the clowns are at the surface
Had moved my nero 3 powerhead 2 days ago to my qt tank as I received a shipment of corals yesterday, I have had a lot of diatoms expanding in the past week or so and Ive read that they can deplete the oxygen but would a lack of oxygen make the water cloudy like that?
 
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fluffyhobo

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Yes, the cloudiness is the bacteria in the water column. If a skimmer is an option for you, it will help oxygenate the water and remove whatever the bacteria are feeding on as well.
Hmm ok, ya I had a Ice cap nano but returned it as I felt like I didnt need it, will get one ordered now
 

AnotherReefHobbyist

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Had moved my nero 3 powerhead 2 days ago to my qt tank as I received a shipment of corals yesterday, I have had a lot of diatoms expanding in the past week or so and Ive read that they can deplete the oxygen but would a lack of oxygen make the water cloudy like that?
No

The bacteria in the water is the cloudy water. Though it may be pulling oxegen.
 
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IslandLifeReef

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Had moved my nero 3 powerhead 2 days ago to my qt tank as I received a shipment of corals yesterday, I have had a lot of diatoms expanding in the past week or so and Ive read that they can deplete the oxygen but would a lack of oxygen make the water cloudy like that?
The bacteria is causing the lack of oxygen. You need to get rid of the bacteria bloom. Lack of flow in the tank will cause a lack of oxygen and possible die off that is feeding the bacteria. Get flow in the tank ASAP.
 

iamacat

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Had moved my nero 3 powerhead 2 days ago to my qt tank as I received a shipment of corals yesterday, I have had a lot of diatoms expanding in the past week or so and Ive read that they can deplete the oxygen but would a lack of oxygen make the water cloudy like that?
You have basically no gas exchange. Yes your water column will become cloudy when that gas exchange is not done and there becomes a build up for different bacteria to feed off
 

StevePhx

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No

The bacteria in the water is the cloudy water.

Oxegen is pretty much unrelated, but may be the source of your problems.
The bacteria bloom is consuming all the oxygen.

The O2 is the immediate danger but you need to solve the bacterial bloom long term.

Don’t order a powerhead. You need one in the tank in the next 30 minutes, you can’t wait. Just a cheap one from Petco right at the top of the tank to move as much surcease water as possible.
You want to hear splashing.
 
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fluffyhobo

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The bacteria bloom is consuming all the oxygen.

The O2 is the immediate danger but you need to solve the bacterial bloom long term.

Don’t order a powerhead. You need one in the tank in the next 30 minutes, you can’t wait. Just a cheap one from Petco right at the top of the tank to move as much surcease water as possible.
You want to hear splashing.
Everything is doing fine now in my qt tank, do I still need to go get one asap?
 

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