Looking for advice

[Baker Co.]

I have a frag tank that has been up since the first of the year. Over the last 2 days around 5pm the tank has become cloudy. Every coral from the zoas, LPS and SPS close up. I did notice a small spike in temp from 78 to 80 that seems to correlate with the time. The tank seems to clear up in about 3 or 4 hours. Yesterday I did a 20% water change to be safe not knowing what it was. I'm beginning to think that the spike in temp may have caused my trochus snails to spawn.

Anyone that has had trochus snails spawn, did your corals seem to have a similar reaction?

Also my skimmer did not seem to be effected by the cloudiness. I would have thought that if it was the snails spawning my skimmer would be producing more skimmate.

Any ideas would be helpful.

In case anyone is wondering.
SG 1.026
Ca 400
Alk 7.6
Mg 1280
Po4 0.08
No3 0.5 (the new tank struggle is real)

 

[Auto-pilot]

Id guess some sort of bacterial bloom over snails spawning especially with your tank being new. what kind of filters/ bio load do you have in the tank

 

[Scotty Buttons]

Some pictures might help.

 

[Baker Co.]

Id guess some sort of bacterial bloom over snails spawning especially with your tank being new. what kind of filters/ bio load do you have in the tank

I had initially thought it was just a bacteria bloom. But after the second day it feels like to much of a coincidence. I've had them in the past. My experience with them they seemed to last longer and not immediately effect the coral.

The tank is 45g with a 40g sump. Total water volume is probably around 65g.

2 tangs, yellow and blue eye bristletooth
2 springeri damsels
I have been feeding pretty heavy to keep nutrients up.

Reef Octopus int 110 skimmer and live rock in the sump. I had filter socks but haven't used them for about a month. I have a small bag of carbon to help with some yellowing and it's about due for a change.

 

[Baker Co.]

Some pictures might help.

Sorry for the blues, cellphone with blue+ t5's. It's been about 3 hours and the tank looks a lot better now and the corals are opening back up. Both days I have had this white dusting on the acrylic.

 

[Auto-pilot]

Sorry for the blues, cellphone with blue+ t5's. It's been about 3 hours and the tank looks a lot better now and the corals are opening back up. Both days I have had this white dusting on the acrylic.

Sounds like bacteria to me, but that is only one opinion! I've accidentally caused a bacteria bloom (carbon dosing) and the coral never closed up and it lasted only a day.