New Tank - Quick Cloudiness appears

[joe-ejs]

Hello.

I have a new Reef Tank that completed ammonia/bacteria initial cycle about a month ago. I added two Clowns about 3 weeks ago and all is/was well. I have had diatoms over the last couple weeks. Yesterday afternoon in the matter of hours, cloudiness appeared as shown in the picture. I do have a UV that I was getting ready to install in the coming days and quickly hooked it up last night...low water flow. This morning the cloudiness still appears. Is this part of the cycle stages? Will the UV resolve this? Also, here is a list of changes that took place 24hrs before the excessive cloudiness appeared:

1.) added a pair of Bangaii Cardinals,, doubling fish count from 2 to 4
2.) added carbon to the sump to try and remove the minor cloudiness that has existed over the last week or so (which is now like a fog).
3.) changed filter sock when I added the carbon.
4.) increased tank temp from 79.0 to 80.0 as I was preparing to add Algae Barn Coralline Algae in a Bottle later this week

Is the cloudiness part of the overall cycle?

Also...I am running the UV with low flow (2-3x turnover) over the last 12hrs.is that ok?

I believe those are the only things that changed.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Now that fish have been added, food and waste is now present cause this. Feed sparingly and monitor ammonia and nitrate.
You may add carbon to help polish water at this time

 

[brandon429]

could easily be sand clouding, but its not cycle related. When a reef is done cycling it carries the amount of fish it will carry in a year. the cycle does not get progressively stronger, that's during the original cycle ramp up.

post cycle its a function of your total surface area that's active, its not a partial vs full bacteria coverage issue.

Daniel had clouding issues in his nano we never did fix until UV cheated it clean. UV cannot rectify a cycle issue, uncycled tanks will kill all the fish overnite.

there is no partial or half cycle, if this is a white rock tank then the clouding is likely attributed to lights + rock curing

post a full tank shot

the position of the fish will display if its a cycling issue, bc that will mean ammonia noncontrol and they will all be hovering at the top near death very clearly obvious.

 

[joe-ejs]

could easily be sand clouding, but its not cycle related. When a reef is done cycling it carries the amount of fish it will carry in a year. the cycle does not get progressively stronger, that's during the original cycle ramp up.

post cycle its a function of your total surface area that's active, its not a partial vs full bacteria coverage issue.

Daniel had clouding issues in his nano we never did fix until UV cheated it clean. UV cannot rectify a cycle issue, uncycled tanks will kill all the fish overnite.

there is no partial or half cycle, if this is a white rock tank then the clouding is likely attributed to lights + rock curing

post a full tank shot

the position of the fish will display if its a cycling issue, bc that will mean ammonia noncontrol and they will all be hovering at the top near death very clearly obvious.

Brandon429---it has started to clear up...I had turned on the UV for the first time around 7pm last evening...not sure if that is helping with the clear up or something else...here is the picture as you requested....I did cycle with Dr. Tims, which completed about a month ago...Pair of Clowns have been in the tank for 3 weeks...just added the Cardinals 48hrs ago...

Also...as it relates to the UV...it is a good or bad idea to run the UV now...I am nearing the end of the Diatoms..hopefully...its been about 2 weeks..

 

[brandon429]

run that rascal n cheat to clean

uv is harmless and a wonderful cheat which I would use. I would never own a large tank without one. for my one gallon pico / don't need one since 100% water changes do the same thing.

 

[joe-ejs]

Brandon429...thanks for the quick response...I just realized I forgot to post the picture you asked for...as of 12pm...it is now clearing up..I assume the UV is doing its thing..

 

[brandon429]

that looks totally clear I love uv

 

[Jilly92]

Hello.

I have a new Reef Tank that completed ammonia/bacteria initial cycle about a month ago. I added two Clowns about 3 weeks ago and all is/was well. I have had diatoms over the last couple weeks. Yesterday afternoon in the matter of hours, cloudiness appeared as shown in the picture. I do have a UV that I was getting ready to install in the coming days and quickly hooked it up last night...low water flow. This morning the cloudiness still appears. Is this part of the cycle stages? Will the UV resolve this? Also, here is a list of changes that took place 24hrs before the excessive cloudiness appeared:

1.) added a pair of Bangaii Cardinals,, doubling fish count from 2 to 4
2.) added carbon to the sump to try and remove the minor cloudiness that has existed over the last week or so (which is now like a fog).
3.) changed filter sock when I added the carbon.
4.) increased tank temp from 79.0 to 80.0 as I was preparing to add Algae Barn Coralline Algae in a Bottle later this week

Is the cloudiness part of the overall cycle?

Also...I am running the UV with low flow (2-3x turnover) over the last 12hrs.is that ok?

I believe those are the only things that changed.

Try some filter floss

 

[Gtinnel]

Often cloudy water is caused by a bacterial bloom and is very common in newer tanks. I've never used UV so I can't say how beneficial it is but I do know that the bacterial bloom will cause lower oxygen levels in your tank so make sure you have some way of keeping the oxygen levels up (usually the skimmer or good surface agitation is enough)