Cloudy tank

[Sandy76]

My tank is 5 months old . It was running great up until week and half. My tank got very cloudy and murky. I recently added live rock, new filter on top of my two other filters . All my peramiters read properly and still do . I’m ready to tear hair out of my head. How long do this last? I added prime seachum to it , microbe lift special blend and stability . I do not have a sump or protein skimmer. Last saltwater tank I had I never used one and it ran perfectly . My tank is 75 gallon. I am beyond words here.

 

[mann1139]

Please confirm which parameters you tested.

How long ago did you change filters?

How long ago did you add live rock?

Did it get his bad overnight, or was there a progression?

 

[KrisReef]

“Prime Sea Chum” seems to be working perfectly?

Sorry, spellcheck needs an axzwhoppin and I had to chuckle in the situation, inappropriate but Microsoft started it.

The tank looks like my new fish tank has been looking. In your case, imo guessing that the live rock is still getting comfortable in the new environment.
You need more export to improve water quality, and time for the microbes to settle in, ime.

I wipe my glass with magic erasers and as the pad gets loaded I remove it and wash it out in the sink to export the scum off the glass. After I have wiped it clean, I have a skimmer that polishes the water. You can do a water change and rinse/change the media in the filters. It’s a long, hair pulling process. It may end quickly but it can take many months until the tank gets “happy.”

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

added prime seachum to it , microbe lift special blend and stability .

This looks to be either a bacteria or algae bloom.

Be VERY CAREFUL adding Prime and bacteria at the same time!!!
There are documented interactions and I've also personally experienced a huge bacterial bloom when using Prime and Biospira together.

*Honestly, PRIME should really only be used to remove chlorine; its ability to do anything for ammonia is highly debatable and any possible affect on ammonia will only last 24-48 hours at best.

With no skimmer, I recommend adding some airstones to increase oxygenation -- bacterial blooms can suffocate your tank.

I also recommend doing as large a water change as you can, up to 50%.

Please list the type of filtration you're using, your actual test results and when you last tested ("parameters are fine" is way too vague), and explain a little more about the live rock you added (where did you get it, how much you added, etc).

Any additional info about your tank will help us help you

 

[Sandy76]

Please confirm which parameters you tested.

How long ago did you change filters?

How long ago did you add live rock?

Did it get his bad overnight, or was there a progression?

I checked all nitrates,nitrites,ammonia, ph, KH,calcium.
I added activated carbon to my filters today, and ceramic biomax .I left sponges in them for bacteria.
I added additional live rock about week ago . This got bad in week period .

 

[Miami Reef]

I would probably ride it out. Get good surface agitation and only dose to keep alkalinity; calcium; magnesium in range, and feed your fish.

The bloom will eventually dissipate IMO. Keep regular maintenance on it (weekly normal water changes). I wouldn’t do anything excessive.

 

[Sandy76]

This looks to be either a bacteria or algae bloom.

Be VERY CAREFUL adding Prime and bacteria at the same time!!!
There are documented interactions and I've also personally experienced a huge bacterial bloom when using Prime and Biospira together.

*Honestly, PRIME should really only be used to remove chlorine; its ability to do anything for ammonia is highly debatable and any possible affect on ammonia will only last 24-48 hours at best.

With no skimmer, I recommend adding some airstones to increase oxygenation -- bacterial blooms can suffocate your tank.

I also recommend doing as large a water change as you can, up to 50%.

Please list the type of filtration you're using, your actual test results and when you last tested ("parameters are fine" is way too vague), and explain a little more about the live rock you added (where did you get it, how much you added, etc).

Any additional info about your tank will help us help you

I did 50% water change two days still no change. Nitrates and ammonia is up little. The live rock I added was about 8 or 9 peace’s. Over all amount Rock I say about 15 pieces I say about 60 lbs live rock.

 

[Miami Reef]

I did 50% water change two days still no change.

That’s what I suspected. IME Water changes don’t help bacterial blooms, in fact, it can possibly make them worse because you are replenishing trace elements which can fuel them.

If you are getting an ammonia reading with the seachem hang-on badge, then I would do water changes and add bottled bacteria. If your ammonia is undetectable, then just ride it out.

 

[Sandy76]

“Prime Sea Chum” seems to be working perfectly?

Sorry, spellcheck needs an axzwhoppin and I had to chuckle in the situation, inappropriate but Microsoft started it.

The tank looks like my new fish tank has been looking. In your case, imo guessing that the live rock is still getting comfortable in the new environment.
You need more export to improve water quality, and time for the microbes to settle in, ime.

I wipe my glass with magic erasers and as the pad gets loaded I remove it and wash it out in the sink to export the scum off the glass. After I have wiped it clean, I have a skimmer that polishes the water. You can do a water change and rinse/change the media in the filters. It’s a long, hair pulling process. It may end quickly but it can take many months until the tank gets “happy.”

It’s about 5 months old so far. So it will take awhile . It’s like it kinda yellow color

 

[Sandy76]

That’s what I suspected. IME Water changes don’t help bacterial blooms, in fact, it can possibly make them worse because you are replenishing trace elements which can fuel them.

If you are getting an ammonia reading with the seachem hang-on badge, then I would do water changes and add bottled bacteria. If your ammonia is undetectable, then just ride it out.

I added microbe-lift speaicalist blend for bacteria I put 20 ml in today and yesterday and day before.

 

[biocubeboy]

My nano tank looked like this out of no where at the 6 or 7 month mark. I got a UV filter. It cleared it up in about 2 days. The one I got was around $40. I don’t know if you want to spend the money. If not it should clear up on it’s own. If your fish seem happy and levels are good. You should be able to wait it out.

 

[Sandy76]

My nano tank looked like this out of no where at the 6 or 7 month mark. I got a UV filter. It cleared it up in about 2 days. The one I got was around $40. I don’t know if you want to spend the money. If not it should clear up on it’s own. If your fish seem happy and levels are good. You should be able to wait it out.

Wait it out ! Worse thing is patients lol

 

[brandon429]

the first step is stick a well-rinsed, no soap clean white rag inside and wipe in the dead center of that front glass from the inside

we want to see if a viewing window can be carved out (indicates glass haze) or if it can't

dip a clean glass cup into the tank / fill with tank water

post a picture of that cup water against a white backround we're doing something called a secci analysis with that mcguyver way. we want to see if the dredge water is hazy or clear per suspension items

1st step in eutrophication control, determined where the clouding exists

it may not be in the water, that could be all glass growth.

next up: describe exactly where your topoff water comes from, plus the water you use to make tank change water

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I added microbe-lift speaicalist blend for bacteria I put 20 ml in today and yesterday and day before.

Nitrates and ammonia is up little. The live rock I added was about 8 or 9 peace’s. Over all amount Rock I say about 15 pieces I say about 60 lbs live rock.

You still haven't listed your actual parameters.

Continuing to add random things to your tank without understanding what effect they might have is a recipe for disaster.

You didn't provide any real information about the rock. Where did you get it? Another hobbyist? LFS? One of the companies that ship ocean live rock? The condition of the rock when you put it into your tank is extremely relevant. If there was die off because it was shipped or because it had been out of water for a period of time after someone's tank breakdown, this presents additional factors that need to be considered.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

...only dose to keep alkalinity; calcium; magnesium in range, and feed your fish.

We don't even know if they have coral, and they won't post actual parameters- why recommend dosing??

 

[Sandy76]

the first step is stick a well-rinsed, no soap clean white rag inside and wipe in the dead center of that front glass from the inside

we want to see if a viewing window can be carved out (indicates glass haze) or if it can't

dip a clean glass cup into the tank / fill with tank water

post a picture of that cup water against a white backround we're doing something called a secci analysis with that mcguyver way. we want to see if the dredge water is hazy or clear per suspension items

1st step in eutrophication control, determined where the clouding exists

it may not be in the water, that could be all glass growth.

next up: describe exactly where your topoff water comes from, plus the water you use to make tank change water

 

[Sandy76]

I don’t know if that helps

 

[brandon429]

hey very neat thank you

it shows a fair portion is glass growth. inching towards the fix now

some is indeed in the water

*where does your topoff water and make water come from

for example my topoff water is distilled water from target, wal mart, wherever

my make water is LFS premade water they use ro/di and sell it to me in five gallon containers I bring in to fill.

what's your source

 

[Sandy76]

hey very neat thank you

it shows a fair portion is glass growth. inching towards the fix now

some is indeed in the water

*where does your topoff water and make water come from

for example my topoff water is distilled water from target, wal mart, wherever

my make water is LFS premade water they use ro/di and sell it to me in five gallon containers I bring in to fill.

what's your source

I use tap water and uses prime seachum for conditioning the water

 

[brandon429]

tap water is expected in 99% of cases to cause uncontrollable algae growth

that's the #1 thing to fix so far

can you get the change water I use/premade from a pet store in five gallon buckets, you'll need a lot

if not, you must rip clean that tank/search out any rip clean thread there are 300+ on the site and do what they did in it

when your tank is 100% clean and new-looking, all post rip cleaned tanks are, then you install the largest most expensive UV sterilizer you can agree to buy for a reef tank on that tank and continue on. I give you a 50% chance it'll work, even with tap water as the reef water base. 50% might be overly confident, more like 40%. you're reefing in a way nearly certain to cause algae with tap water use.

if you must continue with that water you have to clean the tank, can't fix the tank using the same water that invaded it. how to clean a tank like that is found in rip clean threads, it requires total takedown cleaning to be done correctly.

you can only manually clean it and set up a burning UV filter to burn algae guaranteed to grow on well-lit reef tap water, start it from the fixed condition, not the invaded condition.