My sump is cloudy and a protein skimmer is skimming something white

[BMDinh]

I was doing water changes and turn off the flow from the sump to the DT and 30 mins later, when I’m about to put the water back in. I noticed that the sump was super cloudy and my protein skimmer is skimming something white. I don’t know what’s going on.

 

[Saltyreef]

When I do water changes the skimmer gets turned off due to the sump water level messing with tuning

 

[vetteguy53081]

I was doing water changes and turn off the flow from the sump to the DT and 30 mins later, when I’m about to put the water back in. I noticed that the sump was super cloudy and my protein skimmer is skimming something white. I don’t know what’s going on.

View attachment 3099313 View attachment 3099314 View attachment 3099316

The film appears as mud which suggests detritus. You can sucks it up with a wet/dry vac and clean both skimmer and skimmer pump and add carbon for water clarification

 

[BMDinh]

The film appears as mud which suggests detritus. You can sucks it up with a wet/dry vac and clean both skimmer and skimmer pump and add carbon for water clarification

Thanks for replying. I already have added carbon into my tank, but I don’t know why my whole sump could get super white less than 30 minutes. I don’t think it’s mud because I don’t see any mud in my sump.

 

[BMDinh]

When I do water changes the skimmer gets turned off due to the sump water level messing with tuning

Thank you for replying, could that cause my whole tank to be super cloudy?

 

[MischiefReef]

Do you dose anything in ATO?
What type of tank maintenance?
Have you already put in new water or is that from your old water only?
What type of salt?

 

[Tamberav]

I was doing water changes and turn off the flow from the sump to the DT and 30 mins later, when I’m about to put the water back in. I noticed that the sump was super cloudy and my protein skimmer is skimming something white. I don’t know what’s going on.

View attachment 3099313 View attachment 3099314 View attachment 3099316

Do you dose anything? Like 2 part or all for reef, etc?

Maybe something back siphoned when the water rose in the sump from the pump and skimmer being off?

 

[BMDinh]

Do you dose anything in ATO?
What type of tank maintenance?
Have you already put in new water or is that from your old water only?
What type of salt?

I didn’t dose anything and I don’t think it’s the auto top off. The maintenance that I did was a water change, and it is new water. The salt is reef pro mix. I shut off the valve from the display to the sump, so that no water could of went through when I added water into the display tank.

 

[BMDinh]

Do you dose anything? Like 2 part or all for reef, etc?

Maybe something back siphoned when the water rose in the sump from the pump and skimmer being off?

I didn’t dose anything at that moment and I had a valve that shut off water from the display to the sump so it couldn’t have back siphoned.

 

[MischiefReef]

Could it be calcium precipitation?
Did you mix the salt according to rpm’s instructions?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks for replying. I already have added carbon into my tank, but I don’t know why my whole sump could get super white less than 30 minutes. I don’t think it’s mud because I don’t see any mud in my sump.

Not mud- has a mud effect telling me the detritus got disturbed

 

[BMDinh]

Could it be calcium precipitation?
Did you mix the salt according to rpm’s instructions?

Yes, I did not put the saltwater into the sump, I put it in to the DT

 

[Saltyreef]

Could it be calcium precipitation?
Did you mix the salt according to rpm’s instructions

Yes, I did not put the saltwater into the sump, I put it in to the DT

Agreed, could be precipitate. I used to get it frequently when overmixing red sea coral pro salt