Cloudy Tanks this morning!

[weaglereefer]

Woke up this morning to find both tanks, 75 and 10, cloudy with a few inches of visibility.

Test results from the 75:
pH - 7.7 (Reefkeeper Lite, calibrated 6-8-09)
ALK - 9.0 (Elos from group buy)
CA - 400 (Elos from group buy)
MG - 1300 (Elos from group buy)
S.G. - 1.025 (eBay refractometer)
phos - undetectable (Elos)

Test results from 10:
pH - 7.6 (API)
ALK - 10 (Elos)
CA - 400 (Elos)
MG - 1250 (Elos)
S.G. - 1.025 (eBay refractometer)
phos - undetectable (Elos)

I run a kalk reactor via the RKL and going by the pH, I'm guessing no kalk overdose here. I started running BioDigest on 6-1-09. Mixed with 1 liter of tank water, put 100ml in the 10g tank and the rest in the 75. I repeated this procedure on 6-16-09. All livestock appears normal except for one SPS frag that appeared to have RTN, removed, smelled dead, so I chucked it. LPS corals are open, SPS corals show good extension, zoas are open, mushrooms are open, clam is open. No livestock appears to have any trouble breathing, and there is no noticeable loss of invert life, cleaner shrimp is fine, I can hear my pistol firing away, and crabs and snails look fine. There was no film on the surface of the water but I pointed a powerhead more upwards just to make sure there is good oxygen exchange. I also added a pump and airstone to the sump of the 75 and cleaned the skimmer. Skimmate looked a shade lighter than usual, but smelled just as nasty as always. There have been no recent casualties in either tank and the only thing they have in common is the Prodibio Biodigest dosings. Is it possible this is just a bacterial bloom? I was thinking that the low pH could be a result of excess CO2 in the tank if it is a bloom. Anything I can do to help ensure livestock survives? I changed 20gallons this morning in the 75 and changed 3 in the 10. I set up more water to mix but got called into work and won't be home for another 3 hours, just want to have a game plan when I arrive.

 

[dannybradley]

It sounds like an ammonia spike. Check all your nitrogen levels just to be safe. NH3, NO2, and NO3.

 

[weaglereefer]

Oh yes, forgot to list those. Couldn't find my ammonia and nitrite kits, was cleaning the house yesterday and moved them somewhere (no chemicals in use, just water and elbow grease), nitrate was <5 with the Elos kit.

 

[ralph atl]

or bacteria bloom or both. water change in order, like major!

 

[ralph atl]

stop biogest now! until u get this figured. I'd act quick, like yesterday, quick.

 

[weaglereefer]

Yeah, hope to get another WC when I get home. The thing that gets me is that both tanks did it at the same time. They don't share water or a sump, and are totally separate, which is what makes me think it's the Prodibio, as it's the only thing they have in common.

 

[weaglereefer]

Well it's done every 15 days. I did it per the directions, I'm not using it again on the 1st if this isn't figured out.

 

[tgray3]

Sorry to hear this. We both started the Prodibio around the same time. I haven't experienced anything like this though. I dosed once a week for 3 weeks with the biodigest and the bioptim together and am now dosing every 2 weeks. I haven't noticed anything abnormal since i started dosing it.

Do you have any macro in the 'fuge that may have gone sexual on you? If not i would look for an ammo spike as stated above and do multiple water changes. Hope you find out the cause, Good luck.

 

[weaglereefer]

No fuge on the tank currently, so no macro. I'll check the ammonia when I get home, went and bought a Salifert test kit when I was on lunch earlier. My girlfriend said she could still count all the fish and they all looked fine.

Seems like this is exactly the situation in which one would use the Biodigest, to control a spike. If it turns out to be a spike, are there any additives that I can use to keep the ammonia from being toxic? Prime?

 

[weaglereefer]

Seachem Reef Crystals. I had water on hand (keep about 30 gallons on standby in a spare room with a powerhead and an air pump, S.G. at 1.025, temp matched for changes.

 

[dannybradley]

Prime will work well for that. Be sure to redose every 48 hours.

Bacterial blooms only occur in the water when the food source is present in the water column i.e. NH3 or NO2.

Products like biodigest target particulate matter for the most part, not dissolved organics. I don't think that those strains actually reproduce in the aquarium, because if they did, dosing them more than once would be unnecessary. Because of this, I wouldn't think that product would directly cause a bacterial bloom.

If the strains can reproduce and you introduced one that does reproduce rapidly while feeding on NO3 and you're coming down off of high NO3, I suppose that's a possible scenario.

If a byproduct of the increased bacterial activity in you tank caused an increase in a food source for a bacteria that does, I suppose it can happen, but that's me grabbing at straws.

 

[tgray3]

There are a bunch of additives out there that say they are for emergency ammo spikes. I've never used any so can't comment on them. I would use the Prime and change out a bunch of water. If it is an ammo spike the prime will help with the nitrite spike that will hit you shortly.

 

[weaglereefer]

Yeah, I really don't know what caused it at this point, but the only thing the two tanks have in common is the Biodigest. The 10 is 3 months old, and the 75 is coming up on a year, so what are the odds that both of them turned cloudy the same night?

 

[ralph atl]

I'm not doubting Danny's comments, however, anytime you dose a potential carbon source, i.e., vodka, vinegar, etc, you can easily have a bacterial bloom. I am, not familar with all the additives that u are adding, so it is pure speculation on my part. Either way, it's a spike of something bad, so waterchanges and testing are in order. I am guessing that in that biogest, there includes a food source. No clue, though.

 

[weaglereefer]

No ammonia as tested via Salifert and API kits. No Nitrite tested via Salifert, and low, <5ppm Nitrate tested via Elos and API.

All corals still showing good polyp extension, rics look big as ever, all fish breathing normally.

 

[tgray3]

Glad to hear you had no losses!!

The only thing i can think of is a bacteria bloom. I'd crank up the skimmer and hopefully after some more water changes it will clear up. I would still use the prime with the WC just to be safe.

 

[dannybradley]

mysterybox;360594 wrote: I am guessing that in that biogest, there includes a food source.

That's a great point I did not consider. With no NH3 and no NO2 you're probably more on track than me.

 

[weaglereefer]

Well, tanks are more clear this morning. Probability 95% clear, everything is still open, and no ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate spikes. It's possible the RTN on the SPS frag was the frag getting stung by the chalice, also on the frag rack. Oh well, whatever it was, it looks to be over now.

 

[dannybradley]

Good to hear.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

I think its milk.