Cloudy water-help please, confused

[jdavenp3]

So my tank has had cloudy water for the past week. I haven't really paid super attention to it because I am going through a cycle and thought it may be a bacterial bloom.

It is just a whitish murky look, not green water, no particulates that I can see.

Currently I am running purigen, dosing microbacter7 per instructions, red sea Nopox per instructions. Also running Brightwell clarifi-sw per instructions

My params are ammonia-0, nitrite-0, nitrate-0, calcium-500, carbonate hardness---through the roof but I am not sure I am following the instructions correctly.

Did a 8g water change (rodi) two days ago and no change in clarity. Hasnt gotten worse, hasnt gotten better.

I am kind of thinking I am going to stop dosing the Microbacter7 since my tank is has cycled through to see if that helps.

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone.

 

[jbadd99]

Likely something to do with calcium precipitation and your pH dosing.

 

[mvm]

I think you're on the right track with a bacterial bloom. Stop the bacter and let nature takes its course. It should clear as things stabilize.

 

[jennm]

How long has the tank been up and running?

Sounds to me like you need to stop tinkering/dosing and let it find its equilibrium on its own.

Jenn

 

[kilralpine]

If i were cycling I wouldn't waste my money on purigen ect.; your throwing money at water that is not ready to be filtered yet, save it for after cycling is complete when you have water you actually need to be polishing.

Edit:

JennM;865821 wrote: How long has the tank been up and running?

Sounds to me like you need to stop tinkering/dosing and let it find its equilibrium on its own.

Jenn

+1

 

[picoreefguy]

+2 just leave it alone and let it do its thing. but if the water stays cloudy for a long time even after you have left it alone for a few weeks or so try doing several 20% water changes over the course of a couple weeks and if that dosent work than most likely there is dust that is getting stirred up from the sand or rock somehow. and you'll need to rectify that first (its a good idea to rinse sand before you even put it in the tank)

 

[sea atlanta]

Adding a carbon source such as the microbacter and red sea Nopox WILL cause a bacteria bloom of some sort. Whether it be good, or unsightly bacteria.

 

[kilralpine]

jdavenp3;865800 wrote: So my tank has had cloudy water for the past week. I haven't really paid super attention to it because I am going through a cycle and thought it may be a bacterial bloom.

It is just a whitish murky look, not green water, no particulates that I can see.

Currently I am running purigen, dosing microbacter7 per instructions, red sea Nopox per instructions. Also running Brightwell clarifi-sw per instructions

My params are ammonia-0, nitrite-0, nitrate-0, calcium-500, carbonate hardness---through the roof but I am not sure I am following the instructions correctly.

<span style="color: Red">Did a 8g water change (rodi) two days ago and no change in clarity. Hasnt gotten worse, hasnt gotten better.</span>

I am kind of thinking I am going to stop dosing the Microbacter7 since my tank is has cycled through to see if that helps.

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone.

Keep in mind if your doing a water change on a saltwater tank; if you replace with only RoDI water and not premix salt you just sank your salinity like no ones business. RODI is fine for topping off - to keep your salinity at the same level after some evaporation has occured. If you water change with freshwater, it drops your salinity extremely fast; something that in the future can kill livestock. Be careful and ALWAYS match your replacement water with what is coming out of the tank, unless you need to raise or lower it; even still you would only lower or raise the salinity in your make-up water slightly to prevent drastic salinity swings.

Edit: How big and how much flow does this tank have? The only things you should need during cycling:

Tank
1.025 saltwater
some sand
some rock
flow
heat
something dead or ammonia to fuel bacterial growth

thats all you should need; no additives (bact is ok)

The more you are cleaning your water during your cycle; the further you set back your bacteria growth and cycle time.

 

[jdavenp3]

Let me clarify a little further about the tank:

-The tank is a 30g JBJ all in one. Rock was live rock bought, but since it was shipped I wanted to go through a proper cycle anyways. Sand was rinsed thoroughly so no cloudiness would occur
- The tank has been running over a month
-The water change was just basic husbandry with Instant ocean included, sorry I wasn't clear; just wanted to let it be known rodi was used


Total tank parameters as of today are (same last week as well)
Salinity 1.026
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0- on my api kit. I know some nitrates are normally always present
Nitrite 0
78 degrees

 

[jennm]

Yep, quit tinkering, let it settle. Adding all that bacteria in a bottle likely caused a bloom.

 

[jdavenp3]

Gotcha. That is what I was leaning towards but my thought were to try and get beneficial bacteria back in the tank in case the bacteria died off in transport and when I scrubbed the rock before.

I am still not going to add fish for at least two weeks. Maybe a month. So I am letting it run its course. However, going ahead and starting my routine of weekly water changes shouldn't have any ill affects, correct?

 

[kilralpine]

If ur params stay constant for a few weeks id say sure why not? slowly?

 

[picoreefguy]

just make sure there is a source of ammonia to keep the bacteria alive. the cycle is a continuous process and if you dont add a food source (ammonia) for the bacteria they will starve and die and the cycle will start over when you add fish. also it dosent need to be much you could throw half a cube of brine shrimp in there and that should hold every thing over till you get a fish in there