Tank water is milky looking

[reeferboy83]

Well I am sure there are alot of threads on here about cloudy water but i've not really seen a thread on one like mine! I have recently started a tank back up a few months ago. I do have rock in there but I have a bare bottom. After a month or so I did one wc and the water was crystal clear for a few weeks after that. Within the last week or so my water has started looking very milky cloudy. I did a wc last night on it and chaned out my carbon but it still looks cloudy today. I do not have any livestock or corals in the tank. Just rock and water! Any ideas on what may be causing this? All my parameters seem to be in good shape.

 

[1mbrews8]

Do you have a calcium reactor or kaulk?

 

[myvwrock]

Maybe a bacterial bloom. Water change, Water test, protein skimmer, and more water changes. do not go putting more chemicals into the tank , as that could make the problem worse, as chemical normally do.
Chris c

 

[dakota9]

Lighting Change facilitating a bacterial bloom?

Give it a few days , since loss of life isn't at stake. A great floculent is Seachem's Clarity, that needs to be run with a fine mesh media cloth, (or sock, depending on your set up)

My first freshwater tank (30 years ago) developed such high ammonia that it took on a milky appearance.

 

[reeferboy83]

1mbrews8;693376 wrote: Do you have a calcium reactor or kaulk?

no calc reactor and I am not dosing kalk

 

[dawgface]

Are you dosing anything?

Have you used any artificial agent to clear the water, start the denitrification process et cetera....

Post all parameters tested and test kits used.

Is the tank near direct sunlight?

Does the water smell like anything other than the "ocean"?

 

[myvwrock]

also what kind of water movement do you have, surface? maybe a lack of oxygen?
Chris

 

[mojo]

If you have only rock and saltwater, it's very possible that it's your pH, causing the calcium to precipitate out somewhat - I've had it happen to me a couple times.

The easiest way to check this is to drop the pH- use standard vinegar to do so, slowly - try 1/2 cup per 100 gallons of tank water every 30 mins. If you have a pH probe, try not to let the pH get less than 7.8. If it's not the pH, the vinegar (acetic acid) won't hurt the tank or the inhabitants in the long term. If the cause is the pH, then the water will magically clear up within one of those 30 min periods.

 

[ralph atl]

typically, it calcium precip....

however, it could be a bacterial or algae bloom in which case all your inhabitants will die as there will be no O2 left...

 

[jennm]

My money says bacterial bloom. Check your parameters, that will be telling. If parameters are fine, let it be and it will subside on its own.

Jenn

 

[mr difficult]

mojo;693403 wrote: If you have only rock and saltwater, it's very possible that it's your pH, causing the calcium to precipitate out somewhat - I've had it happen to me a couple times.

The easiest way to check this is to drop the pH- use standard vinegar to do so, slowly - try 1/2 cup per 100 gallons of tank water every 30 mins. If you have a pH probe, try not to let the pH get less than 7.8. If it's not the pH, the vinegar (acetic acid) won't hurt the tank or the inhabitants in the long term. If the cause is the pH, then the water will magically clear up within one of those 30 min periods.

Very good info posted here now if I can store that in my mind if I ever run into this problem.