BioCube 32 Help! Cloudy Water and Water Parameters

[Maverick2004054]

Ladies and Gents,
I am new here and just recently getting back into fish keeping, used to have FW tanks years ago and after long research and contemplating, I decided to get my first SW tank a little over a month ago.

Current Setup:
BioCube 32 LED
Coralife Protein Skimmer
Running FilterMaxx Bonded filter over stock filter cartridge with purigen and Chemi-Blue in the second stage
18 Pounds of Live Rock
40 pounds arogonite live reef sand
All water changes done with Nutri Seawater

Current Parameters: API Test Kits
pH: 7.8
Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrite: 0.50
Nitrate: 5.0 ppm
Calcium: 380
dKH: 11
Phosphate: 0.25

Now here’s the problem; I know the tank cycled. I had normal parameters prior to adding my CUC waited 4-5 Days and added a Yellow watchman Goby. That is my only Livestock. CUC consists of 4 Peppermint Shrimp, 3 Emerald Crabs, and various Snails about 5-10 each. After adding the goby everything was good for a couple of days, then finally I am now seeing consistent readings above, Ammonia and Nitrites don’t drop. In addition, I also seem to have cloudy water with a white slime that has started building up on powerhead. Any idea if I am running another mini cycle? Also the white slime buildup indicative of bacterial bloom? Thoughts on what to do at this point? I’m scared to make any changes as I don’t want to screw up the tank, also dropped my feedings to once every other day.

 

[Mikey Mane The Flare]

Ladies and Gents,
I am new here and just recently getting back into fish keeping, used to have FW tanks years ago and after long research and contemplating, I decided to get my first SW tank a little over a month ago.

Current Setup:
BioCube 32 LED
Coralife Protein Skimmer
Running FilterMaxx Bonded filter over stock filter cartridge with purigen and Chemi-Blue in the second stage
18 Pounds of Live Rock
40 pounds arogonite live reef sand
All water changes done with Nutri Seawater

Current Parameters: API Test Kits
pH: 7.8
Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrite: 0.50
Nitrate: 5.0 ppm
Calcium: 380
dKH: 11
Phosphate: 0.25

Now here’s the problem; I know the tank cycled. I had normal parameters prior to adding my CUC waited 4-5 Days and added a Yellow watchman Goby. That is my only Livestock. CUC consists of 4 Peppermint Shrimp, 3 Emerald Crabs, and various Snails about 5-10 each. After adding the goby everything was good for a couple of days, then finally I am now seeing consistent readings above, Ammonia and Nitrites don’t drop. In addition, I also seem to have cloudy water with a white slime that has started building up on powerhead. Any idea if I am running another mini cycle? Also the white slime buildup indicative of bacterial bloom? Thoughts on what to do at this point? I’m scared to make any changes as I don’t want to screw up the tank, also dropped my feedings to once every other day.

A cycle can run 3 or 4 or 5 months even more all tanks are different I don’t pay a cycle any attention cheap fish and no coral until water gets right. Suck out anything unsightly when doing water changes do you dose CAL? I’d buy so A and B and get that up too. Maybe run some Phosban since your inpatient like me lol

 

[Mikey Mane The Flare]

Also how long are you running lights?

 

[Rakie]

Your tank may have cycled technically, but it's a combination of not properly cycling and not an established biofilter. Proper cycling includes dosing ammonia (or ghost feeding) to ensure there's enough biological establishment for the tank to handle livestock. It wasn't established nearly enough for the amount of livestock you put into it. You put in WAY too many things WAY too fast. Your whole tank only needed 5-6 snails total for a few weeks after the cycle.

The peppermint shrimp and crabs were completely unnecessary -- If you wanted them because you liked them, that's cool, but you want 1 of each max for now.

Lastly, that's probably way too much sand. That looks like at least 2" of sand, that's borderline DSB territory, which is something you definitely don't want.

 

[Maverick2004054]

Also how long are you running lights?

Morning starts at 0700
Full Bright at 0900
Full Bright off at 1900
Moon Start 1900
Sunset Off 1930
Moon Off at 0030

 

[Maverick2004054]

Your tank may have cycled technically, but it's a combination of not properly cycling and not an established biofilter. Proper cycling includes dosing ammonia (or ghost feeding) to ensure there's enough biological establishment for the tank to handle livestock. It wasn't established nearly enough for the amount of livestock you put into it. You put in WAY too many things WAY too fast. Your whole tank only needed 5-6 snails total for a few weeks after the cycle.

The peppermint shrimp and crabs were completely unnecessary -- If you wanted them because you liked them, that's cool, but you want 1 of each max for now.

Lastly, that's probably way too much sand. That looks like at least 2" of sand, that's borderline DSB territory, which is something you definitely don't want.

When I got the CUC, I wanted the Emeralds as they had a nice contrast to the rock, the wife liked the shrimp, snails were mixed and purely for cleanup, I can reduce snails down if needed by bringing them to LFS
Just measured sand bed around perimeter of tank, roughly 1.25-1.5” all the way around, the rock does not take up much space thus giving it a more surface area to take up.

 

[Rakie]

That's good, that sandbed looked thicker in the picture. The crab and shrimp are fine, it's the number of them that's the issue. That's too many for small and young tank. If it eats, its poops, and makes ammonia.

Honestly, 1 Emerald and 2 Peppermint is more than you need. 4 Emerald crab will not only start to starve in a tank without anything for them to eat, but they will dramatically overgrow a tank your size. 4 Emeralds is more than I'd put in a 120 gallon.

In this hobby, the only proper way to do things is extremely slowly. You should get rid of at least 3 emeralds, 2 peppermint, and some of the snails. No idea how many snails you have or what species -- that matters a LOT, there may be some we'd say to get rid of entirely, and there may be some we suggest you get more of.

 

[Maverick2004054]

Ok, so I was going to build up to the equivalent of the LiveAquaria Reef CUC here: https://m.liveaquaria.com/product/1...ean-reef-packages?pcatid=1766&c=420+2791+1766

Note: I do NOT have those quantities at this time.

And a correction to make: it was 3 peppermint shrimp (gotta love fat fingers), 3 emerald crabs and as far as snails it is 5 small astrea turbo, 5 cerith, and 10 Naasirus snails.

Tank Condition Update:
Before going to bed last night I cranked up the skimmer to “wet skim overnight” tank is clearing up some; 20-25% better than last night, about to test all parameters now.

 

[Maverick2004054]

Parameters 4/9 @ 0730
pH: 7.8-8.0 depends on lighting
Ammonia: o.25
Nitrite: 0.5
Nitrate: between 5-10 darker than 5 but lighter than 10
Calcium: 400
dKH: 9
Phosphate: 0.25

I turned the skimmer up last night about 8-9 hours ago, for two reasons,1) to help oxygenate the water for livestock, 2) to determine if cloudiness was bacterial bloom, the cup was halfway full this morning. If I’m right then that should rule out any calcium precipitation along with my current readings for Calcium... so unless I am way off base, I plan on doing a PWC today and see where I stand tonight.

Also quick question about the inverts, so everything that the LFS told me was that inverts are such a small bioload that a new tank could handle the amount. During the 4-5 days prior to getting the watchman, I didn’t see any abnormal readings on my tests. I’m on leave now so I have been testing 2-3 times daily since it’s a new tank and all. Once I put the goby in everything was still good for another 2-3 days, woke up on the 3rd or 4th day to cloudy water. I have done 2 PWC so far 5 gallons each every other day. PWC seemed to help in short term as it cleared tank somewhat initially but would then turn cloudy again. That is why I am leaning towards a bacterial bloom, any suggestions as to keep doing PWC vs. let bloom die off on its own? I’m thinking if it’s bloom when I changed the water I just gave the bacteria more room to reproduce instead of die off, thus giving me the consistent Amonia and Nitrite reading that doesn’t increase or decrease.

Also, in less than a day I have already learned a lot from you guys responding, I really appreciate the assistance as this would be a huge guessing game chasing my tail at this point! So thanks!!

 

[Mikey Mane The Flare]

I wouldn’t run light full strength for 12 hours. This can be a problem also. My lights only fun 50% for 7 hours a day with white at 25%.

 

[Maverick2004054]

Ok thanks, I’ll cut the timer back and try that for a week or so

 

[Mikey Mane The Flare]

Lighting is tough to much you’ll grow bad algee not enough you won’t grow anything lol. Takes some fine tuning

 

[Jesterrace]

Morning starts at 0700
Full Bright at 0900
Full Bright off at 1900
Moon Start 1900
Sunset Off 1930
Moon Off at 0030

WAY TOO LONG. You should have a total of about 6-8 hours of running time on your lights unless you want a massive algae bloom. Also, I agree that you probably shocked your system by adding too much at once and it is possible that you don't have enough rock in there (18lbs is pretty light for a 32 gallon tank).

 

[Maverick2004054]

Ok, so here’s an update since my last post, I cut back the timer significantly only running lights running full lights from 12pm to 7pm. The BioCube doesn’t have adjustments for power range so I start the “sunrise” at 10 am, this incrementally bring up the lighting in stages over a half hour but does not reach 100%, I am not sure what the actual percentage it brings it up to but it is still pretty dim. Lastly I have the “moonlight” turn on at 7 pm and off at 10pm. Please let me know if this sounds like too much still.

In addition I have changed my filter setup some and it seems to have started working, 2 days ago, I started using 100 micron filter, swapping it daily, today I plan on incorporating a 50 micron filter as well. The 100 has done a pretty good job but there are still tiny particles floating in water column.

 

[Maverick2004054]

So, since I thought I was getting trace ammonia readings I decided to test all water sources in the picture from left to right are as follows 1) Tank Water 2) Normal Tap Water 3) RO Buddie RO/DI 4) Natures Ocean Nutri-Seawater (sealed). Looks as if my water quality issues are coming from the Nutri Seawater as they have the same reading as tank, and no amount of water changes were lowering ammonia. I’m wondering if I should mix my own water with RO/DI and if it will help clarity.

 

[NewGoby]

The cloudiness can come from lots of things, such as bacteria bloom, bad water quality, microalgae

But the ammonia is a different issue, I'd start mixing RO water with higher quality reef salt & start doing water changes over multiple days, roughly 20% a day.

Mix the water in a different container, pop a pump in there with a heater for 24hours before you do your water change

I hope that somewhat helps, good luck!