Cloudy/green water during cycle

[toddb93]

Hi, I have started my reef tank just about 2 and a half weeks ago. I’ve had 2 diatoms blooms so far which seem to cure themselves, but noticing the water now has a cloudy ness with a slight green tint. Any advice of whether I should wait this out or not. Nitrites and ammonias are at 0 and salinity around 1.026. I used Fritz turbo start to get the cycle sped up. No water changes to date as I wanted to give the tank about a month to really settle. Please send some advice on if this water color is normal during the cycle.
Thank you!

 

[ReefEco]

Hey there - what else did you start the tank with - dry or live rock, sand, etc? I would say that some cloudiness can be normal with bacteria products, though the green tint is a little odd - but less so if you have live rock in there. Running some carbon might help with the color, without effecting your cycle trajectory. What are your nitrates running? Are you feeding the tank anything right now? Since your cycle seems to be complete (no ammonia/nitrite - as long as you have some nitrate) the bacteria will need some nutrient input to keep the population going...

 

[toddb93]

Thanks for the reply, yes both live rock and sand. Nitrates as of yesterday were around 20ppm according to the API test kit. At the moment a pair of small clowns are in the tank getting fed once daily. Since the cycle seems to be complete, so you recommend a water change or should I wait a little longer? Thanks again?

Hey there - what else did you start the tank with - dry or live rock, sand, etc? I would say that some cloudiness can be normal with bacteria products, though the green tint is a little odd - but less so if you have live rock in there. Running some carbon might help with the color, without effecting your cycle trajectory. What are your nitrates running? Are you feeding the tank anything right now? Since your cycle seems to be complete (no ammonia/nitrite - as long as you have some nitrate) the bacteria will need some nutrient input to keep the population going...

 

[ReefEco]

20ppm nitrate, yes you could do a 50% water change if you wanted. Filter socks, skimmer, or carbon - as well as time - might help with the cloudy water. UV too if you are impatient. I would honestly just wait and let things stabilize without any drastic changes other than a water change, and see how things go. If your critters aren't being effected, just give it some time. Small moves.

 

[toddb93]

Awesome thank you so much for the reply, the nitrates have been coming down, this is why I love held off on the water change and wanted to give the beneficial bacteria a chance to grow. Do you think it’s a bad idea to wait a little longer on the water change?

 

[ReefEco]

20ppm is not THAT high, but it could be lower - I usually shoot for 5-10ppm, especially in the early stages of a tank when algae is likely going to be the first thing to take advantage of that nutrient level.