Cloudy tank, can't figure out the cause

[jrawk1120]

So I have my Red Sea 750.

Last couple weeks, my water has been cloudy.

Water tested yesterday
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate .2
Calcium low at 380 (upped my dosage)
Ultra low to no phosphate
Alk mag in mid range

I thought maybe the eel kicking up sand, so I removed 2 of the media baskets and replaced with 100 micron socks.

Cleaned glass

Still cloudy.

Everything is open and looking happy so I'm lost as to what the issue might be.

Bacterial bloom possibly?

What should I check next?

 

[arking_mark]

Weeks of cloudiness would not indicate bacterial bloom. I'm not an expert, but my bacterial blooms have only lasted a couple hours before starting to clear up.

 

[jrawk1120]

Weeks of cloudiness would not indicate bacterial bloom. I'm not an expert, but my bacterial blooms have only lasted a couple hours before starting to clear up.

I'm pretty lost as to the cause. I haven't ruled out the eel.

I should add it gets clearer overnight

 

[iamacat]

Is your skimmer going nuts? Any changes to feeding?
Running carbon wouldn’t hurt to clear it up but there is a cause

 

[jrawk1120]

Is your skimmer going nuts? Any changes to feeding?
Running carbon wouldn’t hurt to clear it up but there is a cause

Skimmer seems to run as normal. I have to empty it once a week

 

[LetUsSeeYourLettuceSea]

Hey make sure your pumps and overflow are running well. I recently relocated and set up a used biocube (still with live rock and fish) and I ended up filling the tank up all the way, which also filled the back filter area up too high, and the filtration was not effective. The water was very cloudy for days until I lowered the level of the water, allowing water to drip through the filter media. This is just a personal thing that happened but hope it might help out!

 

[iamacat]

You said your calcium was low and you dosed. Did you do this balances with alk? Looks like precipitation

 

[gaki]

What do you have in your tank? any snails? if so, it could be them spawning. All your parameters look pretty good (to me), so maybe something spawned.

 

[jrawk1120]

Hey make sure your pumps and overflow are running well. I recently relocated and set up a used biocube (still with live rock and fish) and I ended up filling the tank up all the way, which also filled the back filter area up too high, and the filtration was not effective. The water was very cloudy for days until I lowered the level of the water, allowing water to drip through the filter media. This is just a personal thing that happened but hope it might help out!

Nothing looks out of whack. Everything runs into the chamber, socks, half fuge, half into skimmer chamber, through sponge, into return chamber

 

[jrawk1120]

I have a few snails. Maybe 10. I replace them regularly because the eel likes them

 

[Garf]

I'm pretty lost as to the cause. I haven't ruled out the eel.

I should add it gets clearer overnight

I’ve had this also. Mines a newish bare bottom tank but same symptoms as yours. I spent weeks messing with stuff. UV stopped it within 12 hrs.

 

[jrawk1120]

You said your calcium was low and you dosed. Did you do this balances with alk? Looks like precipitation

I've been taking water to get tested every few days. Alk and mag aren't being dosed

 

[jrawk1120]

I’ve had this also. Mines a newish bare bottom tank but same symptoms as yours. I spent weeks messing with stuff. UV stopped it within 12 hrs.

I could put the uv on. I've never used in one before thigh. Any advice?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Cloudiness generally a bacteria bloom or algae bloom
Check or change filters and use carbon. I like chemipure
If water greenish, reduce white light intensity a little

 

[Garf]

I could put the uv on. I've never used in one before thigh. Any advice?

Mine is rated for double the system volume.

 

[User1]

What do you have in your tank? any snails? if so, it could be them spawning. All your parameters look pretty good (to me), so maybe something spawned.

was also going to suggest snail or bubble tip anemones spawning. Mine almost nuked my tank it was so bad as one time they did this at the same time. Carbon cleared it up has did a 20% water change.

Some reasonable info here:
Bacteria bloom
Snails or other creatures spawning - usually a milky white look
Change of salt mix(?) - I saw this when I switch to Tropic Marin Bio Actif but it cleared up in a few hours and supposed to do this

 

[iamacat]

I've been taking water to get tested every few days. Alk and mag aren't being dosed

You can’t add calcium without alk and mag. Do some research on this and dosing in general. You will find your mistakes and fix the issue. Just go slow and follow proven paths to resolve the issue. Don’t try to fix it over night because that will stun everything

 

[Crashnt24]

Well that creepy face in the rocks is obviously the cause lol.

I would run carbon to clear it up. Whatever it is, it's affecting your par. Also, could be precipitate like the poster above said. What did you use to up your calcium?

 

[iamacat]

If you have been dosing calcium over the past few weeks without dosing alk you will have precipitate and it looks just like you have. Basically what you are dosing isn’t being used because it isn’t being balanced.

 

[LegendaryCG]

Yeah put a UV light on in the tank. I keep a small in tank for emergencies but otherwise don’t use it.