Cloudy tank, can't figure out the cause

[jrawk1120]

No.

That's what I figured, which is why I have only been dosing calc. Maybe I'll cut it off for a few days and see if it helps

 

[Garf]

That's what I figured, which is why I have only been dosing calc. Maybe I'll cut it off for a few days and see if it helps

Dig your UV out boss.

 

[iamacat]

Not bad.

To hopefully help your cloudiness and resolve the issue I would recommend this:
- stop dosing for now
- water change 25% now and 10% daily
- new salt mix try going to 35ppt instead of 34
- keep monitoring your alk daily if not twice. Ca can be a couple times a week if that even.

I think you will see the cloudiness decrease in a couple days or sooner. Your salt should be good enough parameters to suffice the alk and ca needed in the system. Let the numbers naturally level off.

 

[jrawk1120]

Dig your UV out boss.

On it

 

[jrawk1120]

Not bad.

To hopefully help your cloudiness and resolve the issue I would recommend this:
- stop dosing for now
- water change 25% now and 10% daily
- new salt mix try going to 35ppt instead of 34
- keep monitoring your alk daily if not twice. Ca can be a couple times a week if that even.

I think you will see the cloudiness decrease in a couple days or sooner. Your salt should be good enough parameters to suffice the alk and ca needed in the system. Let the numbers naturally level off.

The water change will have to wait until Sunday. I'll cut the doser for now

 

[Garf]

The water change will have to wait until Sunday. I'll cut the doser for now

I would be slowly increasing calcium at this point to 420ish. You’ll need to keep your eye on the Alkalinity though, as it may drop as the balance between calcium and alk is re-aligned. You will need to attend to this anyway when the bloom has been destroyed by the UVC.

 

[jrawk1120]

I would be slowly increasing calcium at this point to 420ish. You’ll need to keep your eye on the Alkalinity though, as it may drop as the balance between calcium and alk is re-aligned. You will need to attend to this anyway when the bloom has been destroyed by the UVC.

Yea, my plan was to just bump the calc to there and maintain. So I'll turn the doser back on. I'm only dosing 10mg a day in a 200g system. It's been a crawl

 

[Garf]

Yea, my plan was to just bump the calc to there and maintain. So I'll turn the doser back on. I'm only dosing 10mg a day in a 200g system. It's been a crawl

Once you’ve reached a balance you will be able to dose both calcium and alkalinity, to keep both levels stable.

 

[jrawk1120]

Once you’ve reached a balance you will be able to dose both calcium and alkalinity, to keep both levels stable.

I'm not even sure why my calc is low. My water changes should keep it fairly in range

 

[Garf]

I'm not even sure why my calc is low. My water changes should keep it fairly in range

Have you checked your freshly mixed up saltwater Calcium and Alk?

 

[jrawk1120]

Have you checked your freshly mixed up saltwater Calcium and Alk?

This last time it was all mid range.

Tropic Marin

 

[HB AL]

Just weird that it clears up with no light.

If it clears up with no lights on then reappears with the lights on, then most likely its some kind of algae bloom. When the lights 1st come on is the water clear then gradually gets worse through out the time the lights are on, if so then my bet is on an algae bloom. Uv will eliminate it but finding the reason if it is an algae bloom will help for the future.

 

[terraincognita]

with Alk at 10 and Mag at 1380 you should have calc above 400 for sure. I'm sure that's not helping the cloudiness but hard to say that's the sole cause.

PH levels also flucuate between night and day, and the light itself will reflect off the white particles making it look cloudier than it maybe is.

Ever taken a totally clear glass of water then held it up to the sun and thought, oh... maybe... not so clear.

Same with the lights as well.

Hard to say that 100% the cloudiness is being effected by the light. he said "better" not "goes away"

I doubt it's actually having a real impact on the cloudiness at night or during the day honestly. But maybe he needs to explain the differences in the cloudiness between lights on and lights off a little better as well?

If it clears up with no lights on then reappears with the lights on, then most likely its some kind of algae bloom. When the lights 1st come on is the water clear then gradually gets worse through out the time the lights are on, if so then my bet is on an algae bloom. Uv will eliminate it but finding the reason if it is an algae bloom will help for the future.

 

[jrawk1120]

Just an update!

I think I figured it out about 2 hours ago.

I just watched my starry blenny slap the sand about 6 times and stir up a bunch of sand. Which explains all the particles in the colum and why it seems to clear overnight.

This dude.

 

[iamacat]

If that is the case you should gravel vac that sand good to get all the dust out. Hope that’s the issue!

 

[jrawk1120]

If that is the case you should gravel vac that sand good to get all the dust out. Hope that’s the issue!

On my list for the next water change.

I'm just sitting there like, you son of a *****