cloudy water and awful smell?

[TritonsGarden]

I have a friend who is having a problem his water is milky white and has a foul smell:bad_smelly:... but everything is thriving and doing well in his tank.

37 gal tall with hang-on-the-back refu with protien skimmer. 250w metal hialides.
all parms are zero alk, nit, ect..:baffle:


any Idea's?

 

[MikeB]

Well if the water has a foul smell, something is not thriving in the system IMO. I would run some carbon to clear up the water and then try to find the source for the smell.

 

[TritonsGarden]

I told him that... he is running carbon and still milky and stinky? I also told him to check his refugium? just taking a stab at it, no effect?

 

[gilmour01]

his alk is at 0?

 

[JR's Reef]

What is he using in his fuge?

 

[jmuzzey]

Something is either dying, has died, or bad bacterial bloom. When acros go through necrosis, or corals are dying, there is a distinct smell, like rotten fish.

 

[TritonsGarden]

yes:cry:

his alk is at 0?

 

[TritonsGarden]

10 icnh sand bed 5 pound live rock and cheto?

What is he using in his fuge?

 

[TritonsGarden]

smells like a rotten fish but has lost nothing???

Something is either dying, has died, or bad bacterial bloom. When acros go through necrosis, or corals are dying, there is a distinct smell, like rotten fish.

 

[jmuzzey]

Hm, check for tissue necrosis at base of corals if he has acroporas. If he has an anenome, make sure it is not stuck in a powerhead or filter strainer or something. Does he use kalkwasser or any additives? Is the white just calcium falling out of solution?

His alk can not be at zero. Other than large water change, checking over every piece very carefully, running carbon......there is not much else he can do. There has to be a reason, maybe some sand got stirred up really badly and the water is just cloudy form that. It could also cause a sulfur smell if the sand bed has never really been agitated. We all know how cloudy a tank gets when adding new sand, so maybe a clownfish decided to change his home turf and clear off an area.

 

[TritonsGarden]

I just talked with him and he told me his refugium has about a 3/4 inch black film in it and the sand smells worst than the tank? I am guessing this may be the source of his problems????

 

[110reef]

yes, that sounds like it - has he stirred up the refugium? That would definitely do it...

 

[TritonsGarden]

no clam in the tank??

 

[beaslbob]

I doubt alk is 0.

add baking soda.

Kill the display lights until it clears.

The black in refugium is probably cyano. Cut the lights down there especially of on 24 hours. Cut back to 12 hours with the display at 0 hours (blackout).

my .02

 

[TritonsGarden]

I will tell him to cut his lights to the refugium..... he is sucking out the black film as we speak! I think his refugium is the problem