Cloudy water clarification

[Alphawolfxz3]

Okay I fed my coral in my 2 gallon pico tank and I was already dosing ammonia and alkalinity. But all of a sudden my water turned the milky white. And from what I understand is that I a bacteria from to much organic waste in the tank right? Or is it some king of by product of ammonia?

 

[Quietman]

Why are you dosing ammonia?

 

[Alphawolfxz3]

Why are you dosing ammonia?

Because no matter how much I feed with just letting food brake down in the tank I couldn’t get nitrates for the life of me and my phosphates would go up. Funny thing is I wouldn’t have any ammonia or no2 in the tank ither.

 

[Quietman]

Ah...not sure you need to dose anything as your tank looks good but if you are going to dose, I would get a nitrate additive and not use ammonia as it's toxic as well as the nitrite. Now, I doubt you damage anything with small doses of NH3 but why chance it.

And yes, likely the cloudiness is a bacteria bloom. It should go away on it's own and the ammonia could be contributing factor.

 

[Spare time]

Because no matter how much I feed with just letting food brake down in the tank I couldn’t get nitrates for the life of me and my phosphates would go up. Funny thing is I wouldn’t have any ammonia or no2 in the tank ither.

Ammonia is not something you should dose. You can dose nitrate, but ammonia is not good for corals or really anything in the tank.

You'd be better off dosing amino acids

 

[Garf]

Never heard of dosing ammonia, (aside from cycling) but I guess it’s ok in tiny amounts. Are you sure your test kits are ok? Did the tank cycle normally?

 

[Alphawolfxz3]

Ammonia is not something you should dose. You can dose nitrate, but ammonia is not good for corals or really anything in the tank.

You'd be better off dosing amino acids

And I am doing that as well

 

[Alphawolfxz3]

Never heard of dosing ammonia, (aside from cycling) but I guess it’s ok in tiny amounts. Are you sure your test kits are ok? Did the tank cycle normally?

Ya the tank has been up for 4 months and it cycled just fine with the Assad ammonia and bacteria additive. I could trace the process

 

[Alphawolfxz3]

Never heard of dosing ammonia, (aside from cycling) but I guess it’s ok in tiny amounts. Are you sure your test kits are ok? Did the tank cycle normally?

I have the api test kit(I know it isn’t the best). Should my ammonia test come out cloudy too? Like it’s a yellow cloudy?

 

[Dark_Knightt]

So back to the cloudy water part, just get a UV sterilizer, will give you crystal clear water in a day or two

 

[Garf]

I have the api test kit(I know it isn’t the best). Should my ammonia test come out cloudy too? Like it’s a yellow cloudy?

Yeah, that sounds right.

 

[Alphawolfxz3]

Yeah, that sounds right.

Okay

 

[Alphawolfxz3]

So back to the cloudy water part, just get a UV sterilizer, will give you crystal clear water in a day or two

Ya I was thinking on putting one inline with my external canister filter

 

[Alphawolfxz3]

With that I did do a 40% water change and then a 60% water change after that will that still be okay for my coral?

 

[Dark_Knightt]

With that I did do a 40% water change and then a 60% water change after that will that still be okay for my coral?

I wouldve stuck with the 40% change alone, then maybe waited 2 days or so

 

[Alphawolfxz3]

I wouldve stuck with the 40% change alone, then maybe waited 2 days or so

Ya because now my rock flower anemone doesn’t look to happy

 

[Rmckoy]

Dosing ammonia is only going to cause huge problems .
The cloudiness could be bacterial bloom
Could also be alk you’re dosing .
or a combination of the alk and ammonia .

 

[attiland]

Your tank is new and empty. I doubt you need to dose anything at all.
As per nitrate levels if you want it to present just buy ready mixed nitrate solution for it or mix your own.

 

[Alphawolfxz3]

Your tank is new and empty. I doubt you need to dose anything at all.
As per nitrate levels if you want it to present just buy ready mixed nitrate solution for it or mix your own.

Ya my LFS Didn’t let me know if that option or I would have gone with that one first.

 

[Rmckoy]

Ya my LFS Didn’t let me know if that option or I would have gone with that one first.

If the lfs is advising dosing ammonia and alk I would find a more reputable lfs .

sounds like a used car salesman .