Cloudy Water, for a 2nd time...

Manos · Feb 16, 2021

Hello Guys, the situation with the tank is still the same. I can't figure out what is wrong. I did a 80% water change and after that the water came out a little bit clearer but not crystal clear, the fogginess is like waves going around in the water and I can't understand what is the source! Is it bacteria bloom? Is it something else? Please advice me cause im going mad with it! Should I take everything out and clean them? Then make a full restart? Wait for it so to see what will happen? Something else?

Here are the measurements I just made...

Temp. 78F
Salinity. 1.025
NH3. 0
NO2. 0.5
NO3. 50
PO4. 0
PH. 8.1
Alkalinity. 8.6
Calcium. 372

Thank you in advance!
PS. the skimmer is running for 2 weeks now, I doesn't produce skimate and I thing that it is not broke in yet...

PBar · Feb 16, 2021

Hello,
it was about time indeed for this water to be clear...

Simple possible things that I would do now are:
-Put a filter socks of 20 micron (or less) and activated carbon.
See if something happens after 2 or 3 days...

-If not solved I would reduce all tank circulation as suggested before and check if after 2 days. If you see an improvement, it is related to the sand that is being steered.

Bacteria bloom, normally the skimmer would solve it...

I’m starting g to get worried about the cement or the sand itself.

Maybe you can put some water in a cup (glass) take a picture and leave it for 24h. See if there is any improvement after that.

Let us know!

Manos · Feb 16, 2021

PBar said:
Hello,
it was about time indeed for this water to be clear...

Simple possible things that I would do now are:
-Put a filter socks of 20 micron (or less) and activated carbon.
See if something happens after 2 or 3 days...

-If not solved I would reduce all tank circulation as suggested before and check if after 2 days. If you see an improvement, it is related to the sand that is being steered.

Bacteria bloom, normally the skimmer would solve it...

I’m starting g to get worried about the cement or the sand itself.

Maybe you can put some water in a cup (glass) take a picture and leave it for 24h. See if there is any improvement after that.

Let us know!

Yeah, I think its about time to get clear for god shake!!!
I use filter shocks from the beginning, I do change them every 4 days, I also did put a shock with activated carbon 3 weeks ago, nothing changed...

From the moment I post here, 2-3 hours ago, I constantly read about my problem on the internet and it seems that my problem is heterotrophic bacteria! I have all the indications of that! Even some photos I've seen of other aquarium owners with the same cloudiness are the same as mine! After the 80% water change the cloudiness came back after about 8-10 hours! So it seems that those dang heterotrophic's are making sex like hell inside my water!!!

Let me ask you something, I clean my shocks with vinegar and then on the washing machine at 95C, maybe this is wrong? Cause I read somewhere that those heterotrophic bacteria may come in the water from vinegar...

About the skimmer as I said, because it is brand new it hasn't broke in yet, so it seems that it is no sufficient yet! Though I have some black/brown stuff on the neck but it seems that it doesn't do the job at least yet!

As I read the only "fast" solution is a uv steriliser... What do you suggest about it? Go for it?

Tha sand is not steered in any way, I am sure about that! I can say that because I put for a whole week the powerbeads near the surface and towards it for more oxygenation...

The sand is aragonite premium from prodibio, I payed a lot for the dang thing!

If it is the cement, after 1 month and a half, wouldn't be ok? I mean if the cement has something to export to the water it wouldn't have done it by now? As I said I did a 80% water change and after 10 hours the cloudiness was the same!

I will do that with the glass of water and I will tell you after 24h what happened...

Thank you very much!

PBar · Feb 16, 2021

Hello again!
Vinegar indeed would fuel the bacteria... but I do a similar thing as you.
I use vinegar to wash the socks (but not too much) and then I put in the washing machine for a long cycle.
Do you still smell vinegar after wash it?
I’m curious to know what would be feeding these bacterias... if not vinegar.

UV is plus. I have it here but I‘m not using it now.
I plugged it when I started after introducing fishes and now, only if I see some bacteria bloom (Zeovit).
For bacteria bloom it works quite fast. After 24h the water is already clean.

Manos · Feb 16, 2021

PBar said:
Hello again!
Vinegar indeed would fuel the bacteria... but I do a similar thing as you.
I use vinegar to wash the socks (but not too much) and then I put in the washing machine for a long cycle.
Do you still smell vinegar after wash it?
I’m curious to know what would be feeding these bacterias... if not vinegar.

UV is plus. I have it here but I‘m not using it now.
I plugged it when I started after introducing fishes and now, only if I see some bacteria bloom (Zeovit).
For bacteria bloom it works quite fast. After 24h the water is already clean.

No, absolutely not, the smell of vinegar after the washing machine cycle (1 hour) is not there!
Im gonna bite the bullet and purchase a UV, just for the headache to go off! You know!
Thanks man!

PBar · Feb 17, 2021

I would do the same.
Let me know then... I’m curious about the outcome.
cheers

Manos · Feb 19, 2021

Hey fellow reefers!
Well the UV did the job! The tank water is not 100% crystal clear but after 24h it sure is at least 50%
clear! The skimmer as well begun to produce skimate!!!
At last I can see the rocks inside!!! As it seems my problem was heterotrophic bacteria in the water column
and now they are DEAD!!! LOL! As i couldnt find any info on the internet maybe someone in the future will find this post
and get help on what to do! How did i get them? I think that the error that I made was that i introduced 2 different live bacteria brands in the tank. I say maybe it was that, im not sure about it! I think it was that because the first bottle says that it does not contain sulfur and the second says that it has a very bad odour because it contains sulfur... I dont know
if thats something but when i introduces the second brand with the sulfur cloudiness begun....
I will let you know about when the water will get crystal clear, i think that it needs 48h more...
My questions are, should I keep the UV running 24/7?
Should I turn it off when I introduce bacteria from a bottle, for example, when I do water changes?
Do I also close the skimmer when i introduce live bacteria?
Thank you guys and more specific, thank you Pbar for your help!
More news coming soon! Take care!