Cloudy water help!

nolen502 · Sep 20, 2014

Kind of a newb post here. My issue, for the past 4 days when the lights come on the tank is crystal clear. After about an hour the water starts getting fairly cloudy and will stay this way for around 6 hours then will become crystal clear again. Any ideas??

A little about the tank.
48x13x12 display
20l sump
Mp40
Lifereef skimmer
Only media currently in use is chemi pure.

Inhabitants are assorted snails and crabs, perc clownfish, 2 chromis, tiger conch, several frags of different zoas, cyphastrea, red digitata.

The tank has been running for around 2 months and has already went through the horrible diatom bloom.
Params
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
Phosphate .25-.50

Randy Holmes-Farley · Sep 20, 2014

Sounds like phytoplankton ( algae) in the water, but it could be something else.

You probably need to reduce phosphate anyway, and that may deter whatever it is.

Are you doing anything to export nutrients?

nolen502 · Sep 20, 2014

As in macro algae?

And the water is a white tint kind of cloudy. Maybe bacteria bloom? But why on a daily basis?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Sep 20, 2014

The daily effect, I'm guessing, is phytoplankton (suspended algae) and it grows more when lit. Except cyano, bacteria wouldn't usually do that.

Macroalgae or turf algae are good ways to export nutrients that include phosphate.

Others include GFO or other binders, and organic carbon dosing.

beaslbob · Sep 23, 2014

I think it is micro algae also.

I would cut back the lights and feedings until you find a point where the clouding up is not noticable.

You could also try macro algaes in a refugium also.

To me it sound like you are right on the edge of having either a constantly cloudy tank of constantly clear tank.

reducing the lights and feeding will help tip the tank to clear. Macro algaes will stabilize operation and recycle the ammonia-nitrates, phosphates and co2 into fish food and oxygen.