Cloudy Water in New Tank

[tim7711]

Hello Reefing Community!

I just started my 30-gallon tank! Briefly, it's been 36 hours since having live sand, dry rock, and saltwater added to the tank. I have plans of performing Dr. Tim's fishless cycling method. Prior to this, I wanted to make sure all parameters and equipment in the tank were optimized. I've now noticed that the water in the tank is cloudy.

Current Tank:

• Saltwater: Salinity 1.026 (35 ppt)
• 40 lbs CaribSea Live Sand
• SeaChem Tidal 55 with filter floss (with plans of additional media upon completion of the cycle)
• Eheim Jager Heater
• ~ 30 lbs dry rock
• 3 PowerHeads

The tank is situated away from any natural lights.

Any ideas of what is going on?

 

[fishski13]

What salt are you using?

Also it could just be that the sand and everything is still settling down in the tank. Usually after adding sand in my experience it takes a good day or so for everything to clear up.

 

[s1oliver]

It takes a couple of days sometimes for that everything to settle but if it doesn't I'd look at how much flow you have coming out of your wavemakers and the grain size on your sand. It seems 3 powerheads is a lot for that size tank but that's just me.

 

[mkereefer]

Hello Reefing Community!

I just started my 30-gallon tank! Briefly, it's been 36 hours since having live sand, dry rock, and saltwater added to the tank. I have plans of performing Dr. Tim's fishless cycling method. Prior to this, I wanted to make sure all parameters and equipment in the tank were optimized. I've now noticed that the water in the tank is cloudy.

Current Tank:

• Saltwater: Salinity 1.026 (35 ppt)
• 40 lbs CaribSea Live Sand
• SeaChem Tidal 55 with filter floss (with plans of additional media upon completion of the cycle)
• Eheim Jager Heater
• ~ 30 lbs dry rock
• 3 PowerHeads

The tank is situated away from any natural lights.

Any ideas of what is going on?

Could still be sand settling

 

[tim7711]

What salt are you using?

Also it could just be that the sand and everything is still settling down in the tank. Usually after adding sand in my experience it takes a good day or so for everything to clear up.

Used Instant ocean reef crystals. Could that be the issue?

It takes a couple of days sometimes for that everything to settle but if it doesn't I'd look at how much flow you have coming out of your wavemakers and the grain size on your sand. It seems 3 powerheads is a lot for that size tank but that's just me.

The powerheads are as detailed:

2x Sicce Nano (530 GPH)
1x Sicce Nano (270 GPH)

I have turned off the 270 now and will continue to assess.

 

[tim7711]

Worth mentioning I mixed salt into RODI water

 

[s1oliver]

Did you rinse the dry rock really good before putting it in the tank? If not, then that's another thing but of course it will all settle at some point or get filtered out. I don't use Reef Crystals but I know from reading through the forums there's a residue associated with Instant Ocean and Reef Crystals but it's nothing harmful and eventually clears. When I set up my JBJ 25 it took a day or so for everything to clear up but I only use one powerhead in that tank and it's rated around 350 GPH or so. I only wanted soft and LPS corals so I don't require that much flow for that tank.

 

[tbrown]

It looks like a bacterial bloom possibly. The sand usually settles out fairly quick but it could be that as well l. Bacterial blooms happen usually within the first week and clear up fairly quickly once the ammonia and nitrites drop off. Any idea what your Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate levels are?

 

[Mark Goode]

My money's on sand. I filled my tank for the first time last week - same thing. I've got plenty of water movement, and it took two or three days to clear - but you could see it getting gradually clearer daily.