Cloudy Water

[childress5tyler]

Over the past week my SPS dominated 80 rimless has gone from crystal clear water to a milky, cloudy water (not intense) but to the point where action has to be taken. I'll explain all the activity over the past two weeks that could have been a possible cause:

-added 25 lbs of live rock (possibly going through a mini cycle?)
-dosed phycopure zooxanthellae
-random alkalinity drop from 8.5 to 7.1 do to what I believe is a pH probe malfunction in my calcium reactor
-water change today (slightly helped)

Actions taken to fight it:
-replaced my filter pads
-cleaned protein skimmer
-20% water change today
-stopped dosing phycopure
-added airstone today because of a possible algae bloom and my tank could be oxygen depleated
-Drop pH in calcium reactor from 7.0 to 6.55 to enrich calcium and alk.
-Changed carbon in phosban 150 reactor

Any input or advice would be greatly appreciate. I'm starting to get a little worried. Should I just let this one ride out, or is there another route I should take?

this hasn't been a good month for me as far as aquariums go

 

[Budman's Corals]

Over the past week my SPS dominated 80 rimless has gone from crystal clear water to a milky, cloudy water (not intense) but to the point where action has to be taken. I'll explain all the activity over the past two weeks that could have been a possible cause:

-added 25 lbs of live rock (possibly going through a mini cycle?)
-dosed phycopure zooxanthellae
-random alkalinity drop from 8.5 to 7.1 do to what I believe is a pH probe malfunction in my calcium reactor
-water change today (slightly helped)

Actions taken to fight it:
-replaced my filter pads
-cleaned protein skimmer
-20% water change today
-stopped dosing phycopure
-added airstone today because of a possible algae bloom and my tank could be oxygen depleated
-Drop pH in calcium reactor from 7.0 to 6.55 to enrich calcium and alk.
-Changed carbon in phosban 150 reactor

Any input or advice would be greatly appreciate. I'm starting to get a little worried. Should I just let this one ride out, or is there another route I should take?

this hasn't been a good month for me as far as aquariums go

Id say its a combo of all the stuff that happened in the 2 weeks, You could tell if your in a cycle by your trates...Hows your Param?

 

[childress5tyler]

0s all across the board

 

[Reefing Madness]

Spawning?

 

[childress5tyler]

Spawning?

Ya know, I have been seeing a lot more baby trochus snails lately. I had a good spawn 2 months ago but it didn't seem as cloudy as this. In starting to think I got a good spawn out of em

 

[SeymourDuncan]

My buddy has had the same issue. UV cleared it up in 3 days, of course I made him get an oversized one. Bacterial blooms can test 0s, but still be present. Some are harmless, others not so much.

 

[childress5tyler]

I was testing 0 before the water turned cloudy, though.

 

[SeymourDuncan]

Bacteria doesn't necessarily correspond with parameter readings, unless its a bacteria that is composed of stuff you do test for. Good thing about blooms is they go away. If everything Looks fine that's good. The light won't penetrate as strong, that's about it

 

[childress5tyler]

Everything is happy as of now, great polyp extensions for the most part. Nothing seems unhealthy. How long should I expect this to last? It's been about a week and a half or so

 

[strange_reefer13]

Bacteria doesn't necessarily correspond with parameter readings, unless its a bacteria that is composed of stuff you do test for. Good thing about blooms is they go away. If everything Looks fine that's good. The light won't penetrate as strong, that's about it

+1 I had a bloom with 0 levels also. Didn't hurt anything. I just did a 10% WC for two days to help with clarity and it went away on its own in about a week, as quickly as it had started.

 

[childress5tyler]

Think I'm at risk for losing anything or a crash?

 

[SeymourDuncan]

I would say 50/50 as there is no way to actually know without observation. The new rock is most likely the culprit, which is normal for any new rock in any system unless completely cured pre adding. Your protein skimmer is adding plenty of o2, the air stones may not be needed, and could potentially cause salt to get on your equipment. The thing to watch for is the peak of the bloom. The water will be at its cloudiest and you may not be able to see the coral through the glass. This will be the most important time to check for any bleaching or rotting on your livestock. It could take a few days, but some have lasted much longer, in which it would be advisable to quarantine the corals to receive light.

Once the water does clear, be careful of any corals that may get shocked by light if te water clears up too quickly after a long period.

Keep testing the water like normal. Water changes will help too. Even if stuff does not make it, this phase should only happen once. Future cloudiness will most likely be spawning events and chemical warfare between corals

 

[bct15]

It is probably from calcium carbonate precipitation. When your alk dropped and you calcium didn't, your tank became super saturated with calcium. Just a little bit more and suddenly it starts precipitating out. Bring your alk up without bringing up your calcium.

 

[SeymourDuncan]

^^^that is also very probable

 

[childress5tyler]

I had a drop in calcium from 420 to 380 as well

 

[childress5tyler]

So, worst cast scenario it's a bacterial bloom and I'm out of it in a week?

 

[SeymourDuncan]

Well, I wouldn't say that's the worst case scenario but either of the above scenarios are probable.

 

[childress5tyler]

My water cleared up over night! Now I'm wondering what happened to do so

 

[childress5tyler]

So it went away for like 3 days after I did a water change and now it's back. I'm thinking bacterial bloom or possibly too much calcium. Last Friday is was 460 ca and 9.5 alk

There are white specks floating around as well, if that helps

 

[SeymourDuncan]

Might look into adding a micron sock or a uv or ozone or any mix of them.