Cloudy Water

[bcarl77]

I recently started my new bare bottom reef tank. I prepped and cured the dry rock for a total of 6 weeks and had clear water the entire time.

Once the rocks were added to the tank I added some Dr Tims One and Only and now the tank is very cloudy for about 2 weeks now. I followed the directions and turned off my skimmer for 48 hours after adding. Nitrite, Ammonia, Nitrate, are all 0 and phosphate reads at .02ppm. The rocks have a brown spider web looking film developing (This is not diatoms, I am an experienced hobbyist and know what they look like).

I have done 2 water changes each week of about 20%. My skimmer has been producing tons of foam and cloudy-like skimmate that is clear. I have a few corals in the tank and they look fine, the GSP may have died or closed up. I fed the day before (Reef Roids), and it looked perfectly healthy. All other corals look happy. The only change I made was adding the One and Only dose, when the rocks were added. Is this just due to the bacteria becoming established what is causing the cloudiness?

 

[Tiger-Paws]

bcarl77,

Read through my issues here https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/new-build-red-sea-reefer-nano-21.314556/ and you may find some similarities with your situation.

 

[bcarl77]

I find it interesting that bacteria bloom is to blame. I recall reading on the Dr Tim's website that the cloudy water has nothing to do with bacteria??

 

[Tiger-Paws]

If you post an image of your tank then others will have a better idea of what you are seeing. As for my issue I have confrmed that I have a major bacteria bloom which may be subsiding as the tank is noticeably less cloudy (I can clearly see the front rocks which was not the case yesterday).

 

[Surfandturf]

Are you running carbon?

 

[bcarl77]

Here is a step by step from by build thread. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/bcarls-17-gallon-rimless-reef-build.307786/

I have been running chemipure blue in a HOB filter, along with a polyfilter pad.

 

[Tiger-Paws]

I have a BRS Carbon Reactor but I am not using it yet as the tank is not yet cycled.

 

[beaslbob]

In a bare bottom tank (no sand storm LOL) the most likely thing is suspended algae/cyano. try killing the lights for a few days to see if it clears up.

 

[Tiger-Paws]

In a bare bottom tank (no sand storm LOL) the most likely thing is suspended algae/cyano. try killing the lights for a few days to see if it clears up.

beaslbob, bare bottom is an interesting concept which I am just begining to understand.

 

[beaslbob]

for cloudy water you could also use a vortex diatom xl filter. It would clear it up in a few hours. But the real fix it to get the tank balanced out so the bacteria and algae are consuming the nutrients not the cloudiness.

 

[Tiger-Paws]

for cloudy water you could also use a vortex diatom xl filter. It would clear it up in a few hours. But the real fix it to get the tank balanced out so the bacteria and algae are consuming the nutrients not the cloudiness.

I fully agree, I could drop in a 100 micron felt sock and the BRS Carbon Reactor filled with ROX .8 and clean the tank but that would be a very short term solution. No the it is best to wait this out.

 

[bcarl77]

Keep in mind this is a sumpless set-up. The filtration is limited to a HOB filter, and a HOB protein skimmer.

 

[bcarl77]

Could the cloudiness and brown spider web stuff be Dino?

 

[bcarl77]

Here is a picture of the slime, water more cloudy today. If I rub it it turns into a cloudy substance.

 

[bcarl77]

So I opted to do a short 3 day blackout. Tank is covered with cardboard. Just enough open to allow air in and out. My pH stays between 7.8-7.9. I really would like to get it up around 8.1+. Not sure if it is low due to the cycle or not.

 

[bcarl77]

Blackout did nothing. Tank is still super cloudy. I think one of the issues was I bought the 12 oz size of Chemipure Blue Elite and took a couple scoops out and put it in my own media bag. I was getting small amounts of granules coming from the bag when I took it out of the HOB and tried to rinse in clean saltwater. After some reading this was a big mistake and I didn't realize each container was sized to a specific aquarium and shouldn't be removed. I took it out, added some purigen, and am skimming a little wet. Hopefully that was the issue.

 

[beaslbob]

hopefully it will clear up.

BTW 3 days is sometimes bit enough blackout. But it sounds like you may have something else suspended anyway,

my .02

 

[Ashish Patel]

when I added a UV sterilizer to my cloudy tank got cleared in 1 day and the skimmer got filled with Green skimmate. I believe what your seeing is algae and bacteria bloom. Overtime it with go away on its own but its very frustrating in the beginning... I would never again start a tank with 100% dry rock.. The tank need multiple strains of bacteria to develop and not adding them just wastes time.

 

[bcarl77]

Skimmer no longer has a grey discharge but I have a hard time telling if the tank is beginning to clear up. I want to do a WC but if it is a bacteria bloom that will just make it worse.

 

[bcarl77]

Tank is still cloudy. I ordered a replacement UV light and will be setting up my UV filter with the tank to see if that will help. Should have everything running today.... Hopefully this helps.