Cloudy water

1MCp · Sep 22, 2018

Hi there wondering if people can help!

65 gallon tank.

Various corals and 4 fish

Minimal strict scheduled feeding, done as directly as possible, barely any food escape these fish to be left as debris and rot.

Nitrate nitrite phosphate ammonia tested with reef master kit all on the very low side.

Had cloudy water for about 1.5 weeks. Last week I have been doing 25% water changes every 2 days. Doesn't seem to help.

Ordered a UV sterilizer arriving tomorrow. Any advice on what I should look for?

Any corals that i can see are opened up just like a normal day. Fish are behaving as normal eating well.

Zoas, shrooms, leathers, acans, clam all open as usual.

Thanks for any help

AC1211 · Sep 22, 2018

One questions
What type of fish?
Some live rock critters could ve causing that also.

1MCp · Sep 22, 2018

AC1211 said:
One questions
What type of fish?
Some live rock critters could ve causing that also.

Cleaner wrasse, spotted hawkfish, filefish and a sunburst anthia

AC1211 · Sep 22, 2018

I feel as though a sponge species or perhaps a barnacle species was not getting enough food and your live rock had a lot of them and this could be a massive die off.The other option is to check your sump.

1MCp · Sep 22, 2018

AC1211 said:
I feel as though a sponge species or perhaps a barnacle species was not getting enough food and your live rock had a lot of them and this could be a massive die off.The other option is to check your sump.

I've no sump in my set up. Would a uv work?

AC1211 · Sep 22, 2018

It would help whatever it is but it may not completely put an end to it

stAlphonzo · Sep 22, 2018

I probably can't answer the question directly but it seems important to know how long the tank had been up and, when you say, parameters are on the low side, can you be specific? It looks to me like a bacterial bloom.

1MCp · Sep 22, 2018

stAlphonzo said:
I probably can't answer the question directly but it seems important to know how long the tank had been up and, when you say, parameters are on the low side, can you be specific? It looks to me like a bacterial bloom.

I stared low side because reading the test vials I could hardly match as it showed bare minimum colour change. The tank has been running for 2 years now...thank you!

Sonja P · Sep 22, 2018

UV sterilizer cleared up this exact issue in three days on one of our tanks. Did a large water change just as we were adding the sterilizer. No issues since.

saltyfilmfolks · Sep 22, 2018

Bacterial blooms need a source.
Organic carbons and Voc usually That’s a big bloom.
Do you have bio pellets?
Use a new air freshener ?
Hand sanitizers? Candles ? Paint?

Def sniff the tank , also add oxygen and surface agitation.

Are you dosing alk cal mag? Slim chance it could be precipitation.

Retro Reefer · Sep 22, 2018

UV will clear it up quickly.. I have found water changes typically make it worse and make sure you are getting lots of oxygen into your tank by any means possible.

1MCp · Sep 22, 2018

saltyfilmfolks said:
Bacterial blooms need a source.
Organic carbons and Voc usually That’s a big bloom.
Do you have bio pellets?
Use a new air freshener ?
Hand sanitizers? Candles ? Paint?

Def sniff the tank , also add oxygen and surface agitation.

Are you dosing alk cal mag? Slim chance it could be precipitation.

Seems like most of my cuc is alive. I was at least able to check for snails that are really big to be alive. I only run a skimmer that's hang on the back, with an army of macroalgae. Thriving with dragons breath, 8 mangroves leafing and branching, I am slowly changing this tank into a decorative macro tank, move the fish out and bring in horsefish.

And I normally do monthly water changes 20%

1MCp · Sep 22, 2018

Retro Reefer said:
UV will clear it up quickly.. I have found water changes typically make it worse and make sure you are getting lots of oxygen into your tank by any means possible.

Hope fully do uv and then a water change when things calm down.

At least the fish and most of the corals are alright.