Cloudy water

[Jakepen]

So my tank is little over a month old, 80 gallons with two clowns and a melanarus.
Alk is 9.5
Calcium 450
Mag 1400
Nitrate 8
Phosphate 0.05
I’ve been doing weekly water changes, feed very lightly, and change the filter floss daily (because I have to usually). Running a nyos 160 skimming all that it can. Lights are on for about 11 hours, two Kessil 360Xs. My tank keeps getting cloudy, for a few days than will clear up, then get cloudy again. My filter floss get nasty brown and smell pretty bad, I’m assuming it’s bacterial bloom in the water. Would you guys agree, and how long can I expect this to continue?

 

[Miguel Negron]

Definitely a bacteria bloom. I went through this when my tank started and it’s normal. I would not interrupt the bloom and let it go away alone. Also becareful of having a ‘too clean’ tank. You don’t want to constantly keep taking out nutrients because then your run into Mr.Dino and he’s not friendly lol

 

[Jakepen]

Definitely a bacteria bloom. I went through this when my tank started and it’s normal. I would not interrupt the bloom and let it go away alone. Also becareful of having a ‘too clean’ tank. You don’t want to constantly keep taking out nutrients because then your run into Mr.Dino and he’s not friendly lol

Right, good advice. With my last tank it was a 180 and I was careless, way too many fish to quick and heavy feeding instantly. GHA eventually took over, so this tank I’m trying to take my time with the excess nutrients.

 

[Miguel Negron]

Right, good advice. With my last tank it was a 180 and I was careless, way too many fish to quick and heavy feeding instantly. GHA eventually took over, so this tank I’m trying to take my time with the excess nutrients.

True! I would say your on the right track and remember patience is your friend

 

[Brandon3152134]

1 month old is not very old for a reef aquarium so its definitely a bacteria bloom have u added anything new recently?

 

[Jakepen]

1 month old is not very old for a reef aquarium so its definitely a bacteria bloom have u added anything new recently?

The melanarus. I cycled the sand in my garage while I was getting my gear together, so I added relatively live sand. Added the clowns a week later, and the melanarus was two weeks ago now.

 

[Brandon3152134]

In my experience wrasses of all type will rearrange ur sandbed making alot of stuff get kicked up I would keep an eye out for that because if he is repeatedly doing it might cause your cloudiness

 

[Brandon3152134]

He may only do it when your not near the tank they are very alert when it comes to outside their tank

 

[daybreaksky]

Unless your rock was established or pre-cycled before this tank (like from another tank) your tank is still going through break-in cycle and it may last for several moths depending on bioload. Sand usually helps stabilize it faster. It is normal to experience bacterial blooms in new tanks and you don't have to do anything outside of your normal routine. You can run a UV sterilizer to clear up the water faster if you don't like the look.

 

[Jakepen]

Thanks for the reassurance guys, I was 99% sure it was just a normal bacterial bloom, I just hate seeing it and needed to hear that time is all that is needed. Not going to add a UV, I’ll just wait it out.

 

[Dark_Knightt]

The melanarus. I cycled the sand in my garage while I was getting my gear together, so I added relatively live sand. Added the clowns a week later, and the melanarus was two weeks ago now.

Get a UV sterilizer and the bloom will be gone in a day or two. But yeah then its Mr. Dino. Just raise your nutrients then and you should be good.

 

[daybreaksky]

check out BRSTV on youtube. it's mega informative and covers a lot of stuff as they experiment and test stuff on their tanks. happy reefing