Cloudy water

[Alexmcm81]

Hi All. Need advice. Have a 200L fluval roma. Tank has been running for about a month. Dry rock and coral sand. Used ATM colony and have a juvenile regal tang (will either rehome her or upgrade tank when time is right), juvenile coral beauty, 2 small clownys and a small blue cheek goby. Have 5 turbo snails, 6 nassarius snails and a blue legged hermit crab. Here’s my problem. I wake up in the morning and the tank is super cloudy. It then clears up during the day but some time between 5am and 10am it goes cloudy again. I added a fluval u2 in the tank which I thought was working but the cloudiness comes right back when I get up. Ammonia is 0, Nitrites 0 and Nitrates 5.

 

[Dburr1014]

Hi All. Need advice. Have a 200L fluval roma. Tank has been running for about a month. Dry rock and coral sand. Used ATM colony and have a juvenile regal tang (will either rehome her or upgrade tank when time is right), juvenile coral beauty, 2 small clownys and a small blue cheek goby. Have 5 turbo snails, 6 nassarius snails and a blue legged hermit crab. Here’s my problem. I wake up in the morning and the tank is super cloudy. It then clears up during the day but some time between 5am and 10am it goes cloudy again. I added a fluval u2 in the tank which I thought was working but the cloudiness comes right back when I get up. Ammonia is 0, Nitrites 0 and Nitrates 5.

Can you get a pic?
Could it be air bubbles?

 

[Waters]

That is a lot of livestock in a one month old tank......I am guessing it is bacterial bloom resulting from the tank trying to mature. It will clear itself eventually......you can also use UV which will clear it up pretty quick.

 

[Rp8]

+1 bacterial bloom. Run some carbon, test your water, find what may be out of balance

 

[Gtinnel]

I would agree that it could be a bacterial bloom, and if so you should make sure you have enough oxygenation for the tank.

 

[Alexmcm81]

That is a lot of livestock in a one month old tank......I am guessing it is bacterial bloom resulting from the tank trying to mature. It will clear itself eventually......you can also use UV which will clear it up pretty quick.

Followed the ATM colony guidelines. Fish are all happy and feeding well. Can’t run a uv as I am running a canister filter (fluval fx4 can’t accommodate a uv, too much power). It’s super confusing because it clears during the day to almost pristine conditions and then clouds up from the times stated. It’s bizarre. I have a small frag of gsp and a small zoa colony which are all good as well. Was thinking it was possibly the goby kicking up some substrate residue but I washed the sand majorly before adding to the tank

 

[Alexmcm81]

I would agree that it could be a bacterial bloom, and if so you should make sure you have enough oxygenation for the tank.

I’m running a jebao 8000 and maxspect jump 2k so there’s plenty of movement and surface agitation

 

[Waters]

Followed the ATM colony guidelines. Fish are all happy and feeding well. Can’t run a uv as I am running a canister filter (fluval fx4 can’t accommodate a uv, too much power). It’s super confusing because it clears during the day to almost pristine conditions and then clouds up from the times stated. It’s bizarre. I have a small frag of gsp and a small zoa colony which are all good as well. Was thinking it was possibly the goby kicking up some substrate residue but I washed the sand majorly before adding to the tank

It is pretty common for the water to clear up and become cloudy again when dealing with bacterial blooms. The high growth of bacteria is triggered from changes in the water chemistry, which happens when the tank is fed, fish are added, etc. In a new immature tank, these changes have a much larger impact. You can always add a small external UV to clear it up...even if it is temporary. It doesn't have to be integrated into your canister. It should clear up almost overnight.

 

[Dburr1014]

A bacteria bloom only at night??
Idk, doesn't make sense.
Edit: thanks for explaining @Waters.

 

[Alexmcm81]

It is pretty common for the water to clear up and become cloudy again when dealing with bacterial blooms. The high growth of bacteria is triggered from changes in the water chemistry, which happens when the tank is fed, fish are added, etc. In a new immature tank, these changes have a much larger impact. You can always add a small external UV to clear it up...even if it is temporary. It doesn't have to be integrated into your canister. It should clear up almost overnight.

Do you have any suggestions which I could use. I’m in the uk

 

[Alexmcm81]

It is pretty common for the water to clear up and become cloudy again when dealing with bacterial blooms. The high growth of bacteria is triggered from changes in the water chemistry, which happens when the tank is fed, fish are added, etc. In a new immature tank, these changes have a much larger impact. You can always add a small external UV to clear it up...even if it is temporary. It doesn't have to be integrated into your canister. It should clear up almost overnight.

Would adding more Colony help?

 

[Waters]

Do you have any suggestions which I could use. I’m in the uk

Would adding more Colony help?

You can try something small and relatively inexpensive like the 24W Green Killing Machine. Your tank is only 53 gallons? so that should keep up with it. As far as adding more bacteria, I personally would say no. The bacteria is what is making the water cloudy....the tank just needs time to balance out. That being said, some say that adding good bacteria will consume the "bad" bacteria which can contribute to cloudy water.

 

[Alexmcm81]

You can try something small and relatively inexpensive like the 24W Green Killing Machine. Your tank is only 53 gallons? so that should keep up with it. As far as adding more bacteria, I personally would say no. The bacteria is what is making the water cloudy....the tank just needs time to balance out. That being said, some say that adding good bacteria will consume the "bad" bacteria which can contribute to cloudy water.

Aquarium Filter Pump, Aquarium Filter UV Sterilizer Lamp Oxygen Pump Fish Tank Water Purification 220-240V,Aquarium Filter(#1) https://amzn.eu/d/h0Cm0mE would this do the job?

 

[Waters]

Aquarium Filter Pump, Aquarium Filter UV Sterilizer Lamp Oxygen Pump Fish Tank Water Purification 220-240V,Aquarium Filter(#1) https://amzn.eu/d/h0Cm0mE would this do the job?

That is only 5W with a 9W optional bulb....I am not sure that would be able to do much unfortunately.

 

[Reab]

A picture would definitely be helpful. But until then, is it more of a storm cloudy look or like a milk fog?

 

[Alexmcm81]

A picture would definitely be helpful. But until then, is it more of a storm cloudy look or like a milk fog?

It looks brownish from the side but looking at the front of the tank it looks white. You can see lots of little particles. I’ll try and get a photo when I get in. Like I’ve said above, I don’t understand why it clears up by the time it gets to night time and then comes right back by the time I get up in the morning. Thinking of staying up all night to investigate

 

[Reab]

Kinda starting to sound like dinos

 

[Alexmcm81]

Kinda starting to sound like dinos

Don’t think it’s dinos. I had a pretty big diatom bloom. Plus all my snails are fine and clearing the diatoms from the rock work. The goby is clearing the sand

 

[Alexmcm81]

Kinda starting to sound like dinos

This is how it looks during the day then clears totally as the day goes on. I turn the lights to blue and leave them at ten percent during the night. Yesterday I left the blue at that level all day and it cleared up to then come back this morning

 

[Reab]

There is a type of Dino’s that floats in the water column and burrows into the sand at night. This is what I’m thinking you have.