Dirty aquarium

[jazreef]

I’ve had my 65gallon aquarium running for about 6 months. My tank has been through some ups and downs, but recently I thought it had stabilized. Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s the case. It keeps getting so dirty, I do water changes every 2 weeks like clock work, my water parameters seem normal, I even brought my water in to my local aquarium shop to get tested and it came back all normal. I can’t for the life of me keep this tank clean. The sand keeps getting so dirty and I don’t know how to clean it. The glass also keeps getting dirty, and I’m constantly cleaning it. Is this normal? I just keep seeing tanks with white sand and I’m wondering how I can keep it like that?

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Sounds like you are in the normal ugly phase, but pictures will help. To keep the sand bed clean, try getting CUC that will clean it. Try nassarius snails, conchs, and if you would like to add another fish to your tank, look into a sand sifting goby.

 

[esquare]

I would say what you are experiencing is fairly normal for a new tank. It takes a while for everything to settle out and stabilize. I am in the middle of it myself and my tank has been wet for almost a year.
You can see all the algae on my rocks and sand in this pic.

 

[jazreef]

Sounds like you are in the normal ugly phase, but pictures will help. To keep the sand bed clean, try getting CUC that will clean it. Try nassarius snails, conchs, and if you would like to add another fish to your tank, look into a sand sifting goby.

I will post a picture later today, but I feel like it just looks so dirty. Also, I find that snails don’t last long in my tank. Is that normal?

 

[jazreef]

I would say what you are experiencing is fairly normal for a new tank. It takes a while for everything to settle out and stabilize. I am in the middle of it myself and my tank has been wet for almost a year.
You can see all the algae on my rocks and sand in this pic.

Your tank looks great! mine is way dirtier, I wish it looked like that lol. I will be sharing a picture later once I’m home.

 

[esquare]

Your tank looks great! mine is way dirtier, I wish it looked like that lol. I will be sharing a picture later once I’m home.

Thanks but I think that pic was to kind on the tank. This one shows the algae on the rocks better.

I just ordered a Lemon Peel Angel from Biota.com that is coming in Friday so after it's QT it will be put to work eating the algae. I want to add a bristletooth Tang but that will be my last fish added so it will be a while.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

How is the flow in your tank? Good strong flow moves more water through the filters, it keep detritus and 'stuff' floating around in the water so it can be filtered out.

Maybe post a pic of your tank, lets see it so we can give you more suggestions.

 

[PharmrJohn]

Sounds like you are in the normal ugly phase, but pictures will help. To keep the sand bed clean, try getting CUC that will clean it. Try nassarius snails, conchs, and if you would like to add another fish to your tank, look into a sand sifting goby.

+1 ==> What do your parameters look like? I know you said normal, but id like to know the numbers. And yes, yes, yes to a CUC. A good CUC will handle the job nicely. For algae, you could consider an algae scrubber. For the larger bits of detritus, a Fleece roller. But these are pricy things.

 

[jazreef]

Thanks but I think that pic was to kind on the tank. This one shows the algae on the rocks better.

I just ordered a Lemon Peel Angel from Biota.com that is coming in Friday so after it's QT it will be put to work eating the algae. I want to add a bristletooth Tang but that will be my last fish added so it will be a while.

 

[jazreef]

+1 ==> What do your parameters look like? I know you said normal, but id like to know the numbers. And yes, yes, yes to a CUC. A good CUC will handle the job nicely. For algae, you could consider an algae scrubber. For the larger bits of detritus, a Fleece roller. But these are pricy things.

Temp: just below 30 C
Salinity: 1.025
Ammonia: 0, reading on testing kit shows slight colour but it’s the same every time I test for it
Nitrate: 5.0ppm
Nitrite: 0

 

[jazreef]

+1 ==> What do your parameters look like? I know you said normal, but id like to know the numbers. And yes, yes, yes to a CUC. A good CUC will handle the job nicely. For algae, you could consider an algae scrubber. For the larger bits of detritus, a Fleece roller. But these are pricy things.

Also, what exactly is a Cuc?

 

[UMALUM]

If your not dealing with an invasive bacteria or algae simply do daily 5 gallon water changes for a week or so. Assuming your using good water you should start to see improvements after the 3rd or 4th change. Obviously if your tank looks like a toilet your numbers aren't normal and small daily changes can only help in regaining balance.

 

[UMALUM]

Also, what exactly is a Cuc?

Oh boy

 

[Dom]

That haziness in the tank looks to be like a bacterial bloom in progress.

Clean all of your filter media in clean RODI water and replace. You can also run a UV sterilizer to help.

Do you run a sump (sorry if I missed this in the thread)?

 

[Wayofthereef]

I’ve had my 65gallon aquarium running for about 6 months. My tank has been through some ups and downs, but recently I thought it had stabilized. Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s the case. It keeps getting so dirty, I do water changes every 2 weeks like clock work, my water parameters seem normal, I even brought my water in to my local aquarium shop to get tested and it came back all normal. I can’t for the life of me keep this tank clean. The sand keeps getting so dirty and I don’t know how to clean it. The glass also keeps getting dirty, and I’m constantly cleaning it. Is this normal? I just keep seeing tanks with white sand and I’m wondering how I can keep it like that?

So the one thing not to many mention when they post videos or pictures of their beautiful tanks is that about an hour before that photo the had just wrapped up an hour of cleaning... as far as clean sand is concerned you have to look at different options but the one for me has been watchman sand sifting goby.. i come home after weeks away to pristine sandbed. Now if your the type to have corals laying in your sandbed he's not a good idea. He will bury everything and if you leave for a week you will more than likely come home to dead corals. But if all your corals are on the rocks.. start there

Look at this guy munch! A puc from reef builders.

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

You have a bacteria bloom... again. Go to your other old thread where I helped you. You are also in the uglies.

Thread 'Cloudy water' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/cloudy-water.1031989/

Also, what exactly is a Cuc?

Clean up crew

 

[Wayofthereef]

Temp: just below 30 C
Salinity: 1.025
Ammonia: 0, reading on testing kit shows slight colour but it’s the same every time I test for it
Nitrate: 5.0ppm
Nitrite: 0

What about phosphate, Alkalinity, Magnesium, Calcium..?

 

[Wayofthereef]

So if the water looks like that and you didnt stir it up you definitely have an aglea bloom and its very common. The best solution for that is a UV sterilizer. I know those are expensive, but the do have cheaper alternatives to the expensive ones. When this happened to me I ordered a a cheap pump off amazon.. literally this green one.

Its 18$ and I ordered this UV sterilizer as well

Now I know thats a bit more expensive but it worked very well...so this hangs on the rim of your tank. I put the pump in the display and sweeped it out of the tank into this sterilizer and it dumps back in the tank.. it was in the display for a week which was about 4 days longer than it probably needed to be. The water was crystal clear by day 4.

you can barely see it but its in the upper right corner. This was my tank just starting out and let me tell you before that sterilizer I couldn't see the back glass it was so bad... anyways, my 2 pennies.

 

[jazreef]

That haziness in the tank looks to be like a bacterial bloom in progress.

Clean all of your filter media in clean RODI water and replace. You can also run a UV sterilizer to help.

Do you run a sump (sorry if I missed this in the thread)?

Just before this happened , I cleaned my filter media. I almost feel like it got worse after. I don’t run a dump currently

 

[jazreef]

You have a bacteria bloom... again. Go to your other old thread where I helped you. You are also in the uglies.

Thread 'Cloudy water' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/cloudy-water.1031989/

Clean up crew

Any idea why I’d get a bacteria bloom twice over the last 6 months? Is that normal? Also I didn’t catch on to CuC being clean up crew lol. But got it