Need some more advice!!

[aquatony]

My nitrates are climbing above 10+ ... So I decided to do a 30-40% water change to try and help get them down. Noticed my tank getting cloudy last night. And this morning it looks a little worse!! All parameters are in check besides my nitrates which I would like a little lower.. and I do not dose. All I run is a protein skimmer and a sock.. Did I spark a mini cycle? Bacteria bloom? What should I do??

 

[Ludders]

Sounds like a bacteria bloom to me, but I find it unusual unless you dose an active bacteria supplement along with your water change.

 

[Dom]

A 30-40% water change seems excessive for nitrates that are 10+. Typically, my nitrates run in the 10-20 range and I like it there as some nitrates are important to happy and healthy corals.

I would answer "no" to your mini cycle question. As I understand it, nitrifying bacteria colonies reside mostly in the live rock and sand bed. I don't believe you caused a mini cycle by changing a percentage of water in the column.

As far as cloudiness, perhaps some of the sand bed churned while adding new water. Give things a chance to settle.

Most importantly, observe. Don't over-react.

A complete posting of your water testing would be helpful. A pic of the tank too.

 

[aquatony]

 

[aquatony]

Lights just turned on. Sorry about all the blue.. i don’t believe detritus or sand particles. It’s been 24 hours since the change. Temp. 78... calc 430. Mag 1300.. nitrates at little below 10 now as they were between 12-15. .. salinity. 35ppt.. phos- 0-0.1.. alk 8... I did expose some rock to air. And my torch with the water change For a couple minutes

 

[aquatony]

I’m just nervous heard something once about bacteria possibly sucking out o2 and maybe suffocating fish.

 

[aquatony]

 

[aquatony]

The only reason I’m trying to get nitrates down is because I’ve been having a cyano problem on my rock and have been told that could be a contributing factor. As well my low flow. So I also increased that quite a bit

 

[Dom]

I have to say, other than the heads on the hammer looking a bit retracted, the tank "looks" good. Yes, I do see some cloudiness, but nothing to be concerned with in my opinion.

I have heard that bacteria blooms can suck O2 out of the water, so I understand your concern.

At this point, I'd monitor closely and keep us informed of any changes.

Personally, I wouldn't shoot for ZERO nitrates as some nitrates are good for coral health.

Do you run a refugium?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

What salt mix are you using.

And don’t sweat it. It def does not look bad.

 

[aquatony]

I’m using tropic marine pro reef salt!! I’m not shooting for zero. Just like 5 ish hopefully. I don’t have a refugium. Just a sump, sock, skimmer, dry rock which is growing corraline now. And sand. Do you think I should make 10 gallons of salt water for back up??

 

[aquatony]

The lights just came. The purple hammer has be receding for like 2 weeks and I moved my cleaner shrimp down to sump because believe he was culprit from low feedings.. it seems to be bouncing back hard to tell because healing corals isn’t an over night process

 

[Daniel Waters]

Could be snails spawning. I wake up sometimes to a cloudy tank because my snails have decided to get a little too wild during the night. A water change should not cause a mini-cycle. Also, I doubt a bacteria bloom could deplete your tank of oxygen given you have a protein skimmer running and your fish bioload seems reasonable.

 

[aquatony]

I have hand full of snails Hemits. Fighting conc. Cleaner shrimp. Wheeler goby and candy cane shrimp .. dottyback, and paired clowns. Haven’t seen goby in a day or so.. Now I’m worried he’s under a rock dead and causing this bacterial bloom.......I know you guys understand the feeling you get when something isn’t going right, and lots of money and love is at stake . I do appreciate the quick responses!! “Deep breathes”

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Deep breathe

Mostly that lol.

Don’t sweat the clouds. Look for the fish. Cyano happens. This too shall pass.

Young tanks are funny, and the ugly phase is going to happen.

I’d possible it’s bacterial IMO.
It’s also possible it precipteded a bit of mag. When we dose alkalinity froma bottle , it’ll throw a cloud. I’ve had similar with instant ocean salts, but not always , and fritz salt.

 

[Dom]

I’m using tropic marine pro reef salt!! I’m not shooting for zero. Just like 5 ish hopefully. I don’t have a refugium. Just a sump, sock, skimmer, dry rock which is growing corraline now. And sand. Do you think I should make 10 gallons of salt water for back up??

You may want to consider a refugium for nutrient export. I run one, but purposely run one that is undersized so that I have some nitrate levels in the tank.

 

[Daniel Waters]

I know where my goby sleeps / stays, and I can actually look underneath the bottom of my tank to find him underneath his favorite rock / cave (my stand doesn't do a flat solid bottom though). Just mentioning that if you are worried about the goby and trying to find a way to possibly spot him.

 

[aquatony]

This bucket of salt is almost half way gone. What kind of salt do you use “saltyfilmfolks”?? I’m layed off for a few weeks still anyways so I have all the time to stare which can sometimes be a bad thing! Because you get inpatient :/ and want instant results. But now I know that is never the case in a reef tank unless you want death haha. So do you think I should make up some more water just Incase??

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I’m using fritz right now.
Yep. Make some water.
Don’t change it.
Keep your hands out of the tank.


Take two of these and call me in the morning.

https://boomcorals.com/
https://worldwidecorals.com/wysiwyg...MIwMLi_Zf52QIV2LbACh0UJg0rEAAYASAAEgK7LvD_BwE

 

[aquatony]

I have considered a refugium or algae scrubber!! I have been wanting to implement one into my sump somehow. But I do not have very much room and also am not very good at making things :/ Also, I’m not sure how it would effect the tank being it’s a year old. And adding new equipment sometimes makes me nervous since things are somewhat in order :/