Quick! Friend leaving the hobby

oceaninabox12345 · May 25, 2019

So i recently got my friend into this hobby, and now he is considering leaving because his tank has been incredibly frustrating. I myself am not new to this hobby, but he is and this is why im posting in this section. He started his tank around the middle of February, and about 2 days after starting everything it cleared up and looked normal. Then it got cloudy again and hasn't looked clear since. Its not bacteria. He has looked at the water under microscopes. I just have no idea whats going on. He tried no water changes, he tried a lot of water changes. He tried no flow, he tried a lot of flow. Nothing seems to work. He is very smart and naturally "good" at this hobby and it would be awful to see him go.
Could it be the rocks? He used rocks that werent live and hadnt been scrubbed off the best. He tried to clean them but of course it left some residue. Any help would be awesome!!

WVNed · May 25, 2019

I would take and fill a glass with water from the tank and see if it settles out. It could be dust or air in the water. Air would rise and dust settle.
Put a canister filter up on the tank.
Use water clarifyer maybe.

Lots of things you could try. I cant tell from the pics

Mr Fishface · May 25, 2019

Wow that is really cloudy. I see a hob filter that I assume is running? Between that and time anything on the rocks should have settled. Did he rinse the carbon filter well before using it? Carbon can cause issues if not rinsed. I like the idea of adding it to a cup and seeing if it goes away.

oceaninabox12345 · May 25, 2019

WVNed said:
I would take and fill a glass with water from the tank and see if it settles out. It could be dust or air in the water. Air would rise and dust settle.
Put a canister filter up on the tank.
Use water clarifyer maybe.

Lots of things you could try. I cant tell from the pics

The cup idea is a very good one. Thank you!

oceaninabox12345 · May 25, 2019

Mr Fishface said:
Wow that is really cloudy. I see a hob filter that I assume is running? Between that and time anything on the rocks should have settled. Did he rinse the carbon filter well before using it? Carbon can cause issues if not rinsed. I like the idea of adding it to a cup and seeing if it goes away.

Pretty sure he rinsed it.. ill go ask. Yes the hob filter is running. Could it perhaps be protein? From the old rocks? He doesnt have a skimmer

Bob Weigant · May 25, 2019

Anytime that has happened to me it usually clears up in a day or two

oceaninabox12345 · May 25, 2019

Bob Weigant said:
Anytime that has happened to me it usually clears up in a day or two

Me too! Which is weird because it cleared up, but then got cloudy again

WVNed · May 25, 2019

If it was protein you would get bubbles on top of the water and a scum formed. I don't rinse my sand and never had this happen.

BadFish619 · May 25, 2019

Dust from sand, bacterial bloom, clogged filtration. What kind of filtration?

Mr Fishface · May 25, 2019

I get proteins in my tank sometimes and yes, it does make a "foam" anywhere there are oxygen bubbles. So for me, in my filter socks. It also makes the tank smell like what I imagine the ocean to smell like. However I have never had an issue like this that didn't go away on it's own.

WVNed · May 25, 2019

I think my diatom filer would clean that right up.

Flippers4pups · May 25, 2019

If it's bacterial from the rocks, a UV unit will clear it up. Looks bacterial to me.

sfin52 · May 25, 2019

i agree

Flippers4pups said:
If it's bacterial from the rocks, a UV unit will clear it up. Looks bacterial to me.

if it was sediment it would have settled or filtered out. Algea would have turned water green tint. Bacteria would explain why still cloudy.

Mastiffsrule · May 25, 2019

Personally I would determine if the tank is right for your friend. Not everyone is right for the hobby. I would ask him first if he wants to continue regardless of tank condition. If he is wants to continue his effort I am sure a solution will present itself

rushbattle · May 25, 2019

I think a powerfilter pile clear this right up unless it’s microbubbles.

Super easy, just put quilt batting on the intake of a pump in the tank.

KorD · May 26, 2019

What is your friend feeding the fish? If it is Mysis then it could be fatty acids. I rinse the Mysis twice before feeding my fish. I had cloudy water from just adding chunks defrosted to my tank. After I started rinsing it the water cleared up within a week.
Oh and I used a shot of water clearing stuff.

Hermie · May 26, 2019

at first glance I would say install UV clarifier

Rilo · May 26, 2019

I'd put a carbon into your filter and rinse it every once and awhile. Look at how dirty your carbon gets after the rinse. It's how I got my cloudiness to go away. But the cloudiness for me was dust that didn't settle with a mix of bacterial bloom.

Whats your friend running on his system? Give us an update