Very Cloudy Tank - Haddoni Spawning????

[Eagle_Steve]

Need some help ASAP if possible. Either my 3 year old Haddoni is spawning or dying. It is about 18” when fully open, and was fully open about 30 minutes ago. Walked by tank 2 minutes ago and it is cloudy and it looks like the Haddoni is spewing a white cloud along with his weekly poo. Is this spawning or is it on its way out and how do I deal with this?

Massive water change? I have 100 gallons mixed up.

Crank the skimmer up to more of a wet skim? It skins dry and is not going nuts yet.

I have a ton of rox carbon also if needed.

My parameters have been stable in this tank for 3 years, no changes made outside of adding a camera to the sump area and on the outside side of the tank. No new fish or corals either in this tank. I can test and provide parameters if needed, but this cloud might skew them so here is yesterday from my log.

Ammonia - 0 (Red Sea kit)
Nitrites - 0 (Red Sea kit)
Nitrates - 2 on red sea kit and on salifert
Phosphates - .03 on Hanna
Calcium - 420 on Hanna
Alk - 9.2 on Hanna
Mag - about 1300 on Red Sea kit.
Ph - 8.2 on apex and Red Sea kit.
ORP - 380 on apex.

I normally only test the bottom 5 regularly and then nitrites and ammonia once a month just for giggles, and yesterday was that month mark. And these parameters vary very little in this tank.

I also noticed all my corals have feeders out and seem to be loving it.

Please advise ASAP so if this is a bad thing so I can avoid a crash or losses.

Here is a pic of the nem who normally does shrink to poo on tuesdays or Wednesday’s, just this time there is white spewing out.

All most forgot it gets fed on Thursday’s and I feed it fresh clams or fresh shrimp. So last feeding was last Thursday and it was shrimp day. The shrimp should have been fine as I fed my bubble nems a piece each of the same jumbo and they are doing ok in their tank.

Ok here is the pic, it’s the white cloud you can barely see. Looks like smoke and the nem is scrunched up more then usual when it expels it’s waste.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Need some help ASAP if possible. Either my 3 year old Haddoni is spawning or dying. It is about 18” when fully open, and was fully open about 30 minutes ago. Walked by tank 2 minutes ago and it is cloudy and it looks like the Haddoni is spewing a white cloud along with his weekly poo. Is this spawning or is it on its way out and how do I deal with this?

Massive water change? I have 100 gallons mixed up.

Crank the skimmer up to more of a wet skim? It skins dry and is not going nuts yet.

I have a ton of rox carbon also if needed.

My parameters have been stable in this tank for 3 years, no changes made outside of adding a camera to the sump area and on the outside side of the tank. No new fish or corals either in this tank. I can test and provide parameters if needed, but this cloud might skew them so here is yesterday from my log.

Ammonia - 0 (Red Sea kit)
Nitrites - 0 (Red Sea kit)
Nitrates - 2 on red sea kit and on salifert
Phosphates - .03 on Hanna
Calcium - 420 on Hanna
Alk - 9.2 on Hanna
Mag - about 1300 on Red Sea kit.
Ph - 8.2 on apex and Red Sea kit.
ORP - 380 on apex.

I normally only test the bottom 5 regularly and then nitrites and ammonia once a month just for giggles, and yesterday was that month mark. And these parameters vary very little in this tank.

I also noticed all my corals have feeders out and seem to be loving it.

Please advise ASAP so if this is a bad thing so I can avoid a crash or losses.

Here is a pic of the nem who normally does shrink to poo on tuesdays or Wednesday’s, just this time there is white spewing out.

All most forgot it gets fed on Thursday’s and I feed it fresh clams or fresh shrimp. So last feeding was last Thursday and it was shrimp day. The shrimp should have been fine as I fed my bubble nems a piece each of the same jumbo and they are doing ok in their tank.

Ok here is the pic, it’s the white cloud you can barely see. Looks like smoke and the nem is scrunched up more then usual when it expels it’s waste.

Update:

Mouth is back closed, clowns have grabbed the poo and carried it to the overflow as they usually do, nem is starting to expand back out, but tank is super cloudy still. Skimmer just started skimming a little wet.

 

[TexasReefer82]

It certainly could have been a spawn. I'd crank up your skimmer and watch your parameters. Worst case you'll have an ammonia spike. I'd see if it's not cleared up by morning. If it not then I'd perform some water changes.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

It certainly could have been a spawn. I'd crank up your skimmer and watch your parameters. Worst case you'll have an ammonia spike. I'd see if it's not cleared up by morning. If it not then I'd perform some water changes.

If that’s the case I can set my apex to do a 5 gallon water change an hour for the next few hours if that will help. The tank is a 90 with a 40b sump amd seperate 30g fuge. So I have quite a bit of water. Again I have 100 gallons made up, as all my tanks are setup for auto water changes. This tank has a total of 114 gallons of water with sump and fuge, minus rock and water levels.

I also have a few skimmers sitting around that I can throw in the sump and fuge and set wet as they are being used in a large tub right now for the rock I am keeping alive for the 500 build coming sometime when I have time lol. No break-in for them as they are skimming currently.

The large water change scares me as this thing has been so stable and I would hate to upset it.

 

[TexasReefer82]

Obviously you should do whatever you see fit. I don't know how bad the tank really looks. But I've had trochus snails, tuxedo urchin, and giant tube worm all spawn and cloud the water in the entire tank. I did nothing... Just let the skimmer take it out and the other filter feeders have a feast. There were no ill effects and it was completely clear the next morning if not sooner.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Cool. The tank is cloudy but not milk. Like all the fish have cigars lol. Also, the skimmer is going nuts now, so I just ran the line for the collection to the floor drain in the laundry room and moved the ATO feed for the tank over to the saltwater and will let it top off the tank for what the skimmer removes.

That is a water change to an extent but seems like replacing the nasty skim with clean should have less of an impact and makes sense to me. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong in that, just don’t want to have a disaster as this nem is my favorite inhabitant.

 

[TexasReefer82]

I think that's the perfect thing to do for now. Replacing the wet skimmate with saltwater is exactly what I was gonna say. If you have an ammonia test kit I might give it a try if things don't start clearing up soon.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

It is starting to clear up. I am prob helping it out a bit as I kicked up the return and the gyres some to move some more water through the sump and fuge and around the display. The sponges in my sump all have their feeders out for once and I think this is like a buffet for them lol. Hopefully all is well and being as this tank is my original tank from when I got in the hobby hardcore, the last thing I want is something bad to happen. With that said, I foresee no sleep and ammonia getting tested a couple times tonight.

Btw. Thanks for all the help and some reassurance listing out your tanks spawning experiences.

 

[TexasReefer82]

How are things this morning?

 

[Eagle_Steve]

How are things this morning?

Was clear at 2am. Skimmer took out 4.3 gallons in that time and apex replaced it lol. The nem is back to being its normal self, but looks a little more relaxed lol. All other critters seem unaffected as well.

Scary crap though as I have never witnessed that and my oldest fish and coral are in that tank with the nem. But now I know for the future what to do if this happens.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

had the wife send me a pic, as you asking made me curious if it was still back to being happy later in the day, since I left for work at 5 am.

 

[MarinaP]

Do not feed it. Otherwise spawning will become a regular event and your anemone will outgrow your tank fast.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Do not feed it. Otherwise spawning will become a regular event and your anemone will outgrow your tank fast.

Not feeding.....that's not gonna happen lol. I have fed it for the 3 years I have had it and it has grown like a weed, which is what I want. It was maybe 2-3 inches 3 years ago and fully laid out it measures just shy of 18" across. The pic above it is about 12-13" since it is curled up some.

But seriously, thanks for letting me know that, as I did not know regular feedings would lead to regular spawning. My biggest concern of this whole ordeal was what it spawning would do to the tank, and I think I would have been fine just to leave the tank and let filter feeders/corals have a feast. Although being the first time experiencing it, it was a new freak out for sure.

As for outgrowing the tank, it currently has a nice section to grow in and this the tank it is in, is one of my smaller tanks, so I can move to one of my larger tanks if need be, just do not want to as they are all specialized for the corals and fish in them and this is my only real "Mixed Reef" tank. In a way though, it moving to a bigger tank is already the plan. I just have to get off my rear end and get my 500g tank setup and running. The live rock for it has been in the garage in a tub with powerheads, heater and a skimmer for 3 months now and is a starfish and pod haven lol. I really have no excuse now as the acrylic has been polished and the tank has been leak tested. Maybe this will be the driver to get me motivated.

 

[MarinaP]

Our tanks are just not equipped to deal with such massive release of bioload on a regular basis. Maybe your 500g will be able to handle it. I have a 20”+ red haddoni that spawns and I am not a fan of these events.

Good luck and congrats, you have a boy.

 

[MnFish1]

Not feeding.....that's not gonna happen lol. I have fed it for the 3 years I have had it and it has grown like a weed, which is what I want. It was maybe 2-3 inches 3 years ago and fully laid out it measures just shy of 18" across. The pic above it is about 12-13" since it is curled up some.

But seriously, thanks for letting me know that, as I did not know regular feedings would lead to regular spawning. My biggest concern of this whole ordeal was what it spawning would do to the tank, and I think I would have been fine just to leave the tank and let filter feeders/corals have a feast. Although being the first time experiencing it, it was a new freak out for sure.

As for outgrowing the tank, it currently has a nice section to grow in and this the tank it is in, is one of my smaller tanks, so I can move to one of my larger tanks if need be, just do not want to as they are all specialized for the corals and fish in them and this is my only real "Mixed Reef" tank. In a way though, it moving to a bigger tank is already the plan. I just have to get off my rear end and get my 500g tank setup and running. The live rock for it has been in the garage in a tub with powerheads, heater and a skimmer for 3 months now and is a starfish and pod haven lol. I really have no excuse now as the acrylic has been polished and the tank has been leak tested. Maybe this will be the driver to get me motivated.

LOL they are fun to feed. However - you might want to cut back a bit on what you directly feed the anemone. Since they get to be 3 feet in diameter it can be a challenge - and moving them and making sure they stay where you move them can be a big problem. But if thats the plan yeah - I would get your other tank set up quickly -because adding that large an anemone - even to a 500 g tank will require a well cycled tank.