WATER PERFECT, THEN OVERNIGHT/DAY IT BECOMES CLOUDY??

JCSReefing · Apr 18, 2017

My 65 gallon reef has been up and running now for almost 1 ½ years. My water quality has always been very good with no large spikes and crystal clear.

The other day I tested and my alkalinity was 7.5 so I wanted to raise it so I added 25-30ml of BRS 2-part soda ash and its now at 8.8. and the water is SUPER cloudy. In a matter of a day it went from crystal clear to cloudy hazy water. I tested all parameters (except calcium and magnesium) and there are;

Alk: 8.8 dkh

Phos: 0.027

PH: 8.2

Ammonia: 0ppm

Nitrite: 0ppm

Nitrate: .0 ppm

Anyone, have ANY idea what is causing this and how to get it back to normal? I also changed out my carbon/GFO deluxe reactor last night and checked it today on lunch around 1pm CST. And still coudy.

What is going on and what should I do/try??

Thanks,

miyags · Apr 18, 2017

Sounds like a bacterial bloom.

JCSReefing · Apr 18, 2017

Never had anything like this? What can be done if anyting? Good? bad? I did a 20 gallon water change a day ago and still no signs of improvements?

Liquid360 · Apr 18, 2017

I had this happen and lost fish. Total mystery that I was never able to solve. Tons of theories, but in the end it went down to "stuff happens".

miyags · Apr 18, 2017

Some say it will go away on its own, for me I use a uv steriliser to get rid of it. It never hurt any thing in my tank

nervousmonkey · Apr 18, 2017

could be precipitate from the soda ash. That stuff makes water cloudy if it precipitates, but I don't think 30 mL would do that... @saltyfilmfolks ?? Just calling in a friend to see what he thinks and he thinks very well. ;Bookworm;Bookworm;Bookworm

mtraylor · Apr 18, 2017

50% water change will ensure that you don't loose anything from an algae bloom. The only time I had that happen is when I had chollerpa algae that went asexual in the sump.

JCSReefing · Apr 18, 2017

nervousmonkey said:
could be precipitate from the soda ash. That stuff makes water cloudy if it precipitates, but I don't think 30 mL would do that... @saltyfilmfolks ?? Just calling in a friend to see what he thinks and he thinks very well. ;Bookworm;Bookworm;Bookworm

If I didn't add any calcium or magnesium when I added the soda ash is that bad? Can you just add alkalinity without doing the same with calcium?

JCSReefing · Apr 18, 2017

mtraylor said:
50% water change will ensure that you don't loose anything from an algae bloom. The only time I had that happen is when I had chollerpa algae that went asexual in the sump.

I found that I had chaeto that got out of my redugium and pieces are in the tank and wall all stuck in my return pump screen. I cleaned the return pump but could this be the cause of it?

saltyfilmfolks · Apr 18, 2017

nervousmonkey said:
could be precipitate from the soda ash. That stuff makes water cloudy if it precipitates, but I don't think 30 mL would do that... @saltyfilmfolks ?? Just calling in a friend to see what he thinks and he thinks very well. ;Bookworm;Bookworm;Bookworm

I'll warn you I don't tip well.

Yea this makes no sense. Are you dosing any other stuff like buffers or peroxide?

I'd go with the bacterial bloom theory as it's a good all around treatment. Basicly get as much air in the water as possible.
I'd test for ammonia and ph as well. Double check the alk.

And no you can dose either of the big 3 with no worries really. Except too much and out of balance.
But the cloudiness is weird.

Did you dose magnesium before the alk. And how much?

mtraylor · Apr 18, 2017

jcs401 said:
I found that I had chaeto that got out of my redugium and pieces are in the tank and wall all stuck in my return pump screen. I cleaned the return pump but could this be the cause of it?

No you are good there. As one of the reefers suggested above...precipitate can cloud the water. If you added something that can cause that.

JCSReefing · Apr 18, 2017

saltyfilmfolks said:
I'll warn you I don't tip well.

Yea this makes no sense. Are you dosing any other stuff like buffers or peroxide?

I'd go with the bacterial bloom theory as it's a good all around treatment. Basicly get as much air in the water as possible.
I'd test for ammonia and ph as well. Double check the alk.

And no you can dose either of the big 3 with no worries really. Except too much and out of balance.
But the cloudiness is weird.

Did you dose magnesium before the alk. And how much?

No only other thing I had running was kalkeasser through my dosed which is connected to my apex so if it ever was stuck on it would go off if PH ever rose above 8.25 the doser would **** off.
Re tested my alk and it's at 8.8dkh. Calcium is 500ppm and magnesium is 1420 or so which is all pretty normal in my tank.

I just don't get this and it's been 3 days with 20 gallon water change yesterday. I did forget to mention I when I noticed the water I freaked and found a filter sock one of the mesh ones I must have forgotten in the skimz sump for probably 2-3 was and it had some slimy type shot on it so removed right away of course and then did the water change.

JCSReefing · Apr 18, 2017

mtraylor said:
No you are good there. As one of the reefers suggested above...precipitate can cloud the water. If you added something that can cause that.

How or what is that "precipitate" do or mean? Only thing I added was the 30ml of alk (soda ash), 5 ml of iodine and 5ml of trace elements. Went to bed and BAM cloudy butt water so I did the following;

Searched and found a 2-3 wk filter sock I forgot about.
Did a 20 gallon water change
Changed my carbon and Gfo in my deluxe reactor.
Found my chaeto was all stuck mast on my return pump so took apart and got all the chaeto out
Let sit and here I am and still it's cloudy! Do not get this!!!

saltyfilmfolks · Apr 18, 2017

When you put the alk from the two part in it clouds up right?
That's magnesium precipitating out of the water as I understand it. Other Chemicals may do likewise. Thus the question.

So if your dosing a lot of stuff like you are you run that Risk. Most of us aren't real chemists.
What are the trace elements you dosed?

#reefsquad cloudy water might not be bacterial. Chemical?

JCSReefing · Apr 18, 2017

saltyfilmfolks said:
When you put the alk from the two part in it clouds up right?
That's magnesium precipitating out of the water as I understand it. Other Chemicals may do likewise. Thus the question.

So if your dosing a lot of stuff like you are you run that Risk. Most of us aren't real chemists.
What are the trace elements you dosed?

#reefsquad cloudy water might not be bacterial. Chemical?

Just the seacem I think all it says is "trace elements"

saltyfilmfolks · Apr 18, 2017

jcs401 said:
Just the seacem I think all it says is "trace elements"

Hopefully a better chemist than we chimes in. I don't think there's any thing Odd but...

bobman · Apr 18, 2017

how cloudy is it? Still seems bacterial to me but I dont see why. Pretty sure soda ash can cloud the water especially if you add it to fast but I have a hard time seeing it cloud it as bad as you speak of and for more than a few hours at the most. I am going to stick to my gut and say its bacterial not sure how soda ash would cause a bloom but a pic of the tank may help a lot.

JCSReefing · Apr 18, 2017

bobman said:
how cloudy is it? Still seems bacterial to me but I dont see why. Pretty sure soda ash can cloud the water but I have a hard time seeing it cloud it as bad as you speak of.

I mean I can see from front to back and side to side but it's cloudy hazy. And has been since Sunday without any improvements. If it was just the soda ash wouldn't that. E cleared up in a day or so?