White swirls in water before and during cycle

[Dweezilz]

After 2 years of video watching and reading posts I finally filled my reefer 250 with water (RODI water, 0 TDS, 1.024 salinity, IO, Arag-Alive Special Grade sand, 'Real Reef' brand rock and Caribsea Life Rock). I delayed so long that the Fritz Turbo Start 900 had expired so I had to wait 2 weeks for another while the water was in the tank. I was testing my protein skimmer during this time as well as powerheads etc... I made sure the water was circulating and filtering. Water was clear but then I noticed it got cloudy after a week. It looks like tiny little white dots. I thought micro bubbles but they seem too small and it doesn't go away when the skimmer and powerheads are off. I do not see anything in the sump which looks clear. I can't tell if it's coming from the return output. To be clear this is before cycling or adding anything...just the saltwater in the tank when it appeared. It's still there a day after dosing ammonia and adding the Fritz. Could this be from the special grade arag-alive sand? Bacteria? Bubbles? Need help to know if this is something to worry about. Here is a video of it:

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[blaxsun]

Did you add the clarifying packet that came with the sand? The "alive" stuff can be pretty filthy initially, so you may want to try changing your filters as well (I ran 100-micron filter socks for the first while).

 

[MnFish1]

After 2 years of video watching and reading posts I finally filled my reefer 250 with water (RODI water, 0 TDS, 1.024 salinity, IO, Arag-Alive Special Grade sand, 'Real Reef' brand rock and Caribsea Life Rock). I delayed so long that the Fritz Turbo Start 900 had expired so I had to wait 2 weeks for another while the water was in the tank. I was testing my protein skimmer during this time as well as powerheads etc... I made sure the water was circulating and filtering. Water was clear but then I noticed it got cloudy after a week. It looks like tiny little white dots. I thought micro bubbles but they seem too small and it doesn't go away when the skimmer and powerheads are off. I do not see anything in the sump which looks clear. I can't tell if it's coming from the return output. To be clear this is before cycling or adding anything...just the saltwater in the tank when it appeared. It's still there a day after dosing ammonia and adding the Fritz. Could this be from the special grade arag-alive sand? Bacteria? Bubbles? Need help to know if this is something to worry about. Here is a video of it:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

OK - so it's a little unclear - in your post - you said - this was before adding anything. I'm assuming though - it didn't start right after adding salt to the tank, right? Second - I'm assuming it didn't start after adding the turbo start, right? (On your video it says after adding turbo start.

Anyway - did you try turning off your ALL of your pumps including your return pump? I.e. could your return pump be sucking small amounts of air?

There should be no reason that your sump is clear and your tank is cloudy (lets say it was a bacterial bloom or some other precipitate) - unless you're just not noticing it as much in the sump because of the lighting, width, etc.

The most likely thing given what you said - is air being sucked somehow into your return pump - or a bacterial bloom that will resolve on its own IMHO.

EDIT - as @blaxsun stated (His post popped up as I was typing) - could also be from the sand - but then I would have expected the problem to have happened immediately when you added it to the water - not some days later.

Good luck - welcome to R2R

 

[Dweezilz]

OK - so it's a little unclear - in your post - you said - this was before adding anything. I'm assuming though - it didn't start right after adding salt to the tank, right? Second - I'm assuming it didn't start after adding the turbo start, right? (On your video it says after adding turbo start.

Anyway - did you try turning off your ALL of your pumps including your return pump? I.e. could your return pump be sucking small amounts of air?

There should be no reason that your sump is clear and your tank is cloudy (lets say it was a bacterial bloom or some other precipitate) - unless you're just not noticing it as much in the sump because of the lighting, width, etc.

The most likely thing given what you said - is air being sucked somehow into your return pump - or a bacterial bloom that will resolve on its own IMHO.

EDIT - as @blaxsun stated (His post popped up as I was typing) - could also be from the sand - but then I would have expected the problem to have happened immediately when you added it to the water - not some days later.

Good luck - welcome to R2R

So to be clear..here is what I did:

1. Put the rock in an empty tank and it sat that way for 6 months
2. Put in the 3 bags of sand and liquid in the sand as instructions said to do. I did not put in the 'free clarifier' as I read it was optional
3. Made my 0 TDS RODI water with Spectrapure MaxCap 90 and put it into cleaned brute trash can
4. Put appropriate amount Instant Ocean in trash can along with a powerhead and heater (78F)
5. Mixed for 24 hours
6. Two days later put the saltwater at 1.024 salinity in to tank
7. Ordered new Fritz 900. DID NOT PUT THE OLD ONE IN.
8. Turned on skimmer, powerhead, return pump, Tunze ato with fresh RODI water
9. Water was clear for a week, then cloudy so turned off skimmer for a day...still swirling. Turned off powerheads too for a day...still white swirling. Turned off return pump for an hour and it settled but didn't go away. Turned return on...still swirling. Changed the outlet from locline to red sea origial...still swirling.
10. New Fritz arrived 2 weeks later
11. Skimmer was still on and started working properly after the 2 weeks. Keep in mind, water has that white stuff circulating since after first week or so
12. Turned off skimmer and removed filter socks and marine pure square from sump
13. Dosed to 2ppt ammonia (Fritz-zyme)as instructed
14. Added Fritz Turbo Start 900 yesterday hoping white swirling stuff would go away
15. Posted this question here

Sump is at 8" and return chamber just above 6 inches. Return pump (Eheim compact pro) completely submerged. No air leaks at least up to the return in overflow.

Sump appears clear and I have an LED bar in there but I do not see stuff in the water column from what I can tell. As you said it could be there too but I just can see it without daylight going through.

The video name is bad...I just named it that because it was the video I took after adding the Fritz but I have a video from before adding it that looks exactly the same.

 

[Dan_P]

So to be clear..here is what I did:

1. Put the rock in an empty tank and it sat that way for 6 months
2. Put in the 3 bags of sand and liquid in the sand as instructions said to do. I did not put in the 'free clarifier' as I read it was optional
3. Made my 0 TDS RODI water with Spectrapure MaxCap 90 and put it into cleaned brute trash can
4. Put appropriate amount Instant Ocean in trash can along with a powerhead and heater (78F)
5. Mixed for 24 hours
6. Two days later put the saltwater at 1.024 salinity in to tank
7. Ordered new Fritz 900. DID NOT PUT THE OLD ONE IN.
8. Turned on skimmer, powerhead, return pump, Tunze ato with fresh RODI water
9. Water was clear for a week, then cloudy so turned off skimmer for a day...still swirling. Turned off powerheads too for a day...still white swirling. Turned off return pump for an hour and it settled but didn't go away. Turned return on...still swirling. Changed the outlet from locline to red sea origial...still swirling.
10. New Fritz arrived 2 weeks later
11. Skimmer was still on and started working properly after the 2 weeks. Keep in mind, water has that white stuff circulating since after first week or so
12. Turned off skimmer and removed filter socks and marine pure square from sump
13. Dosed to 2ppt ammonia (Fritz-zyme)as instructed
14. Added Fritz Turbo Start 900 hoping white swirling stuff would go away
15. Posted this question here

Sump is at 8" and return chamber just above 6 inches. Return completely submerged. No air leaks at least up to the return in overflow.

Sump appears clear and I have an LED bar in there but I do not see stuff in the water column from what I can tell.

The video name is bad...I just named it that because it was the video I took after adding the Fritz but I have a video from before adding it that looks exactly the same.

I wouldn’t worry about. Proceed with the cycling.

 

[Dweezilz]

I wouldn’t worry about. Proceed with the cycling.

Yeah I think for now I'll let it cycle, do the testing and then when it's done see how it is. I hope it goes away!

 

[Dan_P]

Yeah I think for now I'll let it cycle, do the testing and then when it's done see how it is. I hope it goes away!

This is a little hiccup in the set up process. Not to put you off or anything, just want to mention other things can go ”wrong” down the road. Stay cool.

 

[MnFish1]

So to be clear..here is what I did:

1. Put the rock in an empty tank and it sat that way for 6 months
2. Put in the 3 bags of sand and liquid in the sand as instructions said to do. I did not put in the 'free clarifier' as I read it was optional
3. Made my 0 TDS RODI water with Spectrapure MaxCap 90 and put it into cleaned brute trash can
4. Put appropriate amount Instant Ocean in trash can along with a powerhead and heater (78F)
5. Mixed for 24 hours
6. Two days later put the saltwater at 1.024 salinity in to tank
7. Ordered new Fritz 900. DID NOT PUT THE OLD ONE IN.
8. Turned on skimmer, powerhead, return pump, Tunze ato with fresh RODI water
9. Water was clear for a week, then cloudy so turned off skimmer for a day...still swirling. Turned off powerheads too for a day...still white swirling. Turned off return pump for an hour and it settled but didn't go away. Turned return on...still swirling. Changed the outlet from locline to red sea origial...still swirling.
10. New Fritz arrived 2 weeks later
11. Skimmer was still on and started working properly after the 2 weeks. Keep in mind, water has that white stuff circulating since after first week or so
12. Turned off skimmer and removed filter socks and marine pure square from sump
13. Dosed to 2ppt ammonia (Fritz-zyme)as instructed
14. Added Fritz Turbo Start 900 yesterday hoping white swirling stuff would go away
15. Posted this question here

Sump is at 8" and return chamber just above 6 inches. Return pump (Eheim compact pro) completely submerged. No air leaks at least up to the return in overflow.

Sump appears clear and I have an LED bar in there but I do not see stuff in the water column from what I can tell. As you said it could be there too but I just can see it without daylight going through.

The video name is bad...I just named it that because it was the video I took after adding the Fritz but I have a video from before adding it that looks exactly the same.

I would proceed with the cycling as @Dan_P said - I would consider adding the clarifier that came with the sand. But - it doesn't appear that the problem is at all related to cycling. In looking at the video again - it looks (to me) more like micro bubbles.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I used the CaribSea Ocean Direct Fine Oolite Caribbean Live Sand Substrate, and it clouded up the water, and had a surface foam too I used pre-mixed saltwater. I didn’t see the Clarifier packets at first. You have to follow the instructions on the packets for it to work. Put mine in a clean jar, with water from the tank, shook the jar and added to the return stream. Still get some foam, along the edges, I just distribute it so overflow can pick it up. You could try another Clarifier for Saltwater.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Maybe your sand is just to fine to settle, you say it went clear for one week (was this with/from no motion in aquriam/powerheads etc)
I think my aquarium was cloudy for about 2 days with live caribea sand, even now after a year I get dust when raking sand
Just a thought but maybe check your purchase of sand

 

[Dweezilz]

Maybe your sand is just to fine to settle, you say it went clear for one week (was this with/from no motion in aquriam/powerheads etc)
I think my aquarium was cloudy for about 2 days with live caribea sand, even now after a year I get dust when raking sand
Just a thought but maybe check your purchase of sand

It was cloudy right after I put the water in as it stired the sand up but then was clear the next day for maybe 3 or 4 days. It's possible it never was super clear and just seemed so to me after the initial cloud. It's the special grade arag-alive so not super fine but has a mix of sizes. We will see how it's doing in a week.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Yes my sandstorm happend to begin when I first added sand, it took 3 days to clear, then nearly 2 months after I also had a sandstorm when I added power heads, skimmers and aquascape. Took abit longer to clear but I was washing out filters constantly

 

[Dweezilz]

Figured I'd share a full photo. From the front it doesn't look as bad just from the sides. Lights on just for the photo. No direct sunlight either.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Looks very similar

 

[Dweezilz]

I found this review for my return pump the Eheim Compact+ 3000 which came with my used Reefer 250. This sounds VERY familiar. This has to be the issue as it's exactly how I would describe how it looks...like millions of tiny specs that look like dust. I did get a free backup as well so I'll throw that on and see how it is. Otherwise, looks like a new pump. Not an expense I wanted right now that's for sure!

 

[Rick's Reviews]

I found this review for my return pump the Eheim Compact+ 3000 which came with my used Reefer 250. This sounds VERY familiar. This has to be the issue as it's exactly how I would describe how it looks...like millions of tiny specs that look like dust. I did get a free backup as well so I'll throw that on and see how it is. Otherwise, looks like a new pump. Not an expense I wanted right now that's for sure!

Yes sounds/ looks familiar but this was from 2014, if your Eheim is dated from same time period then possibly, I still say your sand is too fine, best of luck

 

[Dweezilz]

Yes sounds/ looks familiar but this was from 2014, if your Eheim is dated from same time period then possibly, I still say your sand is too fine, best of luck

Mine is from 2016 as I purchased it used as a package with the Red Sea so def the same era model that person was posting about on Amazon. I ordered a Sicce Syncra SDC on sale Wednesday which should be here tomorrow. I was thinking of getting it anyway as the Eheim, while not loud at all, isn't exactly silent either and is used. The sand is a good thought/possibility as well, but my sand isn't fine at all. It's the special grade Caribsea Arag-Alive which BRS and everyone else recommends and it actually fairly large grain. It's possible there could have been small dust in it, but it comes in water so I don't know that it would blow around that much if it did. I think if it was sand it would also wind up in my sump which isn't the case. Anyway, hopefully the new pump will cure the issue!!