Woke up to cloudy water ???

[cracker]

This morning the 180 was cloudy. It was fine last night. Let's see, I add 3 nassarious snails last week & a clean sock. that's it. This tank is over 2 years old. with 4 fish ,A pair of clowns & 2 butterfly's& some snails . that's it .They are all out mooching as usual, no Am No NO3 or Po4. I'm not stressing or anything. I have a 40 gl w/t for today just getting the Salinity right. Should I run some carbon,air stone maybe or carbon?
Also I wanted to add some snails today should I hold off? Thanks !

 

[dimo]

Do you dose anything? Maybe a doser malfunction dump a ton of alk or kalk in the tank?

 

[themcnertney]

Picture please. Do some small water changes. I wouldn't add anything.

 

[Greybeard]

If you've got another place to put those snails, I'd probably delay adding them until you figure out what happened, or it goes away. If your choices are to add them, or let them die, I'd probably go ahead and put them in.

I'd put carbon on it immediately... can't hurt anything, and it can very likely help, depending on what is making the water cloudy.

You mentioned Am No NO3 and Po4. I'd check pH and Temp as well, and verify that any dosing system doesn't look out of whack, but if all of those are OK, it's likely to be either bacteriological, or biological. A dead/dying anemone, spawning from corals, bacterial bloom, something getting chopped up by a wave pump... lots of reasons why water could be cloudy.

Any noticeable smell to the water? Corals looking normal?

 

[Denisk]

If it’s a milky cloudy than I would assume it’s some sort of bacterial bloom. Should go away on its own but photos will help to determine what it really is.

 

[Neo Jeo]

Water changes and carbon to see what happens. Change your filter shock as well if you have one.

 

[Livinlocal]

Do you have any large clams? A clam spawning can also cause cloudy water.

Do you carbon dose? Vodka? Nopox? You could have a bacterial bloom from dosing, and can even happen without carbon dosing.

 

[cracker]

No dosing or anything. it's a FO tank. Temp is normal There is 1 small kenya tree in there& that's it. Just fish & snails & just a few of these ! This tank despite the age hasn't really matured yet." I think "due to such a small bioload. Hoping it's finally starting to cook ! I'm finally seeing some algae thus the snils which I will hold off on for now.
So I'll check PH Get some carbon in there & do the water change & get a pic for Ya . Thanks !

 

[NS Mike D]

fwiw. 2 weeks ago I woke up to the same thing thinking the same stuff that is posted here - loaded up fresh carbon and did a quick water change but it rapidly got worse and my corals went south fast.

later that day I noticed the carbon reactor wasn't running and it turns out the pump's cord was burnt through shorting the tank - that in turn had killed an anemone which in turn crashed the tank.

i am pretty sure a $10 gfci and/or a ground probe would have saved about $300 of corals.

 

[Livinlocal]

fwiw. 2 weeks ago I woke up to the same thing thinking the same stuff that is posted here - loaded up fresh carbon and did a quick water change but it rapidly got worse and my corals went south fast.

later that day I noticed the carbon reactor wasn't running and it turns out the pump's cord was burnt through shorting the tank - that in turn had killed an anemone which in turn crashed the tank.

i am pretty sure a $10 gfci and/or a ground probe would have saved about $300 of corals.

Awe I remember seeing this thread. Sorry to hear that.




To the op: also check your plumbing to make sure no snails are lodged in any pipes causeing them to die.

 

[cracker]

Sorry NS, that wan't good at all ! So my Ph is 8.0(however I'm not real sure of it's accuracy.) I really don't hardly ever use it. My camera told me no pics no pics until I charge it up a bit. Got 3 cups of well rinsed carbon in the overflow. w/t is almost ready.

 

[cracker]

Ok, I got 40 gls in & out of this tank. Water is still a little cloudy not nearly as bad as this morning. Won't show in a pic I think . I have another long shot theory. I have a Big female clown who has been very busy swooshing the sand from under her rock island. The sand is literally piled up on the glass. She "may" have created a silt storm. A long shot I know but a possibility. I will know more in the morning.

 

[tankstudy]

If this was my tank, I'd personally hook up a UV sterilizer just in case it wasn't a silt storm created by your fish. Bacterial blooms happen fast. Sometimes they go away by themselves, other times, you'll have to intervene.

 

[cracker]

I do have an older Huge UV the bulb doesn't have very many hours either. I'm not breaking out that beast unless I have no other choice ! LOL This thing a good 3 ft long.
Any way, the water is still a "little"cloudy But no way near this morning. If it clouds up tomorrow I'll begin to freak then . Thanks for all the insight ! This really is a great forum.

 

[cracker]

well everything is cool today.Water clear again. I have no idea what happened but it's all good !

 

[Porpoise Hork]

It does look like you have a fairly fine aggregate for the sand bed and she may have gotten herself trapped under the rock and made a mess of things getting out.