Yellow Water Tint on 6-week Old Tank

[David Haldane]

I am about 6 weeks into my cycle. With my tank readily processing 2-3ppm of ammonia in a day, nitrites in a day or two, and nitrates around 100ppm, I recently added a ball of chaeto to suck up some of the nitrates and turned on my UV sterilizer in order to ensure the system wouldn't have any unforeseen issues with UV turned on. Today, I came home and there was a very noticeable yellow tint to my water, and my protein skimmer is making a dark skimmate. Is this an algae bloom? Should I just let this run its course? Any comments on my addition of the chaeto or turning on of my UV? I am currently quarantining two clownfish via TTM, and need to start the 72-day quarantine on my invertebrates after my invert and coral QT finishes its cycle. I have been adding NH4OH to bring the tank up to 2-3ppm every few days to keep the cycle fed.

 

[Boltline]

If it just happen I would it run its course. Try adding come carbon to remove the yellow tint. Look into chemi pure- it would be a quick drop in with your set up.

 

[glb]

Your nitrates are pretty high. I think it’s time for a big water change to bring them down. Do you still get nitrites at this point? Usually towards the end the nitrites are consumed so quickly that they may not register on your test kit. The ammonia to nitrates should happen in 24hrs if I remember right. Even if you change 50% you’ll still 50ppm nitrates, so you’ll have to do more than one water change. Dark skimmate shows that you are removing organic from the tank. Do you dose pure ammonia? As far as the yellow water, let’s ask the #reefsquad.

 

[David Haldane]

I have not done the water change to strip down nitrates yet, perhaps it's time to do one? I figured I'd drag it out as I wasn't adding any fish for quite a while. I am dosing 10% ammonium hydroxide. My nitrites have been going down fairly quickly, I'll typically have little to none in a 24 hour period after dosing ammonia.

 

[dbl]

Agreed on running some carbon. Also agreed on doing some water changes to remove the nitrates. If you are truly processing 2-3 ppm ammonia in 24 hrs, I would stop dosing or adding anything at this point. You can simply ghost feed the tank every couple of days to keep the bacteria active. Just throw a few flakes in.

 

[glb]

I have not done the water change to strip down nitrates yet, perhaps it's time to do one? I figured I'd drag it out as I wasn't adding any fish for quite a while. I am dosing 10% ammonium hydroxide. My nitrites have been going down fairly quickly, I'll typically have little to none in a 24 hour period after dosing ammonia.

It sounds like your cycle is done to me. The high nitrates will continue to go up unless you do a water change. I haven’t a clue about the yellow water. What do you want to get your nitrates down to before you add fish?

 

[Boltline]

Read pass your nitrate levels! I agree w/ the WC. Time to bring them down big time!

 

[David Haldane]

@glb I'd like to get my nitrates under 40ppm. I would think that is on the high end of acceptable?

@all Thanks for the info. Would you recommend a carbon reactor? If yes, any specifics? I'm hesitant to throw anything between my baffles due to flow impedance. I also, just realized I'm not running a filter sock right now, so perhaps I'll throw in a 10um felt sock and see what I strain out.

 

[David Haldane]

woops, 100um!

 

[glb]

@glb I'd like to get my nitrates under 40ppm. I would think that is on the high end of acceptable?

@all Thanks for the info. Would you recommend a carbon reactor? If yes, any specifics? I'm hesitant to throw anything between my baffles due to flow impedance. I also, just realized I'm not running a filter sock right now, so perhaps I'll throw in a 10um felt sock and see what I strain out.

40 would be ok for fish but not coral. IMO I’d really get it down to 15-20 before you add fish. They can handle higher but if you want coral, it will be easier to lower the nitrates at that level. I don’t think you need a carbon reactor, just throw a bag in the sump. Remember that any additive like carbon or gfo will take in some of the beneficial bacteria, but you have so much I wouldn’t worry. Bags of media shouldn’t affect flow. If you have a lot of particulate matter in the water a filter sock will take care of that. Don’t worry about losing good bacteria with the water changes. You could do 2-3 30-40% changes to get started. It will take several. I agree with everyone to stop dosing ammonia. Big water changes are a pain!

 

[David Haldane]

Thanks all!

 

[Flippers4pups]

Agreed, water change and carbon is due.

Sock may help. I'd find some "seed" rock with some coraline algae on it and get it in there as well.

 

[Boltline]

@glb I'd like to get my nitrates under 40ppm. I would think that is on the high end of acceptable?

@all Thanks for the info. Would you recommend a carbon reactor? If yes, any specifics? I'm hesitant to throw anything between my baffles due to flow impedance. I also, just realized I'm not running a filter sock right now, so perhaps I'll throw in a 10um felt sock and see what I strain out.

IMO you don't really need a carbon reactor. Unless you want to geek out and get some new gear for your tank. Just get some carbon for your tank, put it in a mesh bag and drop it in your filter sock. And yes, start running filter socks.

 

[Big G]

I have not done the water change to strip down nitrates yet, perhaps it's time to do one? I figured I'd drag it out as I wasn't adding any fish for quite a while. I am dosing 10% ammonium hydroxide. My nitrites have been going down fairly quickly, I'll typically have little to none in a 24 hour period after dosing ammonia.

Nitrates should be in the 10-20 range. Water changes are your tank's best friend.

 

[Lasse]

I do not understand why it is recommended (if you cycle with chemical NH3/NH4) to continue adding NH3/NH4 when the cycle have started? 2-3 mg/l NH3/NH4 is a huge amount and if it consumed for 24 hours - your system works like a heavy stocked (and heavy feed) fish farm. When once the cycle is started (and especially the sensitive NO2 -> NO3 step) – it is no need to add any more NH3/NH4. Normally, the nitrification bacteria when the cycle is started – goes dormant and there will not be any need of either prolonged chemical treatment with NH3/NH4 or ghost feeding IMO

What’s your PO4 level – the chaeto will not grow and accumulate N (as NO3 from the water) if there is no PO4 in the water.

Have your chaeto start to die? A yellow tint is typical for decaying organic matter – every time I rinse my chaeto refugium– I got yellow water in the bucket I put the harvest chaeto in.

In this case - I would do a couple of WC, put in fish, feed and hence - secure a PO4 source for the Chaeto

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Ron Reefman]

I agree with Lasse!

Your cycle has been up and running. Now it's time to move on and get through some of the diatom, bacteria bloom possibilities.

I'm not a big fan of running carbon or Chemipure or any chemical additive unless you have a serious problem. As Lasse asked, how is you chaeto doing? If it is dying off at all, that could be your source of yellow in the water. Do a water change and see it the yellow is reduced. Test for phosphate and add if needed to help the chaeto grow.

Yellow water isn't a huge threat to anything, so don't panic.

 

[rkpetersen]

The yellow is due to a lot of colored dissolved organic material (CDOM), or as the Germans call it, gelbstoff. It's a potpourri of complex optically active molecules.
They've accumulated because of the large biocapacity you've created with heavy ammonia dosing to cycle the tank.
The heavy ammonia dosing causes massive bacterial proliferation which eventually results in the high nitrate level you're seeing.
But a large percentage of those bacteria will die off as you cut back and eventually stop ammonia dosing, and when they do, they release their organic material to the water.
Adding a UV sterilizer also undoubtedly killed a sizable number of circulating bacteria which further contributes to yellowing.
If your chaeto isn't disintegrating, I doubt it has anything to do with this discoloration.
I would turn off the UV, skim wet, do the water changes and add some GAC (if only temporarily). That will clear it right up.

 

[rkpetersen]

One other thing about gelbstoff. It can result in a surprising degree of light attenuation, particularly in the desirable blue wavelengths.
People have actually reported light shock to corals from increased brightness, after clearing out the yellow water from an established tank.