what am i doing wrong?

srayna1 · 04/30/2009, 06:14 PM

Over the past couple of weeks I have been having problems with an algae film on the glass of my tank. I come home from work every day and have a thick brown film all over the glass in the tank. I scrape it off in the morning and afternoon and my water is constantly cloudy. Im running carbon, and rowaphos in filter bags, my nitrates are between 0-5, and im using RO/DI water. I do weekly water changes. MY water is constantly cloudy and im starting to get frustrated. What am i doing wrong? Please help.

davewbush · 04/30/2009, 06:15 PM

How old is your set up?

srayna1 · 04/30/2009, 06:17 PM

my set up is 3 months old

spleify · 04/30/2009, 06:19 PM

Would be able to provide us with your current params?

Aquarist007 · 04/30/2009, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by srayna1
Over the past couple of weeks I have been having problems with an algae film on the glass of my tank. I come home from work every day and have a thick brown film all over the glass in the tank. I scrape it off in the morning and afternoon and my water is constantly cloudy. Im running carbon, and rowaphos in filter bags, my nitrates are between 0-5, and im using RO/DI water. I do weekly water changes. MY water is constantly cloudy and im starting to get frustrated. What am i doing wrong? Please help.

is it cloudy white or cloudy greenish. If the latter then it could be a diatom bloom you are experiencing. It this is a newly estabished tank then this is a natural event due to an abundance of silicates in the tank. something that should decline over time

If this is an alage bloom then it could be caused by phosphates and nitrates in the tank
Are you using tap water at all or heavy feeding of flake foods?

davewbush · 04/30/2009, 06:19 PM

What are you using for flow in the tank? Do you have a sump? What kind of filters do you have?

srayna1 · 04/30/2009, 06:32 PM

I do not have a sump. MY filtration is a hob skimmer, a aquaclear filter with nothing in it except a bag of carbon and a a bag of rowa phos. 90 lbs of live rock. My current parameters salinity 1.024 alk 8dkh amonia 0 nitrite0 nitrate 0-5 calcium 400. Im runing 2 mod mj. The water is definetly not whiteish cloudy. I would say more brownish green. I cut way back on feeding 2 weeks ago thinking this could be the problem, but no change.

davewbush · 04/30/2009, 06:40 PM

I think capn_hylinur answered it for you. Give it time. Are you using ro/di water for your changes?

srayna1 · 04/30/2009, 06:43 PM

yes ro di water. It sucks that my tank is always cloudy. Is there anything else that i can do?

davewbush · 04/30/2009, 06:57 PM

Could try some mechanical filtration. This may help pull things out of the water. If you use pads of some sort, just us them for a month but clean them every week or two. I use the blue bonded filter pads that come in 3 foot sheets and cut them to fit in my bottom tray of my canister filters. I clean them every two weeks and change them every month.

How offten do you change the carbon and row-phos?

04/30/2009, 06:14 PM	#1
srayna1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Louisiana Posts: 20	what am i doing wrong? Over the past couple of weeks I have been having problems with an algae film on the glass of my tank. I come home from work every day and have a thick brown film all over the glass in the tank. I scrape it off in the morning and afternoon and my water is constantly cloudy. Im running carbon, and rowaphos in filter bags, my nitrates are between 0-5, and im using RO/DI water. I do weekly water changes. MY water is constantly cloudy and im starting to get frustrated. What am i doing wrong? Please help.

04/30/2009, 06:19 PM	#4
spleify Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 9,579	Would be able to provide us with your current params? __________________ Make it a Great Day!!!! Current Tank Info: 60 gal SPS cube, with 25 gal refugium, 400W MH, DIY Lumenarc III, DIY skimmer, DIY stand and canopy. 40 breeder LPS with 40 gallon sump, DIY stand, 250W MH

04/30/2009, 06:15 PM	#2
davewbush ... Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: California Posts: 739	How old is your set up?

04/30/2009, 06:17 PM	#3
srayna1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Louisiana Posts: 20	my set up is 3 months old

04/30/2009, 06:32 PM	#7
srayna1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Louisiana Posts: 20	I do not have a sump. MY filtration is a hob skimmer, a aquaclear filter with nothing in it except a bag of carbon and a a bag of rowa phos. 90 lbs of live rock. My current parameters salinity 1.024 alk 8dkh amonia 0 nitrite0 nitrate 0-5 calcium 400. Im runing 2 mod mj. The water is definetly not whiteish cloudy. I would say more brownish green. I cut way back on feeding 2 weeks ago thinking this could be the problem, but no change.

04/30/2009, 06:40 PM	#8
davewbush ... Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: California Posts: 739	I think capn_hylinur answered it for you. Give it time. Are you using ro/di water for your changes?

04/30/2009, 06:43 PM	#9
srayna1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Louisiana Posts: 20	yes ro di water. It sucks that my tank is always cloudy. Is there anything else that i can do?

04/30/2009, 06:57 PM	#10
davewbush ... Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: California Posts: 739	Could try some mechanical filtration. This may help pull things out of the water. If you use pads of some sort, just us them for a month but clean them every week or two. I use the blue bonded filter pads that come in 3 foot sheets and cut them to fit in my bottom tray of my canister filters. I clean them every two weeks and change them every month. How offten do you change the carbon and row-phos?