Cloudy Water

wsboyette · 06/29/2020, 07:20 PM

The water in my tank was not as clear as I wanted it to be, so I placed a bag of carbon in the motor filter to clarify it further. In a few hours the water had become way cloudier, so that carbon must have been the cause. It was really old carbon that I had had sitting around for years. Now knowing that ammonia can cause cloudiness, I checked it and it is zero. Could that old carbon be the cause of it ?

Sk8r · 06/29/2020, 07:45 PM

Is this a cycled and operating marine tank? Was the carbon dusty or dirty, and did you wash it before using it.

wsboyette · 06/29/2020, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sk8r

Is this a cycled and operating marine tank? Was the carbon dusty or dirty, and did you wash it before using it.

No, the carbon had been rinsed. It really puzzles me, as I thought carbon was supposed to help clarify the water. The tank has been cycled (was done last month), and I now have six fish in it.

Sk8r · 06/29/2020, 07:52 PM

Mmm. Wondering if you've got a bacterial bloom going on. Thing to pay attention to is oxygenation. Have you got the skimmer running?

wsboyette · 06/29/2020, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sk8r

Mmm. Wondering if you've got a bacterial bloom going on. Thing to pay attention to is oxygenation. Have you got the skimmer running?

No skimmer on this tank; but there is plenty of aeration, as I have two big 300 gph hang-on-back motor filters running. I wanted a skimmer, but there is nowhere in this stand for a sump and I have not been able to find a satisfactory hang-on-back unit that will fit the setup.

Sk8r · 06/29/2020, 08:03 PM

Aeration by any means. This likely will clear gradually. Being a new tank it does not have the full capacity to process that it will have as it matures. Be stingy with the food until this clears up. The tank has enough to handle without food adding to the mix. You might add some very fine filter medium to see if it IS a bacterial bloom. The other possibility is dust from the sandbed, which can take a while to settle---in that case the bacteria need to coat every particle to settle the dust down and make it stay put.

06/29/2020, 07:20 PM	#1
wsboyette Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: N.E.N.C. Posts: 140	Cloudy Water The water in my tank was not as clear as I wanted it to be, so I placed a bag of carbon in the motor filter to clarify it further. In a few hours the water had become way cloudier, so that carbon must have been the cause. It was really old carbon that I had had sitting around for years. Now knowing that ammonia can cause cloudiness, I checked it and it is zero. Could that old carbon be the cause of it ? __________________ Oh..... Fishy Fishy Fishy FISH ! Current Tank Info: 60 Gallon Fish-Only With Dry Rock, Filtration: Aquamaxx HOB Filter/Skimmer & Aqua-Tech 30-60 300 GPH HOB Motor Filter, Livestock: Coral Beauty and Maroon Clown Last edited by wsboyette; 06/29/2020 at 07:52 PM.

06/29/2020, 07:45 PM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Is this a cycled and operating marine tank? Was the carbon dusty or dirty, and did you wash it before using it. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

06/29/2020, 07:52 PM	#4
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Mmm. Wondering if you've got a bacterial bloom going on. Thing to pay attention to is oxygenation. Have you got the skimmer running? __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

06/29/2020, 08:03 PM	#6
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Aeration by any means. This likely will clear gradually. Being a new tank it does not have the full capacity to process that it will have as it matures. Be stingy with the food until this clears up. The tank has enough to handle without food adding to the mix. You might add some very fine filter medium to see if it IS a bacterial bloom. The other possibility is dust from the sandbed, which can take a while to settle---in that case the bacteria need to coat every particle to settle the dust down and make it stay put. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.