Cloudy water after 1 month

nualln · 10/04/2009, 05:15 PM

Hey everyone.

I've had my tank (20Long) up for about a month and now I've got really cloudy water. Last week the water was so cloudy I could barely see the rockwork. This week it's less cloudy but the black background is still grey.

I've done a water change (8 Gallons) with RODI from the LFS with no luck.

My photoperiod is 9 hours, from noon to 9. I've got a fuge with Chaeto and 2.5" of sand. My lights are 140 watt (2x64) PC. The filter has floss, a bag of carbon and a brillow pad thingy that the guy at the LFS sold me.

My readings are:

pH: 8.3
Salinity: 1.024
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5

I have no fish, so I'm not feeding, and my Turbo snail has been working for about a week on the very little bit of hair algae I have.

Any other information I'm missing?

Pics:

w/ Daylight and Actinics

w/ Daylight only

Brandon55 · 10/04/2009, 05:47 PM

Did you rinse your sand before you put it in the tank? I had that problem when I set up my 55 gallon with brand new sand. I didn't rinse it and it stayed cloudy until I took the sand back out and rinsed it.

nualln · 10/04/2009, 05:49 PM

Did it stay cloudy for weeks? It seems like the filter would catch that stuff.

So how did you go about removing the sand, rinsing it, and putting it back in the aquarium? Did you have to do a total water change afterward?

Aqua Keepers · 10/04/2009, 05:52 PM

I'm guessing it's from the sand, but could be wrong.

Just a tip, lose the filter floss, and a brillow pad thingy that the guy at the LFS sold you.

Brandon55 · 10/04/2009, 05:56 PM

Before I rinsed it, it was so cloudy I couldn't see even 2 inches into the tank. I thought the skimmer and filter would clean it up but they never did. I waited for a week and then I took out the water and sand with a tupperware and put the sand in a couple 5 gallon buckets and mixed it with some regular water and then drained it and repeated till the sand no longer made the water cloudy. Then I put it all back in the tank and within 9 hours my skimmer and filter had the water perfectly clear...

lordofthereef · 10/04/2009, 06:06 PM

Was it always cloudy or did it clear and then cloud back up? After a month's time I would suspect a bacterial bloom more than sand.

Aqua Keepers · 10/04/2009, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordofthereef

Was it always cloudy or did it clear and then cloud back up? After a month's time I would suspect a bacterial bloom more than sand.

That very well could be the issue as well.

DC_40gallon · 10/04/2009, 07:27 PM

Trust me, I was in your boat.

Run a hang on back power filter with a new filter and it will be so crisp you will
drop your jaw daily for a week.

PRDubois · 10/04/2009, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dc_40gallon

trust me, i was in your boat.

Run a hang on back power filter with a new filter and it will be so crisp you will
drop your jaw daily for a week.

+1

matt880305 · 10/04/2009, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DC_40gallon

Trust me, I was in your boat.

Run a hang on back power filter with a new filter and it will be so crisp you will
drop your jaw daily for a week.

+1 also but instead of the power filter i would get a phos reactor and fill it with carbon

fishnut321 · 10/05/2009, 12:39 PM

dude, its probably just a bacteria bloom. The best way to deal with this is actually do nothing...everytime you change the water etc, you are prolonging a baterial cycle. The bacteria will keep growing and clouding your tank until all resources are used up, then most will die off and your tank will clear up. I wouldnt worry about it.

nualln · 10/05/2009, 06:01 PM

Thanks everyone.

I've got 2 power filters cleaning things out, and I have a phosphate reactor filled with carbon.

Bacteria bloom or not, I'll post back in a week or so with an update.

Aqua Keepers · 10/05/2009, 07:45 PM

LOL, I didn't even think of a Bac bloom and that seems the most likely situation. See what being with out a tank can do.

cloak · 10/06/2009, 05:51 PM

I've got some freshwater tanks that I've had for almost twenty years, sometimes when I get a wild hair, start messing with it when I'm shouldn't, I'll get the cloudy water.

"The natural order of things has been compromised."

nualln · 10/06/2009, 11:09 PM

Reactor with carbon cleaned it up overnight. It must have been some kind of sediment thing. Thanks everyone!

10/04/2009, 05:15 PM	#1
nualln Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Tyler, Texas Posts: 132	Cloudy water after 1 month Hey everyone. I've had my tank (20Long) up for about a month and now I've got really cloudy water. Last week the water was so cloudy I could barely see the rockwork. This week it's less cloudy but the black background is still grey. I've done a water change (8 Gallons) with RODI from the LFS with no luck. My photoperiod is 9 hours, from noon to 9. I've got a fuge with Chaeto and 2.5" of sand. My lights are 140 watt (2x64) PC. The filter has floss, a bag of carbon and a brillow pad thingy that the guy at the LFS sold me. My readings are: pH: 8.3 Salinity: 1.024 Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 5 I have no fish, so I'm not feeding, and my Turbo snail has been working for about a week on the very little bit of hair algae I have. Any other information I'm missing? Pics: w/ Daylight and Actinics w/ Daylight only

10/04/2009, 05:47 PM	#2
Brandon55 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 14	Did you rinse your sand before you put it in the tank? I had that problem when I set up my 55 gallon with brand new sand. I didn't rinse it and it stayed cloudy until I took the sand back out and rinsed it.

10/04/2009, 05:49 PM	#3
nualln Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Tyler, Texas Posts: 132	Did it stay cloudy for weeks? It seems like the filter would catch that stuff. So how did you go about removing the sand, rinsing it, and putting it back in the aquarium? Did you have to do a total water change afterward?

10/04/2009, 05:52 PM	#4
Aqua Keepers Moved On Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Clearwater,Fl Posts: 2,915	I'm guessing it's from the sand, but could be wrong. Just a tip, lose the filter floss, and a brillow pad thingy that the guy at the LFS sold you.

10/04/2009, 05:56 PM	#5
Brandon55 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 14	Before I rinsed it, it was so cloudy I couldn't see even 2 inches into the tank. I thought the skimmer and filter would clean it up but they never did. I waited for a week and then I took out the water and sand with a tupperware and put the sand in a couple 5 gallon buckets and mixed it with some regular water and then drained it and repeated till the sand no longer made the water cloudy. Then I put it all back in the tank and within 9 hours my skimmer and filter had the water perfectly clear...

10/04/2009, 06:06 PM	#6
lordofthereef One reef to rule them all Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Leominster, MA Posts: 5,299	Was it always cloudy or did it clear and then cloud back up? After a month's time I would suspect a bacterial bloom more than sand.

10/04/2009, 07:27 PM	#8
DC_40gallon Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,474	Trust me, I was in your boat. Run a hang on back power filter with a new filter and it will be so crisp you will drop your jaw daily for a week.

10/05/2009, 12:39 PM	#11
fishnut321 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Warrensburg, Mo Posts: 763	dude, its probably just a bacteria bloom. The best way to deal with this is actually do nothing...everytime you change the water etc, you are prolonging a baterial cycle. The bacteria will keep growing and clouding your tank until all resources are used up, then most will die off and your tank will clear up. I wouldnt worry about it.

10/05/2009, 06:01 PM	#12
nualln Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Tyler, Texas Posts: 132	Thanks everyone. I've got 2 power filters cleaning things out, and I have a phosphate reactor filled with carbon. Bacteria bloom or not, I'll post back in a week or so with an update.

10/05/2009, 07:45 PM	#13
Aqua Keepers Moved On Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Clearwater,Fl Posts: 2,915	LOL, I didn't even think of a Bac bloom and that seems the most likely situation. See what being with out a tank can do.

10/06/2009, 05:51 PM	#14
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	I've got some freshwater tanks that I've had for almost twenty years, sometimes when I get a wild hair, start messing with it when I'm shouldn't, I'll get the cloudy water. "The natural order of things has been compromised."

10/06/2009, 11:09 PM	#15
nualln Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Tyler, Texas Posts: 132	Reactor with carbon cleaned it up overnight. It must have been some kind of sediment thing. Thanks everyone!