Woke up to cloudy tank - any ideas why?

[SueAndHerZoo]

Hi there.
Yet another mystery in my 92 gallon tank (which will be 11 weeks old on Tuesday). The water parameters have been good for about 8 weeks (except for .05) but I've not been able to keep any coral in there yet. I'm ok with that but I've been trying to solve my microbubble problem for the past few weeks (helps keep me amused while I wait for my tank to be established enough for corals and clams). My fish are all doing great, invertebrates are fine, but feather dusters, corals, and even mussels on live rock don't survive. Not sure why but all I can do is keep waiting I guess.

So last night I was putzing in the sump (changed the sock, cleaned the pre-filter on the outgoing pump, cleaned the skimmer, and removed the tall baffle that separated the skimmer from the chaeto section and the outgoing pump section. I wanted the pump to be in DEEP water, just to see if that would help with microbubbles. I turned the lights off and woke up this morning to a cloudy tank. I think the microbubbles may be gone, but what is this cloudiness?????

[Kdocimo90]

You're not dosing anything are you? Did you change the sock with a brand new one or a cleaned one? If it's a cleaned one, lets up it isn't soap that's causing the cloudiness.

What I did to stop my microbubble problem was put a filter sock on my 2 drain lines, AND skimmer drain (skimmer was the main issue).

[SueAndHerZoo]

Originally Posted by Kdocimo90

You're not dosing anything are you? Did you change the sock with a brand new one or a cleaned one? If it's a cleaned one, lets up it isn't soap that's causing the cloudiness.

What I did to stop my microbubble problem was put a filter sock on my 2 drain lines, AND skimmer drain (skimmer was the main issue).

No, not dosing. I used a new sock that I rinsed in tap water. The problem is ammonia! I typed my post while I was waiting for the test results (this friggin' kit takes 20 minutes for ammonia) and it's already looking real high. I'm now testing my water change water to make sure it's good and I will be doing an emergency, large water change in the next few minutes if the holding barrel water is fine. After that, I'll have to figure out WHY I had an ammonia spike over night. I'll have to take a head count on the fish but in a 92 gallon I can't imagine one dead fish would shoot it up this high, would it???? Stay tuned.... I'm heading back to the test kits and tank.
Sue

[howardchaz]

some of your homemade fish food rotting somewhere behind the rock work?

[SueAndHerZoo]

Originally Posted by howardchaz

some of your homemade fish food rotting somewhere behind the rock work?

Could be but I doubt it -- I feed them such small amounts and it never gets the chance to hit the ground - they suck it right up as it's floating down. The only fish I haven't seen yet today (but haven't been home most of the day) is my diamond goby. Could one newly-dead body really cause an ammonia spike in a 92 gallon in less than 12 hours? The nitrates were only at 20 so I don't think any of the ammonia had even started converting yet when I did the water change.

Will check all levels again in a few hours.

Sue

[SleepyJ]

Did you or somebody else spray glass cleaner near the tank? Is there anything near the tank that contains ammonia?

[SueAndHerZoo]

Originally Posted by SleepyJ

Did you or somebody else spray glass cleaner near the tank? Is there anything near the tank that contains ammonia?

I always use a microfiber cloth with plain water to clean the glass - no glass cleaner near the tank. And the tank is near the dining room and the living room - nothing with ammonia within miles of there. Not to mention, I don't do any house cleaning till Saturday and I woke up to this.

Even the alleged missing fish (diamond goby) has resurfaced so everyone is accounted for.

The only thing I can think of is that I had an anemone in there about a month ago. It always hid under the rocks and I stopped seeing it a long time ago - I assumed it died under the rocks. Maybe it finally just did last night?
Sue

[adambirk]

if this is a newly set up tank that does not have a biological filter established than yes one fish could cause an ammonia spike. also it looks to me like it is a bacterial bloom. and if it is bacterial it is going to suffocate you fish. you need to healily areate your tank. but yes first thing is a big water change. good luck

[epstein]

take a power head and point it towards the surface......a dead anemone will spike a young tank.....tank was way too young for one ......change water and run carbon.......

[SueAndHerZoo]

Originally Posted by epstein

take a power head and point it towards the surface......a dead anemone will spike a young tank.....tank was way too young for one ......change water and run carbon.......

Thanks, Brian. I moved my Vortech up higher on the glass and put it at full speed so I'm getting tons of surface agitation now. The anemone was only about two inches in diameter fully opened and it SEEMED to be healthy for several weeks - it just preferred living under a rock ledge instead of in the light and people told me some types of anemones like to do that.

At the time I bought it didn't consider my tank to be new since the live rock and some of the sand was being taken from my 55. Now I know - no such thing as a simple upgrade - I guess they all still have to cycle.

It's times like this I wish I had my Fluval under there instead of a sump -- I better go figure out where to put some carbon.
Sue

[SleepyJ]

I bought a TLF phosban reactor because of a severe dino infestation. Now that the dinos are gone, I use it as a carbon reactor. It's a great set-up and easy to use. In the meantime, you could always buy bags of carbon and throw them in the sump.

I had a mini cycle when I upgraded my old 15 to my current 75. I had another mini cycle when I added my 20 gal. sump. I didn't lose any livestock, but now I know to be careful of it in the future.

[SueAndHerZoo]

Originally Posted by SleepyJ

I bought a TLF phosban reactor because of a severe dino infestation. Now that the dinos are gone, I use it as a carbon reactor. It's a great set-up and easy to use. In the meantime, you could always buy bags of carbon and throw them in the sump.

I had a mini cycle when I upgraded my old 15 to my current 75. I had another mini cycle when I added my 20 gal. sump. I didn't lose any livestock, but now I know to be careful of it in the future.

Guess I better add a reactor to my shopping list. Probably could have picked one up if I were at the Convention right now.

I have a big container of carbon -- can I just fill some cut off panty-hose with it and toss it in the sump? I didn't think enough water would actually flow "through" the carbon just tossing it in but I guess it's better than nothing, right?
Sue

[Kdocimo90]

Originally Posted by SueAndHerZoo

Guess I better add a reactor to my shopping list. Probably could have picked one up if I were at the Convention right now.

I have a big container of carbon -- can I just fill some cut off panty-hose with it and toss it in the sump? I didn't think enough water would actually flow "through" the carbon just tossing it in but I guess it's better than nothing, right?
Sue

Yes, you can do exactly that. For now, I would put it in some panty-hose, then rinse it under the sink for a few seconds just to get the excess/powdered carbon out of there, then put it in your sump.

I would definitely invest in a reactor though.

[SueAndHerZoo]

Originally Posted by Kdocimo90

Yes, you can do exactly that. For now, I would put it in some panty-hose, then rinse it under the sink for a few seconds just to get the excess/powdered carbon out of there, then put it in your sump.

I would definitely invest in a reactor though.

Thanks for being here for me -- at least I know there's someone else besides me who's not at the conference.

In about 10 minutes I should be able to do a large water change. I've already got a few cups of carbon rinsed and sitting in nylon - after the change I will toss that in the sump, leave the skimmer OFF, and try to head to the casino and at least catch 2 hours of it. Sitting home staring at the tank isn't going to help anything - I do that enough already. I think I need to step away for a few hours, as long as I keep my overflowing skimmer off.
Sue

[Kdocimo90]

Originally Posted by SueAndHerZoo

Thanks for being here for me -- at least I know there's someone else besides me who's not at the conference.

In about 10 minutes I should be able to do a large water change. I've already got a few cups of carbon rinsed and sitting in nylon - after the change I will toss that in the sump, leave the skimmer OFF, and try to head to the casino and at least catch 2 hours of it. Sitting home staring at the tank isn't going to help anything - I do that enough already. I think I need to step away for a few hours, as long as I keep my overflowing skimmer off.
Sue

It does sound like you need a break. Yes, definitely keep the skimmer off for now. Good luck, relax, and have fun . I'm sure with the help of everyone on here, the problem(s) will be solved.

[SueAndHerZoo]

Originally Posted by Kdocimo90

It does sound like you need a break. Yes, definitely keep the skimmer off for now. Good luck, relax, and have fun . I'm sure with the help of everyone on here, the problem(s) will be solved.

OK, off to do the water change, shower, and head to the casino. Maybe I'll take the money I was going to spend on corals, pop it into my favorite video poker machine, and win enough to retire. (Hey - if I'm going to fantasize, it may as well be a great one, right?)

Thanks again - nice to know I'm never alone in this venture.
Sue