Milky water!!

55reeforlando · #1 07/07/2006, 10:47 AM

so yesterday i look at my tank and it looks kinda milky. then this morning when i get up it is very milky and some of the lps has begun to die(its like snot and the skin coming off). i just did a water change at the beginning of the week (25 gallons on a 100 gallon system). im not really sure what caused this. i had a similar situation happen to me when i lost everything in my tank due to some caulerpa going sexual. however since then i only have chaeto in my fuge. is it possible that the cheato went sexual? if a cucumber dies in the tank could that have been enough to cause this milky water and dying corals sensation? im going to get the water tested at the LFS so i can pinpoint exactly what is going on so i can tell all of you so you can help me figure this out. while im at the LFS i plan on getting another 25 gallons of tropic marin to do another water change. please help. i want to save the corals that are still somewhat ok. thanks!

55reeforlando · #2 07/07/2006, 03:53 PM

bump

socalreefer73 · #3 07/07/2006, 04:20 PM

Maybe youre corals spawned. They spwn in the spring when temp rises and in cycle with the moon... Maybe you're simulating the ocean (and have in the past) a little too well. And maybe the gamete die-off is causeing a massive ammonia spike?

poedag · #4 07/07/2006, 04:25 PM

sonds like a cuke nuke to me, but there is a slight chance somthing spawned. not likely the SPS in the tank, but a BTA or large clam perhaps? if nothing like that then i'd say your best bet is the cucumber. there should be a disclaimer on them at LFS. hope this helps.

ps - your water will probably come back looking fine, cukes release toxins and a small amount of ammonia.

socalreefer73 · #5 07/07/2006, 04:52 PM

Run lots of carbon for a while...

tonyscoots84 · #6 07/08/2006, 12:37 AM

i had a major problem one day with milky water... you could not even see through the tank... it was because of hairspray... sisters had the beautician over and were in the basement were my tank is and they were gettin there hair done. 5 BOTTLES of hairspray the beauticians went through..... i wake up next morning and bamn it was so cloudy and there was white stringy things inside the tank everywhere... i couldnt stomach it.... so i worked very hard the next 3 days getting it back to normal.. i started doing 5 gallon water changes on my 75 gallon with 20 gallon sump and noticed nothing... then i did a 15 gallon water change and it cleared it up a little bit.. then i added a diatom filter worked like a charm... water is crystal clear and i did another 15 gallon water change... and everything lived........

nemo g · #7 07/08/2006, 12:41 AM

have you changed ANYTHING? even a cabon swap can cause carbonate precipitation and milk up the water.

add anything to the water?

something die? cukes (snails in general) can and do foul up the water when they bid us goodbye.

fortunately, milky is harmless in most situations, unless its due to an ammo/nitrite spike or some dead material.

run some standard tests and post some numbers.

ie.
calc
alk
ammo
trite
trate

good luck

55reeforlando · #8 07/08/2006, 11:08 AM

thanks everyone for the help. i did a 25 gallon water change yesterday and removed the dead corals. i left some in that were not that bad hoping they would come back. went to the LFS yesterday and we tested my water here is what we found:
ph= around 7.9-8 (but the water had been in my car most of the day)
calcium= 460
alk= 2.63
mag= 1380
ammonia= not detectable
phosphate= not detectable

they (LFS) told me that the combination of the low ph and the low alkalinity relative to how stocked my tank is could cause the coral to die and start a chain reaction. i was surprised to see no ammonia or phosphate as i was almost certain that one of these was responsible. any ideas?

K-Dubbs · #9 07/08/2006, 11:16 AM

its not the marine snow associated with too much kalkwasser is it?