Cloudy Water
 

I have had my tank set up for about 2 months and within the past two weeks the water as become quite cloudy. I have tested just about everything possible and it's all apearing to be fine. I also changed out 15 gallons yesterday. Then I changed 15 out today and it's still cloudy! Does anyone have any speculations as to what could cause this?

Is it milky or green? Is a powerhead blowing up some fine sand?

I have turned the lights off for about three days on my tank and the water was clearer afterwards, but I doubt that would work in your case if its milky.

I would have to say the water is more milky. It's not really green at all. I had dosed the tank with Kent Superbuffer-dKH a day or two before the water began to get cloudy. With as much water as I've changed out though, I don't think it had anything to do with the buffer either. I'm really stumped :confused:

Your amonia check out at 0 ppm?

do you have fish that digs? a maroon clown maybe?

Ammonia was at 0. None of my fish really dig. A friend of mine said something could be leaching out of my rock [because it's all natural], but I've had the same rock in the tank since setting it up. So, I don't know why it would just now be doing this.

Snails? When snails spawn, they release egg and sperm in the water column causing it to be milky in appearance.

One thing that you have to know is his tank is brackish. Brandon is trying to pull a fast one on us :lmao:

I'm thinking that there is a chance that the drift wood in the tank could be releasing tannins, but that usually leaves the water brownish. The rock could have something coming off of it, but I doubt that it would last this long. It looked like you had used an aragonite sand, what is the pH of your tank? Do you know your other water parameters?

Good to see you around the boards, by the way.

Did you use tap or purified h2o??? If you used tap the bicarb/carb in the superbuffer could be forcing ca/mg out of solution. Cloudy water in a newer tank does suggest a cycle [biological bloom]...double check your test kits.

Thats true! When the levels are off, they can precipitate calc/carbonate and such out of solution!

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10555536#post10555536 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BrackishBoi [/i]
[B]Ammonia was at 0. None of my fish really dig. A friend of mine said something could be leaching out of my rock [because it's all natural], but I've had the same rock in the tank since setting it up. So, I don't know why it would just now be doing this. [/B][/QUOTE]

PM me. :D

The water was tested with my test kits. I know am almost positive they are still good. Every so often I take in a water sample to Aquariums after I test the water to validate my test kits. It has only been a couple weeks since I have last validated my test kits.

This morning I checked his Alk and it was at 3. I did not have time to do the cal but I can check that later tonight.

Was that 3 meq/l or 3 dKH?

Did you get PM from Leigh?

My calcium is at 150

I did get Lieghanne's PM happysak thank you:)
I sent her a reply:D

The Alk of 3 was the number of drops divided by 2.

Btw, the sand I have in the tank is Carib Sea Ecco Complete African Cichlid Sand. I also mixed in a small amount of the crushed coral sand from my old tank to help in the initial cycling.

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10562579#post10562579 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jeeperrs [/i]
[B]The Alk of 3 was the number of drops divided by 2. [/B][/QUOTE]
What test kit?

My tank is clearing up, much thanks to Liegh Anne [okcfishlady]! We decided the cloudiness was probably caused by the bottled bacteria I added to the tank [to help it cycle]. I used the water from my old tank, which already had it's own established colonies of bacteria, to help fill up the new tank . By adding the bottled bacteria to the new tank along with the old water, I incited a bacterial war! The cloudiness was cause by the exploding cells of the losing bacteria [bacteria fight dirty lol!]. Liegh suggested turning off my lights, adding an airstone, and not changing out anymore water. Now, I just wait for a few days and it will clear up. :D

Thanks again Leigh Anne!
:D :D :D

P.S.
Soon I'll be posting pics!!!

It needs to be said over and over again...time and patience, work. Analyz water, decide if any toxins could have been introduced and if all is good then let time fix it. If no livestock are dying, there just isn't a big rush. The less chemicals you add to your tank the better off you are. Glad it is getting better.

Well, I guess my suggestion would have worked. I did not know the reason it clears up, but have experienced a bloom that looked a little green and turning off the lights cleared it up.

Prater,
Now I guess we all know no lights is a good regimen for both green and milky water lol!

My water is even clearer today I can see almost to the other end of the tank!:D

It's all clear!!! Yea!!!:lol: :D :lol:

:thumbsup: