Is cloudy water always a bacterial bloom?

[snorkeler]

Hello, I just arrived home to find my tank's watersomewhat cloudy. Did some research and from what I've got until now this happens due to bacterial blooms.

Is that correct or did I not dig enough?

Assuming it is a bacterial bloom, would the cause be too much food given to my creatures? I have increased food giving because of 2 peppermint shrimp I added recently, because they looked and gehaved quite hungry. But, I didn't increase the food too much. Is the balance of adding food and water getting cloudy very delicate?

snorkeler

(tank stats in signature)

[jenglish]

they have changed the format somewhat and tank stats are not in the signature, at least I cannot see them.

Bacterial bloom is one reason.

Adding substrate or something stiffing it if it was not rinsed.

Minerals precipitating can also cause cloudiness, such as getting your Ca.kH.Mg out of whack through dosing.

But of these bacterial blooms seem to be what is the most common

[HighlandReefer]

a whitish cloudy water is usally bacteria IME unless you are having a precipitation event. If the cloud is green, then it would be more algae than bacteria.

[snorkeler]

I think I fixed the signature now.... tank parameters should have appeared now.

The clouding is white-ish. About Ca/Alk: I have high Ca (600) but low Alk (~2.2meq/L) and I'm adding a tablespoon of buffer per day, but Alk is raising veeeery slowly... I don't think it is because of the buffer, as the last time I added it was yesterday night.

[HighlandReefer]

Do you know the content of the buffer? Are you adding one tablespoon at one time?

[snorkeler]

The buffer is composed of bicarbonate salts, borates and trace elements.

Yes, I'm adding one tablespoon at a time, very slowly. Only one per day,every day (except today as I'm a little concerned with this white-ish look of the water).

[HighlandReefer]

Your buffer seems to be primarily baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) which does not drive up your pH which is what it usually takes to start a precipitation event (snow storm). Borates and trace elements are not necessary IMHO if you are doing water changes regularly. Therefore, I would be surprised if you have a heavy precipation problem going on.

My best guess would be that you are overfeeding and this caused the bacterial bloom.