Cloudy Water in 2 week old tank normal?

[Mr.Tan]

Hi guys, New here and have a quick question for all you experts!


So i have newely established 30 gallon tank. It has live sand and about 10lbs of live rock and the rest is just dry rock (will eventually be replaced with live as money comes in). Levels are good, Nitrite is still one notch above 0ppm, however ammonia and PH and Nitrate are good... My question is that the tank has gotten a tad bit cloudy, noticed it last week. It cleared up from the initial start of adding sand etc.. and was looking good and then it started to get a little cloudy again which has me concerned. I have 4 hermit crabs and 4 snails along with 2 green chromis and 1 starry blenny which are all doing fantastic and are eating and breathing normally (no heaving breathing which i have seen in tanks with high levels).


I did add some special blend (if you are all familiar with it) to help with the cycle process when i first set it up 2 weeks ago..... Is this cloudyness normal? I mean, i read it could be part of the cycle but I am not 100% sure. I did a 10% water change over the weekend and checked my levels and they still seem the same...

I am a bit confused and could use everyones help. Have a charcoal filter in the filter itself and powerhead going. Protein skimmer to come in a week when i get paid.


I have had experience in the past with a saltwater tank, but i do nto remember this part (has been 8 years!)

[Sugar Magnolia]

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>

It's pretty normal, running carbon will help. I'm more concerned that you already have livestock in a tank that is just beginnning to cycle. I'd suggest removing your livestock and letting the tank continue to cycle. With only 10 pounds of LR it's going to take weeks for the beneficial bacteria population to establish itself to handle the nitrogen cycle. And, there's no reason to replace your dry rock with new LR for two reasons...

1) The dry rock you added will eventually become colonized with nitrifying bacteria and critters from your existing LR.
2) Every time you ;place a new piece of LR into the tank you will be taking the risk that you may start another cycle in the tank. Unless, of course, you are 100% sure that the LR you are purchasing is FULLy cured.

[disc1]

If it's only two weeks old it should not have any fish in it for sure. Are you seeing cloudiness from the sand being blown around or is it more like a bacterial bloom. The cycle may have kicked off too fast.

BTW, no need to replace dry rock with Live Rock when money comes in. By that time the dry rock in the tank will have become live.

[rays2k]

It could just be because your tank hasn't finished cycling yet. Usually you should wait until there's no nitrite detectable before adding livestock because it could mess with the cycling process.

[rays2k]

I just noticed that you used dry rock. Like the others said, you should remove the livestock and let the tank cycle. If not you may end up regretting it. The first sw tank I ever set up wasn't allowed to go through the cycle, and that tank ended up being a nightmare.

[Mr.Tan]

Thanks for all of the replies! I was afraid that the livestock in the new tank was going to be a problem.. I was mis-informed then by a friend of mine who has a saltwater tank and has for a year or so now (his tank is fantastic and he added fish around the same time i did?).... I dont know what to do with the fish? I can't return them because the place that I got them from will take them back, but not give me any money for them, so i basically will be giving them back fish that I just got which they will re-sell and make double profit.

My friend has the same fish and established tanks with some large ones that I feel will bother mine and drive them to death.

Is there anything I can do besides this? I wish i would have checked and come in here from the start, I guess im still stuck on how the freshwater tank phases and how I could put fish in within a week and they were fine (had a gourami in my old freshwater tank i put in within a week and he lived over a year and is still alive, i just donated him to the LFS).



The cloudyness isn't from the sand, that is all settled and isn't being kicked up at all. Atleast it seems that way, its been about 2 weeks since i first put it in.

As for the dry rock eventually becoming like live rock is awesome, i didn't think it would work out like that.

I added something called special blend which i was under the impression that it is supposed to help with the bacterial growth since it is basically a bottle of living bacteria. It smelled god awful when i opened the bottle haha
Thanks again!

[potterjon]

How big is the tank you are talking about? I don't see any reason to take the fish back at this point. People used to cycle their tanks with fish all the time, although it is not needed. The chromis are hardy and should make it. The blenny could be suspect though. After all, you have to have some waste to start the cycle. You just started it all too fast. One fish would have been enough. The cloudiness you see could be an algae bloom, or it could be ammonia, but you aren't registering that on your test kit. My vote goes to an algae or diatom bloom.

[potterjon]

by the way, I would get some more rock and make sure it's live. This will be better than any stuff in a bottle that you can buy.

[Mr.Tan]

How big is the tank you are talking about? I don't see any reason to take the fish back at this point. People used to cycle their tanks with fish all the time, although it is not needed. The chromis are hardy and should make it. The blenny could be suspect though. After all, you have to have some waste to start the cycle. You just started it all too fast. One fish would have been enough. The cloudiness you see could be an algae bloom, or it could be ammonia, but you aren't registering that on your test kit. My vote goes to an algae or diatom bloom.

its a 30 gallon. I mean yeah i remember back in the day when i had my first salt tank that I put fish in around the same time period and didn't have any problems at all.... Ammonia isn't registering at all, so it can't be that i wouldn't think. It looks like tiny tiny particles just floating around in the tank?

I would like to scoop more live rock eventually, just can't now because of money.

[Stomkat]

It is most likely a bacteria bloom. It looks unsightly, but will clear up as the beneficial bacteria settles on the sand and rocks. This bacteria bloom, along with the live rock, will seed the dry rock and make it live.

I don't know what to tell you about the fish though. Fingers crossed that everything makes it through the cycle!

[Mr.Tan]

...

[Mr.Tan]

Alright guys, bit of an update here... Checked all of my levels today, ammonia is 0ppm, PH is 8,2, Nitrite is at .25ppm (was at 2ppm so it is dropping and almost perfect) and i have to re-check my nitrate i forget where it was)..


The tank is still cloudy, i am attaching a picture to help better show what I mean. You can kind of see what i am talking about i hope.. It looks like tiny little particles just floating around in the current, i assume this is still part of the algea bloom? It is rather annoying i must say and hopefully goes away soon! been happening now for about a week.

you can see the cloudyness in the upper portion of the picture better where the light refracts off of it.
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m206/vdubn5/a15da042.jpg

[Mr.Tan]

anyone?

[Stomkat]

I'd run a HOB filter and rinse the floss every day until it clears at this point.

[AquaReeferMan]

Bacterial Bloom. Let it be and it was settle out. Happens in every new system.

[Mr.Tan]

I'd run a HOB filter and rinse the floss every day until it clears at this point.

i'll take this into consideration if it doesnt clear up within a week...thanks :beer:

Bacterial Bloom. Let it be and it was settle out. Happens in every new system.

do these usually last a little while? i've noticed it has been about a week now of this and am growing worried something else might be the culprit.

[Mr.Tan]

welp some good news this morning... Nitrite is down to 0ppm, ammonia is 0ppm, PH level is 8.2 and nitrate is as between 5-10ppm. I know most say nitrate should be 0, but i've been doing a bunch of reading/research and they say that those numbers are nto to bad?

either way, made me feel better. Now i just wish this cloudyness would go away

[Crease123]

Listen to me when I say this: I face the same issues like you as well. My tank cycled, and all of a sudden it turned cloudy. I have purigen/chemi-pure elite/chaeto as my filter, and my water parameters all checked out fine. I did a WC several times, but it didn't help. People told me it's a bacterial bloom, and the best way is to wait it out. I waited for a week, yet the situation did not get better. I did some research and read that a UV sterilizer can help, and I went to buy one and within 1 1/2 days, my water is crystal clear.

IMHO, an UV Sterilizer is one of the most under-rated piece of reef equipment ever. "Experts" like to dismiss them off, however, saying they aren't neccessary. However, when it comes to a tank that seems to remain cloudy no matter what you do, they can be invaluable.

[lordofthereef]

IMHO, an UV Sterilizer is one of the most under-rated piece of reef equipment ever. "Experts" like to dismiss them off, however, saying they aren't neccessary. However, when it comes to a tank that seems to remain cloudy no matter what you do, they can be invaluable.

I am at a different pc, so I don't have the link, but there is actually scientific evidence regarding parasites and UV (which is *usually* what people recommend it for). IMO, THIS is where the UV gets dismissed by "experts" because there is just no evidence that it does much good. Certainly a UV will clear bacterial and algal blooms (and to my knowledge that is the largest application they are used for today). IMO, the UV, in this case, is the old "band-aid" analogy though. There is something fueling the growth of the bloom. Stop the fuel, stop the bloom.

[snorvich]

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>

It's pretty normal, running carbon will help. I'm more concerned that you already have livestock in a tank that is just beginnning to cycle. I'd suggest removing your livestock and letting the tank continue to cycle. With only 10 pounds of LR it's going to take weeks for the beneficial bacteria population to establish itself to handle the nitrogen cycle. And, there's no reason to replace your dry rock with new LR for two reasons...

1) The dry rock you added will eventually become colonized with nitrifying bacteria and critters from your existing LR.
2) Every time you ;place a new piece of LR into the tank you will be taking the risk that you may start another cycle in the tank. Unless, of course, you are 100% sure that the LR you are purchasing is FULLy cured.

Good advice from Adrienne. I would be very careful what rock you add to your tank as it may cause a cycle or it may contain stuff that should not be added (I am talking about other than live rock in the latter case)

[snorvich]

I am at a different pc, so I don't have the link, but there is actually scientific evidence regarding parasites and UV (which is *usually* what people recommend it for). IMO, THIS is where the UV gets dismissed by "experts" because there is just no evidence that it does much good. Certainly a UV will clear bacterial and algal blooms (and to my knowledge that is the largest application they are used for today). IMO, the UV, in this case, is the old "band-aid" analogy though. There is something fueling the growth of the bloom. Stop the fuel, stop the bloom.

Exactly. UV would be helpful in preventing parasites in tanks that share water. For a single tank, there is no evidence that it is beneficial for that purpose. I do use it on my outdoor pond, however, as a water clarifier.

[firewill65]

Mine is doing the exact same thing...just a bunch of crap floating around the tank. I'm not running any kind of media, just 100lbs of baserock and 15lbs of live rock. I just hit the 2 week mark of my cycle...just started getting a decent ammonia reading and nitrates are 5-25 range.

[lacosta28]

:deadhorse1:

[jacob.morgan78]

I know this is an old post but wanted to see how it ended up. How long did it take your cloudiness to go away? The picture you took is exactly what my tank looks like... Any update would be great! Thanks!

[foozed]

Sorry for bumping a post from the past!
Curious too!
I'm in cloudy hell 2 weeks in.

[foozed]

I'm all cleared up. Seems like it coincided with the full cycle.


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