Cloudy water...almost like smoke in the water

BriggsReef · 03/28/2012, 11:59 AM

I had cloudy water during the cycle and now i have what seems different.

My water is cloudy but it looks almost like smoke. You can actually see the cloudyness getting pushed around.

I hear alot about Microbubbles. Are they so small that you can't actually see the bubbles and it makes the water look cloudy?

Even after my cycle the tank cleared to crystal clean and went cloudy again for 2-3 days.

Since the last clear up we have added a sump/refug with a Reef Octopus Skimmer.

Any ideas on the cloudy issue would be greatly appreciated.

shaginwagon13 · 03/28/2012, 12:03 PM

Are you dosing any supplements or adding any sand?

I had this happen to me once on my last tank. I dosed for my 250 gallon tank in my 50 gallon water change bucket and when I added it to my tank it stayed cloudy for the day. I dunno why that happened or if your dosing anything at all but thats the only experience I have ever had with this problem.

If you have been adding sand, that might also be the problem. Hopefully others can chime in.... I have been fortunate and never really had problems with a cloudy tank.

BriggsReef · 03/28/2012, 12:11 PM

Not dosing the tank doesn't have anything that needs a dosing. And i haven't added any sand.

I might just be overeacting and its another bacteria bloom. But something tells me this is different.

Playa-1 · 03/28/2012, 12:12 PM

I would first shut off all the pumps, powerheads and the skimmer to see if the water clears up after a few minutes. If it does then you are likely dealing with microbubbles. If it doesn't clear up then you could be dealing with water parameters issues or possibly a bacterial bloom.

BriggsReef · 03/28/2012, 12:13 PM

I'm actually noticing the sand is turning a light brown.. I use RO/DI is it possible to have a second Diatoms phase?...i already had a huge bloom 2/3 weeks ago

Playa-1 · 03/28/2012, 12:18 PM

Anything is possible and I was thinking that maybe an electrical device shorting could potentially cloud up the water too. Maybe there's something to the smokey look.

BriggsReef · 03/28/2012, 12:21 PM

Would the electrical issue effect a fish or CUC? everything seems to be healthy and active

bnumair · 03/28/2012, 12:35 PM

could be a bacterial bloom. if it is it will pass soon.

Playa-1 · 03/28/2012, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BriggsReef

Would the electrical issue effect a fish or CUC? everything seems to be healthy and active

Yes, I would think if it were a big enough issue to cloud the water then you would have big problems. It's most likely microbubbles, water parameter issues, bacteria or algae bloom.

BriggsReef · 03/28/2012, 01:26 PM

I'm really starting to think its Diatoms its getting browner after only a few hours...how can this happen!

Playa-1 · 03/28/2012, 01:33 PM

That kind of stuff is normal in a newer tank.

BriggsReef · 03/28/2012, 02:36 PM

a second time? i had a full diatom bloom already

uncleof6 · 03/28/2012, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BriggsReef

Would the electrical issue effect a fish or CUC? everything seems to be healthy and active

Electrical issue? I cannot think of a single electrical issue that would cause the tank to cloud up. It is a bloom either a heterotrophic bacterial bloom (commonly looks like smoke/cloudy) or an diatom bloom of some sort. New tanks are not immune to anything. Even established tanks can have problems. Diatom blooms along with the usual, are driven by silicate levels. Some silica is good--too much is bad. A bacterial bloom would be driven by a sudden increase in dissolved organics.

Doesn't anyone keep a Vortex XL Diatom Filter around anymore? Would clear up the water in just a little while.

BriggsReef · 03/28/2012, 05:45 PM

My tank is now a brown cloud i can't see through to the back anymore

Shoryureppa · 03/28/2012, 07:03 PM

probably a bacterial bloom, but this happened to me when i converted freshwater to brackish and the salinity was too high too fast.

uncleof6 · 03/28/2012, 11:24 PM

Brown sounds like diatoms. Check your water source for high silicates, once the silicate is gone, the bloom will go away. A diatom filter would clear the water rather quickly.

BriggsReef · 03/29/2012, 12:24 AM

Well i used schedule 40 pvc and maybe its something in the pvc glue? i checked around and it was said to be reef safe.

I also used aquarium glue for the baffles.

Could it have something to do with either of those? Or getting a new skimmer up and running?

uncleof6 · 03/29/2012, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BriggsReef

Well i used schedule 40 pvc and maybe its something in the pvc glue? i checked around and it was said to be reef safe.

I also used aquarium glue for the baffles.

Could it have something to do with either of those? Or getting a new skimmer up and running?

Neither of those things. New tank, and nutrients available. There are no "ghosts" causing a bloom. The biggest issue with skimmers, is that in order to save money, folks all too often get one that is too small for the system. Since there are no standards for skimmer sizing "claims" get one that is too big, like 3x. It can be nailed down better than that, but then just using another rule of thumb as well.

BriggsReef · 03/30/2012, 12:44 AM

i got a Reef Octopus 150 so its 2x my size with my 75g DT and 20g long sump/fuge

Its been almost 48 hours and the light make it worse..

When i was up early in the morning to turn the lights on it was bad but not as bad as the night before... After the lights were on for a while it got WORSE than last night. so we are gonna keep them off for a day or 2 and see what happens

Its jut such brown dirty looking water

fishgate · 03/30/2012, 04:32 AM

A UV filter will clear up any bacteria bloom overnight. Wouldn't hurt to have one anyway. get a decent one with slow flow.

03/28/2012, 11:59 AM	#1
BriggsReef Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Easthampton Ma Posts: 226	Cloudy water...almost like smoke in the water I had cloudy water during the cycle and now i have what seems different. My water is cloudy but it looks almost like smoke. You can actually see the cloudyness getting pushed around. I hear alot about Microbubbles. Are they so small that you can't actually see the bubbles and it makes the water look cloudy? Even after my cycle the tank cleared to crystal clean and went cloudy again for 2-3 days. Since the last clear up we have added a sump/refug with a Reef Octopus Skimmer. Any ideas on the cloudy issue would be greatly appreciated.

03/28/2012, 12:03 PM	#2
shaginwagon13 Chartered Accountant Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 2,219	Are you dosing any supplements or adding any sand? I had this happen to me once on my last tank. I dosed for my 250 gallon tank in my 50 gallon water change bucket and when I added it to my tank it stayed cloudy for the day. I dunno why that happened or if your dosing anything at all but thats the only experience I have ever had with this problem. If you have been adding sand, that might also be the problem. Hopefully others can chime in.... I have been fortunate and never really had problems with a cloudy tank. __________________ - Shaginwagon - Current Tank Info: 550 Gallon SPS Reef l 200 Gallon Sump l Skimmer: Vertex Alpha 250 l Return Pump: Reeflo Hammerhead l Tank Circulation: (2) Maxspect Gyre XF280 l Lighting: (3) 400w Halides & (3) AI Hydra 52 HD

03/28/2012, 12:35 PM	#8
bnumair Dr. Reef at ur service Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tulsa, Ok, USA Posts: 7,751 Blog Entries: 15	could be a bacterial bloom. if it is it will pass soon. __________________ Water Quality: NO3 0,Phos 0,Cal 440,Alk 7.5,Mag 1300 "Reef Fast, You Crash, Reef Slow, You Pass" Mike's Reef 3:16 Current Tank Info: 350g DT,95g sump, 50g Frag tank, 4800gph return 4x Sea swirls. 6x AI Vega Color. 200# Pukani rock, dual recirculating skimmer, Biopellet, GFO Carbon rx's, Cal rx. Closed loop. 1.5hp chiller, genesis renew. Apex & RKE

03/28/2012, 11:24 PM	#16
uncleof6 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: AWOL Posts: 12,013	Brown sounds like diatoms. Check your water source for high silicates, once the silicate is gone, the bloom will go away. A diatom filter would clear the water rather quickly. __________________ "Things should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." (oft attributed to Einstein; most likely paraphrasing by Roger Sessions; compactly articulates the principle of Occam's Razor) Current Tank Info: 325 6' wide Reef

03/30/2012, 04:32 AM	#20
fishgate Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Damascus, MD Posts: 3,340	A UV filter will clear up any bacteria bloom overnight. Wouldn't hurt to have one anyway. get a decent one with slow flow. __________________ 125RR in-wall, 40B Sump, CS180 BM Skimmer, ATI 4x80 watt, eheim 1262, custom wrap around rock wall, ReefKeeper Elite 120g in-wall, 40B Sump, PC 54wx4, Jabao DC-6000 (full siphon), future seahorse t Current Tank Info: 125g, 120g, 2x40b sumps, ATI 4x80 T5HO

03/28/2012, 12:11 PM	#3
BriggsReef Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Easthampton Ma Posts: 226	Not dosing the tank doesn't have anything that needs a dosing. And i haven't added any sand. I might just be overeacting and its another bacteria bloom. But something tells me this is different.

03/28/2012, 12:12 PM	#4
Playa-1 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Posts: 7,497	I would first shut off all the pumps, powerheads and the skimmer to see if the water clears up after a few minutes. If it does then you are likely dealing with microbubbles. If it doesn't clear up then you could be dealing with water parameters issues or possibly a bacterial bloom.

03/28/2012, 12:13 PM	#5
BriggsReef Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Easthampton Ma Posts: 226	I'm actually noticing the sand is turning a light brown.. I use RO/DI is it possible to have a second Diatoms phase?...i already had a huge bloom 2/3 weeks ago

03/28/2012, 12:18 PM	#6
Playa-1 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Posts: 7,497	Anything is possible and I was thinking that maybe an electrical device shorting could potentially cloud up the water too. Maybe there's something to the smokey look.

03/28/2012, 12:21 PM	#7
BriggsReef Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Easthampton Ma Posts: 226	Would the electrical issue effect a fish or CUC? everything seems to be healthy and active

03/28/2012, 01:26 PM	#10
BriggsReef Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Easthampton Ma Posts: 226	I'm really starting to think its Diatoms its getting browner after only a few hours...how can this happen!

03/28/2012, 01:33 PM	#11
Playa-1 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Posts: 7,497	That kind of stuff is normal in a newer tank.

03/28/2012, 02:36 PM	#12
BriggsReef Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Easthampton Ma Posts: 226	a second time? i had a full diatom bloom already

03/28/2012, 05:45 PM	#14
BriggsReef Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Easthampton Ma Posts: 226	My tank is now a brown cloud i can't see through to the back anymore

03/28/2012, 07:03 PM	#15
Shoryureppa Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 186	probably a bacterial bloom, but this happened to me when i converted freshwater to brackish and the salinity was too high too fast.

03/29/2012, 12:24 AM	#17
BriggsReef Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Easthampton Ma Posts: 226	Well i used schedule 40 pvc and maybe its something in the pvc glue? i checked around and it was said to be reef safe. I also used aquarium glue for the baffles. Could it have something to do with either of those? Or getting a new skimmer up and running?

03/30/2012, 12:44 AM	#19
BriggsReef Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Easthampton Ma Posts: 226	i got a Reef Octopus 150 so its 2x my size with my 75g DT and 20g long sump/fuge Its been almost 48 hours and the light make it worse.. When i was up early in the morning to turn the lights on it was bad but not as bad as the night before... After the lights were on for a while it got WORSE than last night. so we are gonna keep them off for a day or 2 and see what happens Its jut such brown dirty looking water