Milky Water?

[bjedwards27616]

Hello,

We need help! About 2 months ago, we decided to go sandless in our 55g tank. We only have a few leathers and a fan, 1 conch and 1 fish. We had a massive red algae attack in January and lost most of our stuff. We decided to clean and start over. It did great for about 3 weeks then about 2 wks ago the water started to get cloudy. We did a water change with RO water and nothing has helped. We got our water tested and the results were ideal...

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
PH - 8.1
KH - 14dkh
Salinity - 1.025
Calcium - 47.5
Phosphate - N/A
Mag - 13

We are about at our breaking point, in January we upgraded our lights and bought a second powerhead, to boosts our coral growth but we have had nothing but problems since then.

Please help!!

Bryan & Amanda:frustrat:

 

[Waddi]

Sounds like an algae bloom to me. Can you get a picture??
For a Algae bloom, run the skimmer, and i think some UV lights help.
But im not too sure! Someone else will correct me if im wrong.

 

[little_fish]

Hello and Welcome!

You hardness is freaky high, and i dont think that is correct reading on your calcium. I suspect that milkyness you are seeing is calcium precipitating out of the water because your mineral levels are so off.

The other possible thing it could be is a bacteria bloom. This will go away once you remove whatever they are feeding off of.

Also, most will get a big algae outbreak when they upgrade their lights.

But please fill these out to the best your knowledge and i think we get your some definitive answers for what is going on and how get things going right again.

Brief description of the problem.
A picture(s) will also help.
PARAMETERS (important)
Temperature:
PH:
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
Salinity:
dKH/KH/Alkalinity:
Magnesium:
Calcium:
Phosphate:
Test kits you own:
Liquid or Strips:
Brand Name:
Are they Expired?:


Tank size?
Estimated total system?

Reef, fish only or, freshwater?

Current inhabitants? What and how many?
Clean up crew?

How long has your tank been set-up?

Substrate.
Type?
Depth?

Live rock?
How much?
Did you recently add some?

Filtration.
Type?
Protein skimmer?
Do you wet or dry skim?
Maintenance schedule for filtration?
Drilled tank/hang on back overflow?
Sump/refugium. What's in it and how much?
Macro? What kind?

Lighting.
Lighting type?
Age of bulbs?

Feeding
What?
How much?
How often?

Water change schedule.
How much?
How often?
What salt brand?
Water source?

 

[SeaBee]

Hello, and welcome to the site.

If your calcium and magnesium were accurate readings, they are less than ideal.

I would do a large water change, 10 gallons, and let it mix a while and retest the water.

What type of filter are you using? Do you have a sump, or mechanical filter?

Try to post a picture as well, that is helpful.

Good Luck!

 

[Smitty]

Welcome to the site.

 

[Bifferwine]

Are you adding anything to the water? Supplements or additives?

We'll get it figured out! ;)

 

[bjedwards27616]

Not adding anything at the moment, even aiptasia wont grow in this water.

Just bought some stabilizer, my local fish guy told me to try that.

I just want to know what to do. He is saying a bacterial bloom. Anything else we can buy and add?

 

[bjedwards27616]

We have a sump, just did a water change 10%. Still cloudy.

 

[little_fish]

Your pH is fine, you have no need for the stabilizer and highly doubt that is the source or solution to your problem.

But if its a bacterial bloom, it will go away on its own. But if aiptasia wont grow in it, then its not a bacteria bloom.

 

[guarda]

+1 on the pic. It would help a lot. How is the leather looking? Is the fish eating? I had cloudy water at month 2 but my corals and fish didn't seem like they were bothered by it, even though I was. I did a 90% water change which solved the issue. Where did you get your live rock from? I read a couple of threads a long time ago that some people who made their own rock with aragrocrete (sp?) had cloudy water.

 

[SeaBee]

I wouldnt add anything to that water. We need a picture!!!!!

What is in the tank, old dead rock, sandbed, that kind of stuff.

I would stay away from the lfs for a bit, till you get to the root of the problem.

Some fish stores try to sell snake oil to people, then you just start chasing your tail. Stability is key, temp, salinity, that kind of stuff. Who checks your water?

Are you running a filter sock in the sump?

 

[Bifferwine]

I would be doing more than 10% water changes. Try 40% and see if that makes a difference.