Cloudy Water?

[alexwolf]

I am having an interesting problem at my store. The water in one of my ~100g systems is very cloudy, you can barely see to the back. I did a 20% change and am currently running carbon. I cant figure out why it is doing this. Any other recommendations?

[Polkster13]

It could be a bloom of algae or bacteria. The only way to know for sure is using a microscope. What color is the water? White, green, grey? Did a PH kick loose and stir up the bottom? What about the filtration system? Did you check it for anything unusual?

[alexwolf]

its milky white. I did think about a bacteria bloom.

No powerheads fell loose. Filtration looks normal. Its an Emperor filer and live rock. Maybe another water change?

[Thunderkat]

Sounds like you did what I did. My aquarium was milky white too when I added my calcium chloride and baking soda too fast. The next day the water was clear but it looked like snow after that.

[GaryP]

Filter some of it out and drip vinegar on it. If it fizzes its probably either from sand being stirred up or you had a white out from adding to much calcium or buffer. Sounds like you oprobably overdoesed calcium or buffer. Did you add either today or last night?

If its sand, it will usually settle out fairly quickly.

[alexwolf]

nope, its been cloudy for 4 days now. I did a water change to go from Oceanic to IO, but it wsa only 20%. I have not added any additives of any kind.

[Thunderkat]

If it is what I did (white out/blizzard) don't worry too much. It just looks bad but your fish and corals should survive (all of mine did). You are going to have a good clean up job ahead of you.

[JimD]

Try running a canister filter with a micron filter.

[GaryP]

Alex,

Remember the result we got when we tested the IO? You just added high Alk water (IO) to high Calcium (Ocenaic) water. Its the same thing as dumping a bunch of buffer into your tank. I would suggest checking your pumps and clean them with vinegar. They could stop on you in the middle of the night if they are scaled uo, which I'm sure they are.

[GaryP]

A Magnum 350 does a good job of filtering that stuff out. You may have to clean the filter out a few times. I have a spare so I can just swap them out. Soak the dirty filter in vinegar to remove the particles from the pores in the filter.

[jaded]

I think the switch to IO is a big clue... I dont know nothin' about nothin' but when you add alk or calcium you need to do it slowly or you run a risk of cloudy water...

I say again... I dont know nothin' about nothin' but I'd have to say Gary's on the right track

[GaryP]

The Alk on the IO was 14, as I recall, when we tested it before the water change. The other question was how the water was added and how fast. If you dump a 5 gal. bucket in at one time with minimal mixing its more likely there may be a white out.

[OldSalty]

use a diatom filter, it will clear up in no time. I have some powder if ya need some

[GaryP]

You can use diatomaceous earth in a Magnum 350. It goes inside the center of the cartridge filter.

[Tim Marvin]

Yet anothor reason to stick with Oceanic.

[Dozer]

Yet anothor reason to stick with Oceanic.

lol at Tim stirring stuff up :D

[NaCl_H2O]

One way for sure to tell if it is Ca precipitation. Take apart the pump and look at the impeller. Your systems are new enough that they should have minimal scaling - if they are scaled up, then you know what's going on & you needed to clean the pump anyway :) If not ???

[::pete::]

:D I wonder who he will get to do that!! ;) :lol

[NaCl_H2O]

LMAO ... with 7 PanWorld pumps on my system, I'm geting pretty good at pump maintenance, but you won't like my "Store Credit" fee :D