Bouts of cloudy water

[fishaman]

Over the past 2 months, my water has been getting cloudy (to the point where I could not see my fish cloudy). Then after a week or so, it'll start to clear up as if it never happened. My params are all in line and I do a 20% WC every 2 weeks. I will admit that I use RODI water most of the time. In some cases, I've had to do 50% / 50% because it takes so long to make.

Any ideas why this might be happening?

 

[JEFFR259]

Sounds like you're getting a bloom of some type in the tank.

What are your params?

What are the tank inhabitants?

 

[fishaman]

PH is about 8.3 - 8.4.
Alk, Amonia, Nitrates, Nitrites all is line as well.

I have the following:

1 Foxface
4 clowns
1 convict tang
1 engineer goby
1 lawnmower blenny
1 scooter blenny
1 chromis
2 firefish
1 biocolor angel
2 damsels
4 shrimps
40+ hermit crabs
60+ snails
1 horseshoe crab
1 star fish

 

[Paul B]

This is an easy one, that is a bacterial bloom because you are feeding way too much.
Bacteria is the only thing that will cause that.
Unless you are stirring up the sand a lot.
It is not really dangerous in itself except that when that occurs, the bacteria are using up much more oxygen than your fish which you could lose because of it.
Whatever you are feeding, cut it in half.
Oh and get that horseshoe crab out of there. He will die shortly and really make that water cloudy

 

[fishaman]

I have an automatic feeder that feeds pellet food during the day (while I'm at work). Then i feed them 1.5 cubes of mysis and bloodworms when I get get home. The food is normally done in 2 mins so I didn't think it would be a problem.

 

[Paul B]

I have twice as many fish as you in a 100 gallon tank, I feed about half as much as you do and one of my clowns is 16 years old.
Are you thawing those mysis and rinsing them?
I would cut it down to one cube a day.
I guarantee that clowdyness is from overfeeding.

I use one of these to target feed and have never just put food in the tank.

 

[fishaman]

the mysis shrimp and bloodworms are frozen and yes I thraw them out b4 throwing them in. In addition to cutting it down to 1 cube a day, should I eliminate the auto-feeder during the day? I don't want them to be malnourished.

 

[Paul B]

You can keep the auto feeder but only let it dispense a few flakes or pellets. All the fish do not have to get any of those flakes every day. After you thaw the frozen food get rid of the juices.
That stuff is all bacteria food and none of it will go into the fish.
If you see that your fish are getting a couple of mysis a day, thats all they need and will more than fill their stomach.
If fish eat more than they need, it is just eliminated. That is why fish can and will eat any time you feed them. It is not dijested and just passes through them. They are cold blooded and can't dijest food very fast as we can.

 

[fishaman]

Thanks Paul B. I'll try it and will report back in a week or so.