I can't clear up my new tank!!

[feg]

Hello,*
My name is Fernando and I am new in here..and to this hobby as well. I just set up my IM Fusion 40 galon tank on April 9th with 16 lbs of live sand and aprox. 30 lbs of base rock but some were once live rock long time ago and regular salt water from local pshop, after the normal white cloud due to the sand set up, the tank clear up nicely but three days later hell broke loose and the tanks looks like i'd pour a galon or so of milk...I don't have any fish or cleaning crew and neither any food..I took the water to be tested and everything is fine..Since I don't have much experience, I have lost count of how many times I had done water changes and al kind of filters pads etc,etc wit not results.I had in mind to take everything down, take out the sand and start all over again or put every thing in my garage and forget about this for a while...but I find this forum and realized that this new tank syndrome is comon... I just order a uv sterilizer and reading from some of you, hopefully will help me get to the next level..any advise will be more than welcome..I want to give myself few more days and see what happens but it hearts every time I look at the tank and see no improvement..
apreciate any comments
Thanks*
:headwally:

 

[thegrun]

If it's sand fines (dust) it should have settled out by now. A quick way to test would be to take out a cup of water in the morning and set it in a window, if it is sand the fines will settle to the bottom of the glass by the end of the day. If the problem (most likely) is a bacteria bloom the water will stay cloudy. Over time the bacteria bloom will go away on its own, water changes may actually make it worse. Assuming you are dealing with a bacteria bloom I would let it go a couple of weeks without a water change and hope it dies off quickly on its own.

 

[Bikerharold]

I am also new to the hobby only been in it for just over a year but if this is a salt water tank you are setting up then you have to let tank cycle. Did you wash your sand to remove all the dust from it. Do you have to much flow for the size of the tank and is the sand base being disturbed. At the local fish store they should have filter pads that will help clean up your water. The main thing is that your tank is going to go through some changes as it cycles and all you can do is basically wait for it. Like I said I am also new to this hobby and get into more trouble trying to hurry things along rather than letting them progress on their own. Check out the search feature here and ask about cycling tank you will get lots of info. Good luck and stick with it its worth it in the end.

 

[mcgyvr]

Give it time..
Don't do anymore water changes..
Just top off whats lost via evaporation with fresh water (salt does not evaporate) and give it a couple more weeks to complete the cycle and go from there..
Continue to test for ammonia and nitrites to see when they go to zero (indicating that the cycle is complete)

Don't give up yet.. In general a tank (once setup and running) takes 4 weeks or longer to be ready for creatures (cycling)..

Patience grasshopper.. patience..
Nothing good happens fast in this hobby..

 

[feg]

I thank you all for your advises...i'm convince that it does not have to do with sand, this
has to be a bacteria bloom and it's true, it gotten worse every time I had done a WC but today I was able to see already the back of the tank...so, I have hope that an improvement it's on the way and got the UV that will mount this saturday...I will not disturb it any more just to top off and wait..and it's true, nothing good happens fast in this hobby, patience pays.

 

[foozed]

It took a few months for our new tank to clear up. I am also convinced we had a bacteria bloom where it looked like white clouds in the water.
I woke up one morning (4 months after tank started) and it was gone - been clear ever since!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[E.Y.]

I'd also suggest just waiting it out. Should be fine.

 

[feg]

I finally put the you UV on sat and tank is completely clear...I wish I would had done it by itself but I take any help...now that is clear I have noticed that I have attached to the rocks and even in the sand like white hairy streams... I took a new bar b q brush and sort of sweep all the rocks and they were all over. This I have done for two consecutive days and today they were less... I'd been looking all over for some one with the same issue but all I noticed is the white hair sindrom wich is totally different for what I seem.. is like one slime upward stream attach to the rock but not covering the rock like what I'd seem around. Yesterday I put old an old Remora skimmer that my son had and it has already start prudusing a yellowish foam I the collecting cup..it's not a dry foam but at least is pulling something out considering that I don't have any fish or live thing that could produce waste..I still need to cycle but one thing at a time, patience pays..

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge, .