my tank is very cloudy

[Elite]

Just came home from work and saw a very cloudy tank ... I replaced the carbon. Is there anything else I can do?

 

[jdieck]

It could either be a bacterial bloom or an abiotic precipitation of calcium carbonate.
The difference is that precipitation settles on surfaces while the bloom does not, also a precipitation should have been triggered usually by Kalk overdose, high PH or higher than usual Alkalinity supplement.
If it is precipitation just wait for it to cleas and check your Calcium and Alkalinity levels as they might have ropped rather fast and adjust if necessary.
A bacterial bloom is usually created by excess food specially sugars or alcohol, if you have added a gluconate based supplement that could do it.
The bacteria consumes Oxygen so to help your fish try aerating the water as much as possible to replace the Oxygen, the bloom will clear itself in a couple of days once the available excess food has been consummed and the bacteria starts to die.

 

[Elite]

I think something spawn ... I don't dose anything and the tank was fine before when I went to work. Nobody at home "allowed" to touch my tanks.

I have an ER w/ 9000 pump running and one Tunze 6000 pointing up. That should help with the oxygen level. So far the fish are looking OK.

 

[jdieck]

For a spawn a water change is the best before it starts decomposing. Watch your Ammonia level.

 

[rleechb]

I bet it's a bacterial bloom; I don't think spawning can cause the water to be that cloudy. I've had a few blooms in the last couple months. Ended up being something with my reactor. I always did a 10% water change; a day later the water becomes crystal clear.

 

[Thales]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8683690#post8683690 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rleechb
I bet it's a bacterial bloom; I don't think spawning can cause the water to be that cloudy. I've had a few blooms in the last couple months. Ended up being something with my reactor. I always did a 10% water change; a day later the water becomes crystal clear.

A spawn can defiantly make a tank cloudy - so cloudy you can't see into it. When my snails really go at it, I can only see a couple inches into the tank. Same with corals or clams.

As long as it clears up in a few hours you should be fine.

 

[rleechb]

Wow. I've seen my snails spawn, but never enough to cloud the tank up like that. I suppose I need more snails =D

 

[Unarce]

Could be your teardrop, Phong.

 

[bookfish]

I'd polish the tank with a diatom filter. Of course the best hobbyist diatom filters are the Vortex brand but they do require a little getting used to and are a bit finicky at times. Still my first choice though. Also, I believe you can use the Magnum micron sleeve and diatom powder to turn a magnum ito a diatom filter but it's so much less powerful than the Vortex. I believe Lucky Goldfish is your best bet for purchasing a Vortex locally.-Jim

 

[Elite]

Can bacterial bloom happen within 1/2 hour?? My wife said the tank was fine before she went to bed around 11:45-12:00. I got home around 12:15.

I have 2 big RBTAs and one small one in the tank. I think they are the only one that can spawn. The smell was pretty bad. It clear up a bit this morning. I will make some saltwater tonight and will do wc tomorrow.

Karl - my teardrop is in another tank .

 

[Elite]

Thanks Jim, I will see if I can get some tonight.

 

[Ti]

try a micron filter.