Suddenly Very Cloudy Water

[BIGD0G]

I have a 180g tank that has been setup for about 18 months now. 2 days ago the water suddenly became very cloudy and I am not sure why. I have added nothing new to the tank in about 2 months. Fortunately I have not lost any inhabitants yet but I am worried about them. The contents of the tank are as follows:

2 Percula Clowns
2 Royal Grammas
1 yellow watchman goby
1 pistol shrimp
1 RTBA
Various snails

Corals are both SPS and LPS. Some birdsnests, stylo, welso, duncan, flower pot, plate coral, lobo, a couple of zoas, blasto

The water parameters are as follows:
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0-.2
Phosphate - 0
Calcium - 430
Alkalinity - 8.68
Magnesium - 1437.5
Salinity - 1.025
PH - 8.02
ORP - 508
Iron - 0

The only parameter that is out of the normal ranges for the tank over the past year is the Nitrates. They normally seems to hover around 5-10 but not seem to be 0-.2 based on my test today.

I have a sump with chaeto and a Vertex Alpha 200 skimmer. The tank has two Tunze 6105 powerheads. I also have a continuous water change setup and change about 2.8 gallons per day. I do use filter socks in the sump and change them every 3-4 days when they start to overflow.

Any thoughts on what this could be and how to clean it up? Any other info needed please let me know as I am happy to provide it.

Thanks in advance for your help. Just trying to get this corrected and cleared up before it gets worse or I lose anything.

Thanks
Brad

 

[BIGD0G]

A few pictures to show the cloudiness. Normally the tank is crystal clear.

 

[Mishri]

Is it just a film on the tank? That spot where it's cleared off looks fine.

My guess is bacterial bloom. You can run a UV sterilizer to clean it up, will just take a day or 3. - I had an outbreak in my 2 year old 24 gallon tank after a water change... I stirred something up, gave it the conditions it was craving.

Anti-bacterial also might do it - but watch out for o2 levels decreasing. aerate the water if you shutdown the skimmer for the antibacterial.

 

[BIGD0G]

Is it just a film on the tank? That spot where it's cleared off looks fine.

My guess is bacterial bloom. You can run a UV sterilizer to clean it up, will just take a day or 3. - I had an outbreak in my 2 year old 24 gallon tank after a water change... I stirred something up, gave it the conditions it was craving.

Anti-bacterial also might do it - but watch out for o2 levels decreasing. aerate the water if you shutdown the skimmer for the antibacterial.

No unfortunately not a film on the glass. The clear spot was from a snail cleaning of course but it is definitely in the water column. The pictures from the sides show the cloudiness better.

I do not have a UV sterilizer but can order one if that is what it needs and will clear it up.

Will it clear on its own? Any long term effects on the livestock? Is the UV sterilizer better than an antibacterial?

Thanks for the help.

 

[jdpan52]

My guess would be a spawning rose bubble tip anenome.. Run carbon and do a water change'''

 

[jdpan52]

Don't let this post count fool ya, its just a new name...

 

[robs.mark]

i would say bacterial bloom, you can see the snail trail on the glass..

 

[BIGD0G]

What would cause the bacterial bloom? Is it harmfull to the fish and corals?

 

[mr.maroonsalty]

Anything like this consumes oxygen and stresses the tank. Spawn events usually result in a skimmer acting up; I don't know about bacterial blooms, I've never experienced a major one.

 

[BIGD0G]

This is the sump now. 2 days ago it was clear like the tank. I run GFO in a reactor and this looks like the color of the tumbling GFO. Is it possible this is related to GFO breaking down? Changed it about 10 days ago but from the same container I have been using.

 

[gone fishin]

Are you dosing vodka by any chance?

 

[BIGD0G]

Are you dosing vodka by any chance?

No. Not dosing anything.

 

[gone fishin]

Is that cheato or caulerpa in your sump?

 

[BIGD0G]

Is that cheato or caulerpa in your sump?

Chaeto. Thanks for the helping me figure this out BTW.

 

[gone fishin]

Thought maybe the macro may have went sexual. It looks to be a bacterial bloom to me. All your parameters seem well in check. Your skimmer seems to pulling a ton of crud, is that the normal amount. Anything get cleaned or sprayed around the tank?

I have zero experience with anemone but may be worth looking into the previous post about spawning.

Maybe worth running some carbon If your not already.

 

[BIGD0G]

Thanks. I will have to look into the anemone spawning but not sure that us it. The skimmer and sumo look almost rust colored like the GFO.

I just emptied the GFO for now since PO4 is 0 right now.

I do run carbon in a dual BRS reactor along with GFO and changed it several days ago but at change it again this weekend as well.

 

[gone fishin]

Maybe the GFO was not rinsed well enough. Other than that I am tapped out for now. Good luck

 

[NSimpkins]

What kind of ATO do you use? Do you use Kalk at all?

 

[BIGD0G]

What kind of ATO do you use? Do you use Kalk at all?

Tunze 3155 Ato with just RODI water. No Kalk. Thanks

 

[Royce7586]

I thought gfo wasnt supposed to tumble because it creates fines when they grind against each other?