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Offline Warhawk937

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new tank syndrome?
« on: March 21, 2018, 20:44:03 »
Tank has been up a month and im noticing the water is becoming foggy?   I believe this is a bacteria bloom .  How would you guys deal with this?  Im currently doing a 15% water change and have ordered chemi-pure blue as well as seacem purigen,  Knee jerk reaction is to uo the chemical filtration.  not will to spend the money on a uv sterilizer just yet.

Offline SweetReefOH

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Re: new tank syndrome?
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2018, 21:08:23 »
What are your test kits telling you?
Salinity
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate

Offline Warhawk937

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Re: new tank syndrome?
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2018, 21:19:30 »
1.024 salinity
 ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 5 ppm( before water change)

Offline SweetReefOH

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Re: new tank syndrome?
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2018, 07:08:48 »
Tests look good. The only time I’ve ever had cloudy/milky water is when I still had ammonia in the tank and turned the lights on. I’m also not a fan of using chemicals to treat issues unless it’s your last resort.

I’m assuming you’re all the way thru your cycle? Are you running carbon or any other media?

Offline Warhawk937

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Re: new tank syndrome?
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2018, 09:25:32 »
hmmm I'm not registering ammonia or nitrate.  But have only hade the tank up a month.  could be a faulty test.  I have a couple of green chromis in there ( not showing  any signs of stress) with 40lb of live rock and 50lbs of live sand.  diatom bloom showed up about 2 weeks ago and lasted for about a week. I took that has the end of the cycle? your thoughts.  I'm filtering with a filter pad and a skimmer.  I was thinking it maybe the filter pad does not do a good enough job of containing the detritus and I'm having particulate suspended in the water.  I'm switching from the filter pads to quilt batting as the fabric is a tighter weave.  just a thought.   

Offline SweetReefOH

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Re: new tank syndrome?
« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2018, 10:32:26 »
You have a nitrate reading so you should be thru your cycle. I think the tighter floss will help if it is particulates, as your saying. Your skimmer should be picking a lot of that up though if it’s a good skimmer. I would consider using a bit of carbon and see if that helps with any organic matter in the water.

Offline lazylivin

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Re: new tank syndrome?
« Reply #6 on: March 22, 2018, 11:03:47 »
Warhawk937 can you share a picture of your tank, sump and any equipment. It will help us get a picture of what we are dealing with. Turn Blue LED off for picture if it comes out to blue for us to see any detail

Offline Warhawk937

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Re: new tank syndrome?
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2018, 17:07:48 »
pics

Offline SweetReefOH

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Re: new tank syndrome?
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2018, 18:26:40 »
You got a nice setup there Warhawk. So I think I see a hydrometer in your third pic. Is that how you got your 1.024 reading?

Offline Warhawk937

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Re: new tank syndrome?
« Reply #9 on: March 22, 2018, 20:43:24 »
Thanks and yeah I have a refractometer in the mail I usually take multiple samples every couple days

Offline Humphrey

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Re: new tank syndrome?
« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2018, 21:23:49 »
Have you added seachem stability?  Any other bacteria in a bottle product?

Are you dosing anything (vodka, no3po4x, vitamin C, biopellets).

Offline Warhawk937

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Re: new tank syndrome?
« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2018, 21:29:44 »
To speed up the cycle I used bright well micro Baxter and sea chem prime on startup but nothing in the last week

Offline Humphrey

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Re: new tank syndrome?
« Reply #12 on: March 22, 2018, 21:35:59 »
Ok probably just a bacterial bloom as you surmised.  Typically not that big a deal, but you’ll wonder why it’s taking so freaking long to clear. Nothing else you can do that I know of. You’d think you could do a water change but that usually doesn’t work. These are bacteria that double every 20 minutes. Oxygen is the only real concern so just so water is moving through the overflow it should just be a waiting game.

Maybe 2 to 3 weeks when I’ve had it before.

Offline Humphrey

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Re: new tank syndrome?
« Reply #13 on: March 22, 2018, 21:37:46 »
UV might clear it quicker but I’ve never used one and mine have cleared with time. Perhaps someone else could chime in on that one.

Offline Warhawk937

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Re: new tank syndrome?
« Reply #14 on: March 22, 2018, 23:08:08 »
It has been 15 years since I have set up a tank.  I’m ok with the bloom as long as it is temporary. I just don’t remeber ever having this issue.  My goal in my tanks is to have the fish looking like they are floating On air  I can wait for it. Guess if it a bacteria bloom my questions are: do these clear up on their own and is this condition dangerous for the live stock

Offline Humphrey

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Re: new tank syndrome?
« Reply #15 on: March 23, 2018, 06:09:26 »
My opinion/experience:

It’s happened to me three times. 2 times when starting a new tank w/bacteria in a bottle (QT tanks) and once employing maintenance bacteria (Display tank).

It will clear on its own. Oxygen depletion is the chief danger, and since you have a sump/overflow I don’t think your livestock will suffer.  You always worry when offering such opinions because you dont want to harm other people’s tanks, but I’ve never lost anything during these events.

 

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