Author Topic: My water looks like crap (Read 3566 times)

charlieweaver · « **on:** February 09, 2013, 21:51:24 »

So my water is white or foggy. Don't know why. I think it might be mirco bubble but its really hard to tell. Also looks like little particles floating around. I really hate it need help please.

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Viggen · « **Reply #1 on:** February 09, 2013, 21:55:03 »

Your I wanna switch to a ref thread stated your tank has been running for a month ish. Thus you are probably seeing a algae bloom.

A good pic or a few pics of what you see will help

Also you I could have micro bubbles in your tank from your skimmer, to much flow through your sump etc

Steve · « **Reply #2 on:** February 09, 2013, 21:56:02 »

Maybe a little more info.

How long has your tank been set up. what type of filtration if microbubbles from where, do you run a filter sock?

kattz · « **Reply #3 on:** February 10, 2013, 10:44:13 »

charlieweaver · « **Reply #4 on:** February 11, 2013, 16:57:29 »

Sorry didn't know any one replied to this. It didn't notify me. I will upload pics tonight when I get off work. Also no filter socks. And I havr a mag 7. With 5 ft head so only like 450gph flow through sump.

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Steve · « **Reply #5 on:** February 11, 2013, 17:59:36 »

It won't notify you of replys just PM's.

Kenn · « **Reply #6 on:** February 11, 2013, 18:38:27 »

you can set this thread to notify you with new posts ... top and bottom right of page next to "add bookmark" etc

charlieweaver · « **Reply #7 on:** February 12, 2013, 10:00:12 »

Well see when I have the lights on you can see the beams be because its couldy. With my camera this is the only way you can tell in a pick but I have notice alot of diatom it look like manily on all the sand and corners of the tank and on the powerheads

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Neogenesis · « **Reply #8 on:** February 12, 2013, 16:59:20 »

If this thank has only been running for a month - ish, what your seeing is normal and will go away with time. Keep up with water changes and your good husbandry practices will take care of the rest. It's all likely due to the cycling of your tank.

chromiumlux · « **Reply #9 on:** February 12, 2013, 22:04:16 »

If only a month in, It has to be a bacteria bloom...hence the "golden glow"

charlieweaver · « **Reply #10 on:** February 13, 2013, 00:37:28 »

Alright well I did alot of work today. I rebuilt my sump because I was dumb and used acrylic in the glass tank it just bowed and eventually broke. So now I got some glass and rebuilt it and I am very happy with it. Before I did not do a bubble trap. This time I did a over under baffle and its working great. I just did a three part sump right side is where tank over flows and have the protein skimmer setup. Then it goes through baffle to middle part which has return pump. On left side I setup a refuge. Currently has no flow through it had a total water voulme of about 35gallons. I plan to put some live rock in there along with some cheato. ( anything else)?

I was very disappointed which the sand I first bought is way to fine and blows around a lot so I picked up a bag of Floridas crushed coral and then removed about 30 pounds of the sand from my tank to the refuge. Will be great down there. And then spread the crushed coral overtop my smaller sand. Should stop the blowing of the sand and I like the layer look too.

During this I went ahead and scraped all the algae from the glass. And water is super cloudy from moving some of the sand out and adding the crushed coral.

Since I rebuilt my sump. It end up making a very large water change. When I first made sump only used about 40 gallons out of the 75 tank. Now I am using about 60. So I removed the 40 gallons that was in there and used all new 60 rodi water. Don't know if I mention but when I started tank I didnt know about not using tap water so I stated the tank with tap water but Ive done 2 20% changes and now one around 50% with rodi water. So trying to correct my mistake there.

I am learning so much and trying my best to succed

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Neogenesis · « **Reply #11 on:** February 13, 2013, 08:06:06 »

Quote from: charlieweaver on February 13, 2013, 00:37:28

I am learning so much and trying my best to succeed

That statement alone nearly guarantees you success in this hobby. Your willing to research, learn, listen to advice, change and modify your setup so that it functions at it's best. I'm glad your making headway, because each and every system is different, and will have to be tweaked and tuned in a different way. Your well on your way to success, keep up the good work.

Neo

charlieweaver · « **Reply #12 on:** February 13, 2013, 10:19:15 »

Thank neo. So figure ill get some pics up.

Here is tank with new crushed coral over sand bed to help with sand blowing everywhere

This will be fuge once I get next paycheck and can add some live rock and cheato. Really couldy from droping the sand into the water.

Return section with pump and heater

protein skimmer doing some hard work.

Mod I did to protein skimmer. Made a much larger back pressure protection. Also allow larger bubbles to mix with output water reducing micro bubbles.

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Neogenesis · « **Reply #13 on:** February 13, 2013, 10:23:43 »

Just as a side note, sand will stop blowing around once your cycle is complete and your sand bed is active. The bacteria helps old the sand together, you'll be able to run more flow without the sand blowing around.

Viggen · « **Reply #14 on:** February 13, 2013, 10:34:31 »

Fwiw I try to keep my skimmate black, almost coffee color, might want to adjust your skimmer to darker up the skimmate a bit

At this time I am 100% tap water in my tank, which is just a fowlr

Looking good thought.... I think the biggest problem people have when entering the hobby is going to fast. Adding fish before they should etc.

charlieweaver · « **Reply #15 on:** February 13, 2013, 23:41:51 »

Oh I did not know this about the sand neo that makes me much happier to know. But took some more pic today this is 24 hours since other pics taken.

Here's full tank picture. Can't wait to get my second led lights for other half of tank I'm also going to remove canopy and hang both leds a little higher than they are now because I don't like the shadowing the one is doing with the 90 degree optics I think it will spread better if higher what hight do others have there's. I have the ms 120watt leds

This pic is if sand and seems to be some micro bubbles that I don't think are coming from sump. I notice a lot coming from sand and live rock. specially when crabs or snails are messing with it. is this normal to have air in Rocks and sand.

Here is pic or sump where baffles are I see no bubble making is past baffle so. I don't know I checked all pipes for leaks and put tons of pvc cement

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charlieweaver · « **Reply #16 on:** February 14, 2013, 07:54:32 »

Uh oh!

Darn you nemo! All drains do not go to the ocean! Lol

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charlieweaver · « **Reply #17 on:** February 14, 2013, 07:56:28 »

Just so you know he seems to be fine he chould have only been in there for a mac of 5 hours and lucky for him there is a decent amount of water in there.

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Neogenesis · « **Reply #18 on:** February 14, 2013, 08:18:20 »

I've got one that is a year and a half old and I still find in the overflows occasionally. And bubbles coming from rocks and sand are normal, your seeing the bacteria work in your tank, converting into gas which has to be released.

charlieweaver · « **Reply #19 on:** February 14, 2013, 08:28:19 »

Oh so that's the end of the cycle. Is that nitrates getting converted to nitrogen? So I'm proably getting done with the cycle? I haven't checked whater in like 4 days since I did a 50% change I didn't see it necessary to check. Ill Check when I get home.

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charlieweaver · « **Reply #20 on:** February 15, 2013, 13:53:39 »

Well water is crystal clear. Do have a little brown ditaom on the live rock. But snails are doing there best on it. Going to do a 30 gallon change tonight. Do still have some sand partials blowing around but guess should evventally stop. I'm going to pick up a filter to and see if that helps out.

So when is it safe to add my first corals. I did a full set of water test today .

Ammo 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
Ph 8.2-8.4
Phosphates 0.25
Hardness 9
Calcium 400

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Neogenesis · « **Reply #21 on:** February 15, 2013, 16:42:21 »

Don't add anything until those nitrates are zero. That's the last step then you can slowly start adding things.

charlieweaver · « **Reply #22 on:** February 15, 2013, 17:04:37 »

Really the nitrates will go away I though they only went away with water changes?

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charlieweaver · « **Reply #23 on:** February 15, 2013, 21:51:44 »

There are no words for how excited I am !

Thanks so much guys at ms

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Mussin · « **Reply #24 on:** February 15, 2013, 22:24:35 »

Looks good! especially the spongebob and squidward homes

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Author Topic: My water looks like crap (Read 3566 times)