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03/18/2019, 02:50 PM | #1 |
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Reef Tank is Suddenly Cloudy with Unhappy Coral
Hi Folks,
This is my first time posting in this community, looking for some guidance from pros please... Please see below for the details on my reef tank. The issue I face is that the tank suddenly and quickly became fairly cloudy and some on my corals and not happy at all. I'm testing like crazy to try and find the culprit. Any suggestions please? |
03/18/2019, 03:02 PM | #2 |
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75g Reef Tank
Parameters: Salinity – 1.024 ORP – 4476 PH – 8.48 Temp – 76 Alkalinity – 10 Calcium – 390 Ammonia/Nitrates/Nitrites = 0 Hardware: Apex Controller LED Lighting Eshopps – RS-300 Sump Octo Classic 150-INT Protein Skimmer Octo AQ 2000S Skimmer Pump Supreme Aqua-Mag 700GPH Return Pump AquaTop MR-20 Multimedia Reactor 2 Cobalt Neo-Therm 150w Heater Eshopps Over Flow Box 200G Coral: Green Star Polyp Duncan Star Polyp Zoanthid Green Super Toadstool Mushroom Leather Fish: 1 Rainford Goby 1 Watchman Goby 1 Yellow Clown Goby 1 Yellow Watchman Shrimp Goby 1 Domino Damsel 2 Clownfish 1 Firefish Goby 3 Green Chromis 1 Green Mandarin Dragonet 2 Lyretail Anthias 1 Yellow Tang Inverts: 4 Tiger Sand Concg 1 Blue Linckia Starfish 1 Brittle Starfish 1 Chocolate Chip Starfish 1 Cleaner Shrimp 1 Coral Banded Shrimp 1 Pencil Urchin 1 Pincushion Urchin Various Snails |
03/18/2019, 06:58 PM | #3 |
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Location: Pacific Northwest
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I'm no pro in saltwater but been doing freshwater for 14 years. Salt for a bit over a year. Having said that from what I read, all those fish in a 75 seems way too heavy of a bio load. That cloudiness might be a bacterial or algae bloom. I might not even put that many in my 180. Only have 5 fish in mine and I'm fighting off algae. Maybe add some chaeto in your sump if you can. Do some testing. And maybe to a 50% water change. Then maybe think about reducing your fish count by 50%
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03/18/2019, 08:57 PM | #4 |
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As long as the ammonia remains at zero, the tank likely won't have major immediate issues. I'd check nitrite regularly, as well, since it can become toxic at high levels.
I'd check to make sure that all the animals are live and responding. A dead animal might start to decay and produce problems. Make sure that the conchs and starfish are live. I agree that the fish load is very high. I would start some 10-15% water changes, and if you have a mechanical filter, it might remove the cloud. If the cloud is organics, getting rid of it might help a lot. Possible causes, other than animal death, would include a spawning event or something (food, detergent, etc) getting into the tank. Some fresh carbon might help mop up any toxins that might be in the water column, as well.
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Jonathan Bertoni |
03/18/2019, 10:48 PM | #5 |
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Sorry I mentioned "do some testing". You already did. I was walking in to work and missed that part. I forgot to mention carbon or some other chemical media. Is the cloudiness yellow? Green? White? Usually its organics algae bacteria respectively in relation to color
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03/18/2019, 11:58 PM | #6 |
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I suspect a bacterial bloom. Make sure you have adequate surface flow to get good gas exchange.
Water changes may or may not help but keep an eye out for ammonia.
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Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k. |
03/19/2019, 06:56 AM | #7 |
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Are you dosing anything?
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90 Gallon Mixed Reef with 20g sump Current Stock: 1 - Ocellaris Clownfish, 1 - Yellow Tang, 1 - Kole Yellow Eye Tang, 1 - unidentified hitchhiker goby, 1 - Coral Beauty, 3 - Lyretail Anthias. |
03/19/2019, 07:12 AM | #8 |
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Way to much in a 75 gallon
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03/19/2019, 06:57 PM | #9 |
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Location: michigan
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Pick up the chocolate chip star. I had one die a while back. Had no idea until I didn't see it move for a day. Picked it up and it's rotting insides came out. Nasty.
I hope its that easy for you. If not, and parameters are fine, just keep up on running the tank like you've been. It will most likely clear up on its own in a few days. Maybe less. |
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