I need some info

flower

Well-Known Member
As you know I have the 90g and 56g seahorse tanks loaded with red macroalgae.
The 90g got very cloudy...by the time I got water mixed for a WC (3 days) the the tank is crystal clear, it's due for a WC anyway and the lady who helps me is supposed to be out Tuesday. This tank has been up and going for nearly a year, if memory serves.
The 56g is 2 years old, and now it's cloudy. I figured it would do the same thing the 90g did...but not so far, and I'm getting a little worried. I did remove the sump system and go to a HOB. This tank has not had a skimmer on it in 1.5 years. Well it's day 3 and the tank is cloudy still. What could cause both tanks to do the cloudy thing? In all of my experience, I have never had cloudy tank water. I have had green water, but not cloudy.
Any info or advice would be very appreciated.
 

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
To my knowledge it might be an aerobic bacterial bloom caused by excessive nutrients. Once the nutrients are used and "fixed" then the condition usually goes away. Sometimes having a skimmer helps, so that you remove some of the bacteria and the waste. Cutting the light wouldnt work since the bacteria are mainly chemoautotroughs.
A water change will help and possibly increasing flow and increasing light to your macroalgae. In any case, its not hurting a thing, unless it becomes excessive.
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/395313/i-need-some-info#post_3519261
To my knowledge it might be an aerobic bacterial bloom caused by excessive nutrients. Once the nutrients are used and "fixed" then the condition usually goes away. Sometimes having a skimmer helps, so that you remove some of the bacteria and the waste. Cutting the light wouldnt work since the bacteria are mainly chemoautotroughs.
A water change will help and possibly increasing flow and increasing light to your macroalgae. In any case, its not hurting a thing, unless it becomes excessive.
Thanks...whatever you call it, it's very ugly, and regular water tests show me nothing. The seahorses seem perfectly happy so I'm not "worried" like something is bad going to happen but I don't like it. Tuesday is when my helper comes...so a WC is in the works.
 

gemmy

Active Member
Have you been running the heat or ac more or less than you were leading up to the "event"?
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gemmy http:///t/395313/i-need-some-info#post_3519272
Have you been running the heat or ac more or less than you were leading up to the "event"?
The outside temps change but the chillers keep the tanks from warmimg up....yes, they got colder, I would think a warm up would cause a problem.
 

gemmy

Active Member
That is not what I was getting at. I should have asked have you had the windows open more lately. I have heard of this bacterial bloom occurring seasonally with the change of temps.Keeping the house sealed up in the winter can have an impact on the CO2 in the house (and tank) as well as the pH. Opening the windows can reduce the CO2 in the house and impact the pH and you may also see a bacterial bloom.
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gemmy http:///t/395313/i-need-some-info#post_3519294
That is not what I was getting at. I should have asked have you had the windows open more lately. I have heard of this bacterial bloom occurring seasonally with the change of temps.Keeping the house sealed up in the winter can have an impact on the CO2 in the house (and tank) as well as the pH. Opening the windows can reduce the CO2 in the house and impact the pH and you may also see a bacterial bloom.
LOL...No open windows here. it's 37 degrees outside. It snowed night before last.
My Mother won't allow the windows open until it reaches around 80....The central air is not used until it's in the 90s. I have a fan in my room (my personal space) and a window unit if I get too warm. I have a picture of my Mother all bundled up with a blanket and a scarf...I had turned on the AC because it was 90 outside, inside it had reached 77 degrees and she was freezing. That's when I purchased the window unit.
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Fish tank is starting to look clearer, maybe by tomorrow it will be over whatever little snit it was having. ...whew. Any ideas what I might be able to do to prevent this in the future?
 

flower

Well-Known Member
UPDATE...next morning the tank looked like milk, not better at all. I did a huge water change and unplugged the Aquaripure filter. I believe that's what caused the cloudy water.
My Aquaripure filter will make cloudy water if you use one too large for your tank size. With all the macroalgae my tank has, I didn't need the nitrate filter. The 90g was also a little cloudy... but after I didn't add the vodka into the filter, it calmed down. The little one on my 56g was purchased with the sump water calculated. When I removed the sump, the Aquaripure filter was too large for the tank.
 

flower

Well-Known Member
The tank is crystal clear this morning...whew. I so stressed about all of this, you have no idea. Thank you Gemmy and Snake, you guys were a big help. If you had not told me it would pass on it's own, I would have gone nuts trying to do different things and make my situation worse.
 
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