Cloudy water Diatoms? Bacteria Blooms?

[marbio]

I Have a 40 gallon tank with only one clown in it now. I ha ve a fluval 204 filter. I get lots of green algae growth. I clean it up once a week. Now starting to get some browns.
My problem is my water is cloudy during the day and at night it is crystal clear...Why...what can I do to prevent it.
Here is my data
Tank been set up since August (about 6 months)
Phosphates 0
Nitrates 10ppm
Ammonia 0.1
Nitrites 0.1
pH 8
I can watch tha algae grow...I have a tank at work (musch simpler system and more fish) and had another tanks a few years ago but never had this problem.
:help:

 

[bheron]

marbio, try some carbon in the filter. has it cycled completely? nitrites and ammonia are detectable. that wont cause the cloudiness, but a spike of algae could mean the tank hasnt yet cycled.
carbon does mircales. do a search on the board here to see how poeple use it.

 

[beaslbob]

Welcome
well you did it backwords. Usually I get browns that turn to green. interesting.
first stop feeding until the nitraites get to 0.0.
second the greens, cloudy daytime water are plant life that is consuming the cargon dioxide, ammonia, phosphates, and nitrates. If you can not add more plant life the best thing to do is just allow the algae to collect on the sides and back of the tank. the best thing is to add plant life you like to starve out the greens and cloudy water. The cloudy water sounds like suspended algaes.
The worse thing you can do for you fish is to add cleaner crews or otherwise remove the algaes without insuring plant activity continues.
HTH

 

[bheron]

really, the best thing to do is to keep searching this site and get tons of opinions!

 

[dburr]

My problem is my water is cloudy during the day and at night it is crystal clear...Why...what can I do to prevent it.
Are you sure it's just not the lights. What I mean is, you can't see the cludyness until the lights are turned on, it makes it stand out more. After lights out and you think it's clear, turn the lights back on. Still clear?
Now starting to get some browns.
Diatoms or caynobacteria. What does it look like, other than brown?
Ammonia 0.1

Nitrites 0.1
HMMM... Did you add anything lately? Is it time to change the pad/pads in the canister? These #'s should be 0.0. Post back with some more detail.
Dan

 

[marbio]

Thanks all...No the cloudiness is with lights on and clear with lights on...I am now trying to reduce photoperiod and see how that works.
I have never gotten the ammonia and nitrites to be zero. Last filter change was 3/6/04.
I just picked up some ALGONE and I am going to try it out. Has anybody used it? They recommend I remove the carbon in the filter, but that just does not sound correct to me.
I have never had this cloudy water before with tanks I have had. It was also recommended that I upgrade my filter to the fluval 404 and get a protein skimmer....what do you folks think about that.
Thanks again...you all are great!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[dburr]

Never used algone, but carbon will try to soak it up. Your dose'n and it's soak'n. So yeah, take it out.
Protein skimmer yes, fluval, no. Alot of people run skimmers and not to many run canisters,IMO. So you do have one for corbon and stuff, I would say just the skimmer.
Good luke, let us know how it goes.

 

[jedininja]

Dont waste your money on a 404. You can get a prety good skimmer for just a little bit more.
Tell us more about your setup. How much LR, how much circulation, how often do you feed, what is your photperiod, what type of lighting?

 

[marbio]

I have carbon in the fluval 204 filter, along with mechanical filter, sponge type to remove large particles and biological...What id LR. The photoperiod was about 12/13 hours. I have reduced it to 8 hrs. Ther lighting is a standard aquarium florescent light. It does some nondirect light from the room and windows.
The output on the Fluval 204 is 180 gallons.
Whats is LR?
If most of you do not like canister filters what do you recommend.

 

[dburr]

LR= live rock.
It does some nondirect light from the room and windows.
How much/long? You say nondirect, can you explain? Direct sunlight can fuel algae.

 

[marbio]

No Living rock and its at a 90 degrees from a bay window. and about 10 to 15 ft away
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