Cloudy water during cycle

[smt91278]

Im a couple weeks into my cycle, and my water is as cloudy now as the first day i started. It's not cloudy from the sand, because it has no brown tint. It sort of looks like a milky clouding. I do have a 3 inch sandbed and 2 ri0 1100 powerheads running. The temperature is 82, and SG is 1.023.
I was curious if anyone knew what was causing this, and if they have gone through this, is there anyway to get the cloudy water to clear up?
I thought it would clear up with time, but its been 2 weeks, and it hasnt changed.:help:

 

[beaslbob]

could be a suspended algae or bacteria that has died off. the later happens if you add food like a raw shrimp. Happened to me once using a couple of flakes of flake food.
the best way to get rid of it is to add plant life.Sometimes it is necessary to reduce lighting. sometime you need to trun the light off for a week or so.
You can filter it out with say a canister filter and a water polisher cartridage. And if this was just a one time thing that will work. if it is an algae problem and nothing else is doe, it probably will come back.
Or it could just clear up on its own.
Good luck

 

[dreeves]

The milky cloudiness is a bacterial bloom and will subside over a little time...once it starts rescinding...it goes quick.

 

[pohtr]

I know this is an old thread but I am at exactly 2 weeks into cycle and my water is cloudy also. If it is a bacterial bloom then is that the same thing as the beginning of a cycle? Isn't that the point of the shrimp/fish food? To create bacteria and ammonia, etc.
I am confused. All my levels are at zero still, temp at around 80.

 

[goldenboy]

How much raw shrimp did you put in? Are you lights off? What's your filtration? Any LR? Sometimes it can take 4-6 weeks for it to fully cycle.

 

[jcarroll]

I'm still cycling, about 5 weeks into it. Right about my 2 week mark my water got cloudy too.
According to the thread I posted, it's natural for your tank to get cloudy while it's cycling. Mine was probably cloudy for about 4 or 5 days and then it cleared up. Give it some time before you get too worried. Also, it's okay to have your temp. between 80 and 82 degrees, IMO, from the comments I've gotten from people.

 

[schadiest1]

keeping your temp around 76/77 will help your fish live longer. pohtr, you don't want ammonia at all, it will burn the gills of your fish! ammonia at 0 is great, along with nitrite/nitrate.

 

[pohtr]

I used 1 large raw shrimp, have very little LR & LS, light is on (only the cheap one that came with it), skimmer is off, pump is running (think its a mag 5).
Doesn't the ammonia have to go up as an indicator of cycling?
I'm lowering my temp, Schadiest1, I was told by lfs that 76 was healthier for fish that ich loves 80 degrees.. I bet some of you will dissagree?
Wow, there sure are a lot of differing opinions on everything!!

 

[jcarroll]

Yes, in order to cycle, first your ammonia will spike, which in turn will elevate your nitrite levels, which in turn will turn into and elevate your nitrate levels. Once all three go back down to zero, your cycle is complete. According to things I've read, your nitrate level may stay slightly elevated. I don't know about what different temps cause, I only know different people keep their tank at different temps.

 

[schadiest1]

i agree with jcarroll, i didn't know you were talking about ammonia spiking up. but yeah, the last post by jcarroll is pretty accurate, that's the same way i understand the cycling phase of your tank. got anymore cycling questions?

 

[pohtr]

So if I just sit and wait is it possible that the tank will never actually cycle?

 

[jcarroll]

As long as you have live rock or live sand or both, or a raw shrimp decaying in there, or fish to start the cycle, your tank will cycle.
Buy a test kit and test your levels. Be patient though, mine has been cycling now for over 5 weeks, still not done. I have damsels in it to cycle it, but don't use them, buy a raw shrimp from grocery and drop it in to rot. It, or the fish, will create waste that turn from ammonia, to nitrites, to nitrates, and then voila! Cycle's finished when they go back down to zero. Then you add a few members of a cleaning crew to clean up all of the waste.

 

[jcarroll]

when I say a few of cleaners, I forgot to say you add the rest of them once the first few prove they'll survive. You don't want to overload at first

 

[pohtr]

So, since I've already added a large shrimp and it has long since rotted into oblivion and have only a little LR & LS then I should just wait? Or should I add more shrimp? Levels are all still at zero. Water's not so cloudy now. What I mean is, what if the ammonia never registers above zero, does that mean I've NOT cycled? Is it possible to have a cycle but not have it be big enough?

 

[jcarroll]

did you use new water or from a previous tank? I think I'm correct in saying that you have to have an elevation in your levels for a cycle to happen. How long has your shrimp been in?

 

[pohtr]

I used (new) tap water, treated. The shrimp was in long enough to rot away, I think about a week or so. I've added nothing new for the last week, but I have more shrimp in the freezer that I was going to add. I feel like there should be some ammonia rising but nothing so far. Tomorrow I'll check the levels again.

 

[jcarroll]

If your levels still have not spiked, I would post a new thread that says "can't get tank to cycle...help" and let people respond to your problem because I'm not sure about that one. When you post, make sure you include everything about what you've done so far, including how long and how many times you've tested also. Maybe you can get a mod to help out. Sorry, that's all I've got. Good luck!