cloudy water

[davyb]

Hello, It is weird that my water has been cloudy for two weeks now, I even put a filter pad in my canister filter and it did not help. The water is not real bad but not clear either. Could this be alge or somthing. The tank has been up for 4 weeks now and i have 3 damsels and a little bit of live rock, that is it. Also I have ceramic rings in my canister filter is this ok to do?

 

[beaslbob]

You might try turning off your lights for a couple of days.
but this doesn't seem to be really really bad. Adding plant life will help.
I once used a water polisher cartirdge to clear up clouding. It did clear the tank but it would cloud up again in a couple of days. I had way too much light and finally reduced the lighting to more normal levels. With plant life and the more reasonalble lighting, the tank stayed clear.

 

[davyb]

Thaks, I dont have that much light but i did put a 48" plant light in that i got at wal-mart maybe this is why.

 

[beaslbob]

With very low lighting and no plant life a slight clouding can occure. With brighter lights then a very dense cloud can occur. any light can case algae to grow so not just plant lights.
If your 75g is 4' wide you could use utility lights from HD. Especially for a fo or fowlr type tank. Lot cheaper than the expensive than the lights for aquariums. But then you would brobably need brighter lights for some corals.
At any rate if you added plant life like macros then the water should clear up and the system will be much better.

 

[jedininja]

If you are cycling wioth damsels and are still in the cycling process, the slight cloudiness is a sign of the cycle.
Plants are not needed and not recommened by most people. in fact, calurpa can even give you water a slight yellow green tint.
Lighting is not a factor unless the water is blue green color. Then there is free flating algae.