Cloudy Water

[gamedawg]

I have been looking at my tank lately, and it looks cloudy to me. What causes this? If you look really close, you can see little particles floating around too.

 

[gamedawg]

Here are my readings, is it the nitrite?
SG - 1.0235
Temp - 84
Nitrate - 5
Am - 0
PH - 8.2
Nitrite - between 0 and .25
My Nitrite is usually 0, but I added a fish, and it's about water change time. The reason I say between 0 and .25 is because it doesn't quite look either color, and there's not a reading chart for the color it is. At 0 it's supposed to be light turquise, and .25 it's kinda light lavender. My water test tube is light blue-right in the middle. It made me panic just now, but I will do a water change, and it should be okay.
Is this enough to kill anyone, or make them sick?

 

[gamedawg]

No replies???
I did a water change and it's more clear today, I don't know if the fish were stirring everything up yesterday or what. I think it has something to do with nitrites, am I right???

 

[mr.p]

how old is your tank? mine did that when it was going thru it's cycling process. after a day or two it was better.

 

[gamedawg]

It's a few months old, everything was fine a couple days ago, and then yesterday it seemed really cloudy. I did a small water change, and it's all good now. I think maybe the fish stirred up the sand or something, or maybe they all went to the bathroom a tthe same time.

 

[kevtheiris]

Originally Posted by Gamedawg
or maybe they all went to the bathroom at the same time.

AND forgot to flush!......
I had this problem too, but mine stayed cloudy for almost a week then went away. My tank has had fish in it since May, orig setup w/ no fish in april. I added a filter/skimmer combo to use as a skimmer/secondary filter and haven't had the problem since...Except when i add water and it stirs up the bottom which usually clears up in a few hours

 

[fishnerd]

Cloudy water, as in white cloudy, is usually a bacterial bloom caused by overfeeding.
To test my theory, stop feeding for 3 days (the fish will be OK) if the water clears up, you are overfeeding.

 

[gamedawg]

I doubt it's overfeeding, I sometimes feel like I'm not feeding enough. I only drop one beefheart cube for the trigger, grouper and scraps for the tang and damsels, I put a small square of seaweed on the clip, (2"x2") and 5 krill in there for the lion.
It cleared up as soon as I did the water change that night. It hasn't done that before the other night, and hasn't done it since

 

[philgmiami]

A UV STERILIZER IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO :happy: ..IVE HAD MY TANK SET SINCE LATE MARCH AND IVE NEVER HAD CLOUDY WATER.ALSO RUN'N YOUR LIGHTS ON MORE THEN 8 HRS WILL MAKE YOUR TANK LOOK FUZZY

 

[ophiura]

I think it would help to know more about your system - filtration, skimming, etc. How big is the tank? Also as an aside I would not really recommend beef heart as the best diet for your predatory fish. Something saltwater - like krill, shrimp, squid or better yet silversides. All come in frozen packages and are obviously a more natural diet for them

I would concentrate first on ruling out any other issues before getting a UV. It is not the cure of everything, and certainly most tanks run clear without one (and run lights longer too). Usually cloudy water is some sort of biological or chemical imbalance and it is good to get it sorted out the right way, IMO at least.

 

[philgmiami]

HERES A PIC OF THE CLEARITY IN MY TANK

 

[ophiura]

I don't doubt the tank is clear. But it does not mean the UV is responsible for it. That is the problem with UV in part. It is a big jump to say "my tank is clear, and therefor my UV works." People give it credit because it is there and running, but it may have nothing to do with the tank being clear...or the fish being free of Ick. Maybe, but maybe not. You might be fine without it. I have clear water and don't run one. And I am sure there are any number of tank shots here with clear water, that don't run one. It is not guaranteed to solve such an issue...and if you have it (cloudy water) for whatever reason, I would sure want to know and potentially eliminate some causes if it is possible. Cloudy water, closed up corals, sick fish etc....these are all signs that something is not quite right in that little enclosed system.

 

[philgmiami]

Originally Posted by ophiura
I think it would help to know more about your system - filtration, skimming, etc. How big is the tank? Also as an aside I would not really recommend beef heart as the best diet for your predatory fish. Something saltwater - like krill, shrimp, squid or better yet silversides. All come in frozen packages and are obviously a more natural diet for them

I would concentrate first on ruling out any other issues before getting a UV. It is not the cure of everything, and certainly most tanks run clear without one (and run lights longer too). Usually cloudy water is some sort of biological or chemical imbalance and it is good to get it sorted out the right way, IMO at least.
EVERYONE ON THIS SITE, HAS ALWAYS SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO SAY ABOUT EVERYTHING.. ITS KINDA HARD WHO TO BELIEVE :thinking: .... CAN I GET AN AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[the reef]

do you have a protin skimmer?
if not could be a break down of some the protin the amino acids