cloudy water

cabin7882

cabin7882

Member
What causes the water in a saltwater tank to become cloudy? Will a 5 gal water fix it? I have a 46 gal tank with a yellow tang, 1 clown, 3 green chromis and just recently added 15 blue legged hermits and 3 snails. My levels are ok I guess
salt .023
ammonia 0
ite .5
ate 20
alk ? the color pad on my test kit was blue with green in the middle I think it is almost too low
PH 8 a little low
Can anyone help me with trying to get these levals back to normal! And also clear up the cloudiness of the water? :notsure:
 
saltfan

saltfan

Active Member
Trates lil high. What kind of filter are you running in there? Is it at least 12x the turn over rate? 10% water change should help some.
 
saltfan

saltfan

Active Member
Originally Posted by cabin7882
I have a CPR bak bak that's ok right?
Yea, thats ok, but do you have Live Rock in the tank? How much? If none, you do need a filter on there. And the Bak-Pak is not a filter, its a skimmer, it won't clear up the cloudiness.
 
cabin7882

cabin7882

Member
maybe it is a bak pak 2? I forget I'll have to look, But I know that it is a filter and a skimmer in one...well that's what the LFS told me.
 
saltfan

saltfan

Active Member
Originally Posted by cabin7882
maybe it is a bak pak 2? I forget I'll have to look, But I know that it is a filter and a skimmer in one...well that's what the LFS told me.
Only one that I know of that is duel is called a SKILTER FILTER.
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
Okay, so what do you have in the tank holding biological bacteria? Do you have bio balls, rings, ceramics, anything that holds biological bacteria?
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
Alright, well you definitely need some sort of biological filtration. I would recommend live rock too, but you would need to get cured live rock, as any uncured live rock will start your tank into a cycle again. You could also buy some uncured live rock and let it cure in separate containers and just do frequent small water changes to keep your levels down while the rock is curing.
 
cabin7882

cabin7882

Member
ok thanks! So if I get cured LR I can add it right to my tank? And then will do the trick? I just did a 5 gal change 2 days ago and am going to do another tonight hopefully that'll help until I can get to my LFS to get some LR. My LFS told me I do not absolutely need LR but I can get it if I want why would they say that?
 
aelene

aelene

Member
Originally Posted by cabin7882
ok thanks! So if I get cured LR I can add it right to my tank? And then will do the trick? I just did a 5 gal change 2 days ago and am going to do another tonight hopefully that'll help until I can get to my LFS to get some LR. My LFS told me I do not absolutely need LR but I can get it if I want why would they say that?

CPR Bak Pak btw is a skimmer only. Bio bale is on the left hand side and the chamber on the right. You do need some type of filter to go along with it, and can probably clear up cloudiness with running some carbon in it.
Live rock is a natural biological filter which is why they are suggesting it here for you. If you plan on a FO tank then it's not necessary per say, but live rock goes a long way in creating a balance for your tank, most people that go FO end up with FOWLR due to the benefits.
Also - even if LR is sold as cured... that doesn't mean you won't have some sort of die off and possibly cause your tank to re-cycle again. I have put cured LR straight into my tank before, but I probably wouldn't do it again just because. On the off chance that it does start a cycle you'd be really unhappy.
 
shiby1510

shiby1510

Member
They're saying that because in a sense they are right... you do not necessarily need lr but what you do need is some sort of biofilteration... Most people go with lr but if you want to stick strickly with just a tank with fish and fake rock and such you can do that, but then you will need to buy or build some sort of sump with bioballs. bioball blue that look like balls that you put in a container and it keeps the biological filteration if you do not have lr. Therefore, the moral of the story is, you need to buy something... either lr or a sump setup with bioballs.
As for your lr as long as you do not live too far away from the lfs and you trust that it is actually fresh lr then i guess you can put it in your tank. That is mostly your call but if you have dieoff and you put it in your tank there could be some unhappy consequences for you.
 
cabin7882

cabin7882

Member
BTW this link will bring u to the bak pak I have and you'll see that it is a skimmer and biofilter. Well that's what it claims anyways..if u know more than them please let me know cause I know that it may be wrong and I'd like to know. http://www.cpraquatic.com/products/bakpak.html I also have snails and hermits in my tank so I think I will definitely buy some LR although I do have some shelf bought coral that seems to attract the hermits. Thanks for everyones help I appreciate it! :)
 
cabin7882

cabin7882

Member
Did anyone check out that link? I would like to know if I am right and if my filter is a skimmer and a filter in one?
 
pilar

pilar

New Member
I am so glad this site exists. I've learned so much just reading the threads. My tank is new and thought it had cycled (probably 2 months old now). Water levels are checking out perfect, however, my flaming clam and yellow cucumber just died. I think it may have been several things based on what I've read here. I've got a 29 gallon tank. Not sure of the exact amount of lr I have but it takes up most of the center of the tank. Tons of snails, 3 crabs, 2 emerald crabs, 1 damsel, 1 neudibranch, 2 very small (dime and quarter size) anemone's that are doing great that I can almost watch grow daily (that's rewarding in and of itself), and 2 clowns. I think I may have 1) added too much too soon 2) overfeed and 3) need to turn the lights off or set them up on the timers I bought last weekend and haven't gotten to. My water is sooooooo cloudy. I've got this red algae almost mushroom like alage popping up everywhere. Kind of a greenish white cloudy water, just like what is posted here. Lights are off now and I'm going to feed once a day. If anyone has any other suggestions, please post. I'll keep you updated on how things are going. I thought I was patient in the beginning but apparently not enough!! :thinking:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top