cloudy water

[spacemonkey]

Ok woke up this morning, water looked like skim milk... the only thing different in the tank that i could see was that my blood shrimp had shed his skin... could this be the cause? possibly shot the ammonia up? i took the skeleton out, and i'm hoping it goes back to normal, I DON'T WANT TO LOSE MY GOLD STRIPED MAROON!! he's/she's beautiful. anyways, it's a 55 gallon tank with about 60lbs of live rock, blue damsel and a maroon clown, it's been through it's cycle, (it's 5 1/2 months old) any theory's?tks

 

[brinkdrum]

A molt wouldn't shoot the ammonia up. What level is your ammonia? Nitrite, Nitrate?

 

[spacemonkey]

well, i think i figured it out... last night i noticed one of my featherdusters was "crawling" out of it's tube, i thought this was a little strange but never looked to much into it... this morning and all day i have not see the feather duster with it's feathers out... so i'm thinking maybe the feather duster died? the cloudiness is gone, everything seems to be back to normal, but no featherduster... sound like the probable cause? anyways, i think things are going to be ok. I'll keep you posted!

 

[spacemonkey]

i did test them, things seem normal, the other tankmates are showing no ill effect, like i just posted the only thing missing or out of the ordinary is that featherduster is MIA. I just kinda freaked out a little when i seen the cloudiness, My biggest fear is to do something stupid that will kill my whole tank... trust me i'm capable of doing something that stupid... ask my girlfriend... anyways. i think things are going to be ok

 

[cgr]

How is the algea situation in your tank? I have had cloudy water as a result of an algea bloom. Could this be it?
120 Gal FOWLR
1 Yellow tang
1 Blue tang
1 Sailfin tang
3 chromis
1 cleaner wrass
1 tomato clown
1 sleeper gobie
1 skunk cleaner shrimp
1 coral banded shrimp
2 peppermint shrimp
1 sandsifter star
emerald crabs,snails, blue and scarlet legged hermits
Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 0, PH 8.2, Salinity 1.024
5+” DSB

 

[spacemonkey]

I have no visible (on the glass, just the little snail prints left behind) algea, my snails are doing a pretty good job. When it was cycleing it had long brown hair all over the tank until my snails got around to eating it... Everything in the tank is as it should be except there is no sign of the smaller featherduster. I've looked around the tank can't see him, don't really want to rip my tank apart over it, seen as how everything else seems ok... it was strange, it was the same cloudiness i noticed at the begining of my cycle, and i was worried the tank was going into another cycle or something, so i thought i should ask the "experts" aka you guys... thanks for all your replies, i'll continue to monitor it hopefully it was just a freak of nature.

 

[cincyreefer]

the feather duster is probably not dead. They will shed their "feathers" and regrow them, although it can take awhile.

 

[wrassecal]

As long as you have 0 amm and 0 nitrites you should be in fairly good shape. Do you add calcium? Do you test for calcium? If so what is your reading?
As far as the exoskeleton your shrimp left behind, it would not cause any problems. They are mostly calcium and I just leave these molts in my tank. You may already know this but the shrimp may hide for a few days to get it's energy back and allow the new exoskeleton to harden. Sometimes after a molt I don't see mine for days.
Your feather duster could have crawled out of the tube and still be alive. It's rather doubtful but possible. I had one crawl out and into a cave and start building a new tube with sand. The worst thing about that is they are ready prey for any predators when out of their tube. HTH

 

[spacemonkey]

no i don't test for calcium... i guess maybe i should huh? I took the shell the shrimp shed out, is it beneficial to leave it in? i'm about to test my water today, so i'll let you know.

 

[wrassecal]

What does your tank look like today?
You also might want to share what additives you are dosing your tank with. What do you test for? Do you run carbon? Once I added a phosphate sponge material without rinsing it first and my whole tank clouded up. Sometimes it can be something really simple (or stupid as in my case). Sometimes we just need to know every little thing to help you figure it out.
cincyreefer makes a good point on the feather duster. It could still be in the tube and just lost it's crown. You can check by holding the tube between 2 fingers. If it's in there any slight pressure will make it jump and you'll feel it. Maybe he's still there.

 

[reid101]

its an ammonia cloud