temp and cloudy

ballardboi · Dec 26, 2012

Tank is on about 3 weeks of cycle, everything is 0 but nitrates at 20ppm.
I did a water change of 25%. The tank clouded up 2 days before I did the water test.
The temp, i can't get it below 82 even with all the doors open, so I am going to get some fans to blow on the water, hoping I dont have to invest in a chiller, but will if needed. Do you think fans will do the trick? House is always at 76. I have a Mag 12 for my return pump maybe that is the cause.
Cloudiness I am assuming it is just another part of the cycle

bang guy · Dec 26, 2012

If you have air conditioning then that should be able to dry the air enough for the fans to work well. If you don't have air conditioning then your air may be too humid for the fans to do much good.
The cloudiness is probably a bacterial population spike. Water changes will help with that but the cloudiness isn't harmful unless it begins to turn red. That would mean that the oxygen content has dropped and that is bad.

ballardboi · Dec 26, 2012

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///t/393899/temp-and-cloudy#post_3505434
If you have air conditioning then that should be able to dry the air enough for the fans to work well. If you don't have air conditioning then your air may be too humid for the fans to do much good.
The cloudiness is probably a bacterial population spike. Water changes will help with that but the cloudiness isn't harmful unless it begins to turn red. That would mean that the oxygen content has dropped and that is bad.
Thanks appreciate the response. I am hoping the work. I have 2 units coming with 4 small fans a piece to blow on the water. Hoping that is it. I will most likely complete another water change in 1 week, 7 days in between this last one. And cross my fingers the fans work, but alas if not drop the money on a chiller.

beaslbob · Dec 26, 2012

Try killing your lights and stopping all feeding for a few days to see if it clears up.
my .02

ballardboi · Dec 27, 2012

Quote:
Originally Posted by beaslbob http:///t/393899/temp-and-cloudy#post_3505438
Try killing your lights and stopping all feeding for a few days to see if it clears up.
my .02
Thanks will try it out.
Only thing I have in there is a blenny that I dont feed, he came with the LR, and have some crabs and snails...
I did just today notice a bloom of isopods suddenly in my DT and Sump..

bang guy · Dec 27, 2012

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ballardboi http:///t/393899/temp-and-cloudy#post_3505435
Thanks appreciate the response. I am hoping the work. I have 2 units coming with 4 small fans a piece to blow on the water. Hoping that is it. I will most likely complete another water change in 1 week, 7 days in between this last one. And cross my fingers the fans work, but alas if not drop the money on a chiller.
Air conditioning might be cheaper to run than a chiller.

ballardboi · Dec 27, 2012

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///t/393899/temp-and-cloudy#post_3505456
Air conditioning might be cheaper to run than a chiller.
Yeah, i actually run it all day now. Since I am in Florida I have it set on 76 at all times, there is even a vent right by the tank. Hoping the fans will draw the cool air into the tank better. Will see..

bang guy · Dec 27, 2012

Tell me more about your tank. There may be some minor tweaks that give big results if I know your setup.

ballardboi · Dec 27, 2012

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///t/393899/temp-and-cloudy#post_3505466
Tell me more about yoour tank. There may be some minor tweaks that give big results if I know your setup.
The tank is a 150G tank with a 12 inch canopy on the top. The canopy is open in the back about 4 inches from the wall and has an opening on the top for venting also. It has 2 overflows on each corner going to a 55 gal sump in the cabinet below. This has an Octopus Diablo Skimmer. The return pump is a 12 MAG (am thinking i am getting a lot of heat from this also).
Even at night my tank is staying around 81 with the lights completely off.
I have 4 AI SOL Blue lights on the tank that run from 11 am to 10 pm on 65% intensity. I have 2 powerheads in the tank also. 750g a piece.
The light i have on the sump is only a single T5 so I am not getting much heat from this.
I

ballardboi · Dec 27, 2012

Last night I shut my lights off and didnt turn them on today, one hoping to help in the white bloom of cloudiness in my tank.
Second to see what the temperature would do. I don't have any heaters on, and the tank has only dropped to 80.3. So I suppose that means my Mag 12 is keeping my tank at around that temp, the adding the lights increases by a couple more degrees.

bang guy · Dec 27, 2012

Anything that moves water is going to add heat to your tank. Powerheads, water pumps, even air bubbles in a skimmer add heat.

ballardboi · Dec 30, 2012

(still white and cloudy) I have had the lights off now for a couple of days. Also the oil from the bacteria bloom is causing havoc on my skimmer as I have barely have any "foam" head on it.
Should I do a water change? Or just leave the lights off longer? Thanks everyone.
Again I have no mechanical filter. Just a sump with LR and macro in it. Agar and Chaeto.

bang guy · Dec 30, 2012

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///t/393899/temp-and-cloudy#post_3505434
Water changes will help with that but the cloudiness isn't harmful unless it begins to turn red.
It's bacteria. They could not care less about the light being on or off.

ballardboi · Jan 7, 2013

So i know it hasn't been that long, but my tank is still cloudy as ever.
My parameters are still great.
Nitrate, Ammonia, Nitrite, PH, Phosphates etc. Any other advice, lights do nothing, since it is bacteria. But by the end of the day it is much cloudier than the morning. It has been 1 week and 5 days.

bang guy · Jan 7, 2013

Have you tried a really big water change? Somewhere between 50% - 100%. I know that's a PITA but it could permanently solve it.

bang guy · Jan 7, 2013

Before you do that... What lights do you have on the blue end? I know that UVA will cause the Sodium in the saltwater to glow making the water look cloudy. Is that a possibility?

ballardboi · Jan 7, 2013

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///t/393899/temp-and-cloudy#post_3507156
Before you do that... What lights do you have on the blue end? I know that UVA will cause the Sodium in the saltwater to glow making the water look cloudy. Is that a possibility?
I did a 33% water change 3 times. 2 days apart. Maybe I should do it all in one day I suppose.
I didn't have enough trash cans to mix up 125g of water at once for 1 big water change. Might be a good idea, at this point I will try it and see what happens!

bang guy · Jan 7, 2013

Use a bright flashlight at night and see if the water looks cloudy. Just to eliminate the UVA possibility.

ballardboi · Jan 8, 2013

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///t/393899/temp-and-cloudy#post_3507166
Use a bright flashlight at night and see if the water looks cloudy. Just to eliminate the UVA possibility.
Just as cloudy at night. I did a 50% water change tonight. I am mixing up another batch to do another 50% water change tomorrow. I also thoroughly cleaned my sump tonight of all buildup, though there wasn't much (mainly just sand dust and small rock particles).
Will see what two more water changes in a row will do.

beaslbob · Jan 8, 2013

With an external refugium you should just turn off the display lights while still lighting up the refugium. and not run the refugium 24 hours.
Sometimes it can take a few weeks but IME it always works. And usually in less then a week.
my .02

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