Water question. Please Help!

[tmcelveen]

Ok, I've read a lot of posts on cloudy water, but none of them seem to apply to me. I am hoping that the experts can help me out.
Setup: 75g reef w/ live sand bed running for over a year and a half
125 wet/dry
2 Maxi-jet 1200 (circulation)
2 CPR Bak Pak skimmer
Along with standard mechanical filtration, I have been running activated carbon, and chem zorb.
I have been doing about 15-20% water changes every week with RO/DI water.
Chemicals:
Liquid Calcium
Pro Buffer dKH
Phytoplex
Microvert
Strontium/Molybednum
Iodine
Essential Elements
Coral Accel
All Kent Marine products
Bio load:
1 Clown
1 Cardinal
3 Damsels
1 Black Blenny
About 100 vaious hermits and 100 various snails
A few Feather Dusters and coral frags
All water parameters are normal (pH, salinity, alk, calc, nitrates, etc. . .)
The water is just cloudy. It's not micro bubbles. Had a problem with micro bubbles off the skimmers, but got two bubble eliminators for them and cleared that up. I just added the wet/dry and one of the skimmers, everything else has been running for a while and this problem has just popped up in the past month, and I can't get it clear! Please help me, guys. If you need any more info just let me know.
Thanks!
Travis

 

[usinkit]

What are the exact numbers of your calcium and alk?

 

[tmcelveen]

Between 450 and 500 on calcium. Don't know the alk off the top of my head. I will look when I get home.

 

[bang guy]

Try halting all additives except Calcium and ALK for a week. Then reintroduce the additives one a week to find the culprit, or just halt them permanently.
My guess is it's either Phytoplex or Microvert.
What are your Iodine levels?

 

[tmcelveen]

Don't know iodine levels. I dose 12 drops daily. I will do another water change and halt the additives like you recommend.
If it's the Microvert or Phytoplex, what filter feeding food would you recommend in its place?

 

[bang guy]

I would really discourage you from adding Iodine without testing first.
What are you trying to accomplish with the food? I don't see anything in your livestock list that needs it.

 

[tmcelveen]

You think the Iodine could be the culprit?
I have 2 Feather Dusters and an umbrella frag.

 

[bang guy]

I doubt it's the Iodine. Iodine is a strong poison though and an overdose can become a disaster. Nothing should ever be dosed without testing first in my opinion.
I think your cloudyness is caused by a bacterial bloom from overfeeding. No way to know for sure though but not dosing anything for a while will tell you if it's caused by dosing something.

 

[tmcelveen]

I do have a problem with red algae growing on the sand.
So, you recommend just dosing calcium and alk for a while and weekly water changes?
Is there anything else I should be doing?
Thanks for your help, by the way.

 

[bang guy]

Red algae (cyanobacter) growing on the sand is another symptom of excess nutrients in the water.
Water changes are never a bad idea.
What is your Alkalinity? usinkit started to bring up the idea that High Calcium + High Alkalinity + high PH can result in cloudy water (precipitation).

 

[usinkit]

It sounds like you are over feeding. I would stop adding all additives like Bang Guy said. I would also increase your water flow to help get rid of the cyno. I dont see any corals or critters that need any of the additives you are adding and calcium and buffer could be stopped too until you get your water quality back in check. Just keep up with your weekly water changes and I think you will see your water quality come back. Good luck!!

 

[tmcelveen]

Alk is at least 300; may be more I guess, but that's as high as the test goes.
I will get another power head or two to increase the flow, hold off on the dosing, and keep up my water changes. I will keep everyone posted.
Thanks so much for the advice, guys!

 

[tmcelveen]

Hey guys, just wanted to let y'all know I did a 20% water change and have halted the dosing and a day later. . .wow! Calcium levels have dropped to 420, but alk is still showing at least 300. I'm going to wait until tomorrow and check calcium to see if I need to dose, and then wait until the alk drops before dosing pro Buffer, and wait a week before adding anything else. I'm going to stop using the Microvert and Phytoplex, since y'all think I don't need it. Anything else?
Again, thanks for the advice!