Help! Need ideas.Tank clouded up in two days...

Mermaid Gardens

Mermaid Gardens

Anthias
M.A.S.C Club Member
#1
#1
Need some ideas. My tank is going nuts. It has been running really stable for months. All my tests are consistant, havnt made any eqpt changes and my tank complete clouded up. The only thing I have noticed out of the ordinary, besides the cloudy water that started a Monday, is some strange rust colored algae/moss looking stuff in my sump. My carbon/gfo reactor is pulling alot of it out. Changed about 10 gal out of my sump last night the water was orange. Cleaned my reactor and skimmer shut off the sump light and did all my water tests last night. It is worse today.

I did a 20 of 75 (95 whole system) water change Saturday. Replaced a burned out Ultra Blue 460 T5HO bulb and ballast Saturday with 1 420 Actinic bulb. Did a routine carbon change and that is it for changes.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
 
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J

jda123

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#2
#2
It is an algae bloom. Get some filter floss in there, a lot of activated carbon and keep the skimmer really clean.

Skip the GFO for a while. The extra organic carbon could be feeding it a bit.

Turn the light off for a few days - it won't hurt anything. Really.
 
tomtom2245

tomtom2245

Angel Fish
M.A.S.C Club Member
#4
#4
I'm going to go with the algae bloom as well. Although other things to consider are snails reproducing. I once had a ton of snails reproduce at once and clouded up my whole tank.
 
Mermaid Gardens

Mermaid Gardens

Anthias
M.A.S.C Club Member
#6
#6
Yes we have some green caulerpa. The algae I am taking out of my sump is a redish brown almost moss textured algae.
Lights are off, GFO swapped for carbon. What now? Let it cycle for a few days like this cleaning the reactor and skimmer morning and evening. The reactor rinces out dark rust brown.
Should I do another water change now or wait a few more days?
Thanks for the input!
 
Mermaid Gardens

Mermaid Gardens

Anthias
M.A.S.C Club Member
#7
#7
Update.
Woke up this AM to a clear tank. Shocking because I couldn't see the rocks in the middle of the tank last night at 11:30. Lights are still all off probably til tomorrow. Pulled the GFO out and replaced it with API carbon about 10 last night. It has almost stopped circulating itbhas removed so much. Have to clean it today. All that remains is a light brown "dust" all over everything. We will see what it looks like when I get home tonight. Thanks for the ideas.
 
J

jda123

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#8
#8
Change the carbon again today. Keep doing it.

Test your Ammonia, N and P levels and post the results.

Get ready for a water change... it will surely be coming.
 
Mermaid Gardens

Mermaid Gardens

Anthias
M.A.S.C Club Member
#9
#9
Update.

Clear still today. Lights still off, turning back on tomorrow.
Tested the water tonight.
78 deg
1.0245 salinity
Phosphates maybe 0.10 on the high side.
Ammonia 0-0.10 ppm
Nitrite 0
Nitrates 20ppm
Alk KH 4.3/12.0

Always seem to have nitrates... cant win that battle. Skimmer, gfo/carbon reactor. Careful feeding never able to keep below 10. Working on that.

Tank looks good. Sump still has some strange algae. Going to shut it down and clean my sump really well sunday I think. Dont think I lost anything except my Blue Starfish. Not sure what happened there.
Still not sure why this happened or cleared up so quick.
Thanks for the ideas and information! Really appreciate it!
 
Mermaid Gardens

Mermaid Gardens

Anthias
M.A.S.C Club Member
#10
#10
Well, I thought we were through this. Tank cleared up every thing Normal until last night. Started clouding up. Tonight got home from work getting worse fast. Completely clouded up. Fish look really bad. Changed the gfo out foe carbon. As I was finishing noticed my tangs dropping to the bottom wide gilled and suffocating. Caught them and moved to QT. Pretty sure my yellow and sailfin are done. Sandsifter star was curled in a ball. Moved him to QT. Might but ok. Rose bubble tip detached, moved it and clowns to bio cube.

Quick strip tests.

PH close to 9
Nitrate 30
Will do better test and post soon.
Frustrating to see things dying right as I watch helplessly...
 
Mermaid Gardens

Mermaid Gardens

Anthias
M.A.S.C Club Member
#12
#12
Have you ever noticed when things go wrong, your expensive fish are the ones that always seem to die... lost all my tangs. Foxface made it so far. Pajama card's and goby's are ok. $5 Damsels made it. Not sure on effects on coral yet. Part of the hobby, but pretty sickening when it happens.
 
Mermaid Gardens

Mermaid Gardens

Anthias
M.A.S.C Club Member
#14
#14
Went to Neptune tonight. Had water tested. Nothing looks horribly out of wack.


Going to clean the sump, carbon reactor and skimmer and to do a 30% water change tonight. Still running double carbon. Tank cleared up. We will see.
 
clowninaround7474

clowninaround7474

Tang
M.A.S.C Club Member
#17
#17
Your skimmer should have been adding a fair amount of oxygen to the tank. Any chance someone sprayed something from an aerosol can (Lysol, fabreeze, or dusting spray) near the tank? I also had issues with a cloudy tank, but it all passed on its own.
 
Mermaid Gardens

Mermaid Gardens

Anthias
M.A.S.C Club Member
#19
#19
Reef fusion 1 and 2 calcium/Alk supplement. Prime with new water. Running a skimmer and a GFO / carbon BRS reactor. With BRS GFO and .Carbon. right now no GFO and double carbon with API carbon. That cleared the water in 5 hours.
Just cleaned the sump, brushed and pumped out about 20 gallons of very rust colored water from the algae remaining. Going to do another 25 gal change Thursday or Friday. When I do that I am going to pull the sump, skimmer and reactor and clean thoroughly.
 
Mermaid Gardens

Mermaid Gardens

Anthias
M.A.S.C Club Member
#20
#20
No known chemicals sprayed nearby either...
 
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