cloudy water

[mellowyellow]

Yesterday I did a 20% saltwater change while vacuuming my substrate. All seemed well and good and today I was upset to see how murky/cloudy the water is. I did another smaller water change using distilled water and it didn't help. Is this part of the cycling of a new tank. I'm about eight weeks in. I remember I did have moments of cloudy water when I cycled the 10 gal freshwater tank. I've turned off the light thinking the cloudy water may be the result of a bacteria bloom. Should I simply leave it alone or can someone recommend a remedy? Help

 

[melosu58]

Moved this to the General SW reef aquaria forum. This is the welcome wagon here. Good luck on your tank.

 

[milhous3er]

Is your substrate CC or sand ??

 

[Crepe]

Or is it something like miracle mud.

 

[mellowyellow]

Is your substrate CC or sand ??

My substrate is CC.

 

[mellowyellow]

Or is it something like miracle mud.

What is miracle mud?

 

[Ziggy953]

Can you give me a little more information on your tank? What are your readings? Nitrate Nitrite PH ammonia SG? What kind of flow and filtration do you have on your system?

 

[Crepe]

What is miracle mud?

A mineralized substrate. And Crushed coral notoriously releases tiny particulate. I had cc in my mbuna tank and it would never stop releasing dust when I disrupted it and I rinsed it for at least an hour.

 

[cmor1701d]

Please post your water parameter readings as Ziggy suggested.
It might be a bacterial bloom from the nutrients stirred up from vaccumng. That wil die off and disappear in a few days.

 

[mellowyellow]

Thank you cmor. With a CC substrate will I have this problem everytime I vacuum and if so, what could I use to take its place?

 

[mellowyellow]

Thanks Crepe. If this is an ongoing problem do you have any idea of what I could use to replace the CC substrate? I have only one fish right now, Foxface, who seems happy in the aquarium by his/her self. This would be the time to change the substrate before I add more fish. Thanks again.

 

[milhous3er]

Thank you cmor. With a CC substrate will I have this problem everytime I vacuum and if so, what could I use to take its place?

There was a really good post about this awhile back. Someone suggested that you could scoop out about 1/4 of the CC and replace it with aragonite sand (rinsed really good). Wait a week (so the good bacteria can seed the sand) and do it to another 1/4 of your CC. I was contemplating doing this because I have CC, but I vacummed today and had no cloudiness at all.

And before you ask how they got the sand to go to the spot you scooped out, there was a pic of a gallon milk jug, cut half-way and taped to some PVC pipe. Then they would place the sand in the milk jug and it would go down the PVC to whatever spot they chose. A very inexpensive but very reliable way of doing it !!

 

[mellowyellow]

Milhous3er

Thanks for your suggestion. I'll probably be visiting my LFS in Dover, Del. next week and I'll see if they have the sand.