Fertilization = Cloudy White Water??

[cowman345]

Recently, when I fertilize my tank for NPK (3x weekly alternating with CSM+B+iron) the water clouds up by the next day just like new tank syndrome with a cloud of bacteria.

75gal tank a few months old
1 Filstar XP3 with plenty of bio media cleaned every 2-3 weeks
Heated to 77 deg F
pH 7.2 with KH of 14 = CO2 of about 27ppm
(co2 injection with ph controller)

8 SAEs
1 Bristlenose Pleco
Tons of plants in EcoComplete with a bit of Cichlid sand for buffering

Oh yeah... ammonia and nitrites = 0
nitrates day after dosing NPK = 10 (targeted 20 when fertilizing w/KNO3)
phosphates = 2.0 (targeted 2.0 when fertilizing)
K2SO4 is dosed accordingly with KNO3 to target 20ppm K.

Plants aren't using Phosphate? But nitrates are??

Any help is much appreciated.

-dave-

 

[travis simonson]

In a tank like yours with a relatively high pH, dosing with iron/traces can cause this effect because the iron will precipitate out of solution (causing the white cloudiness) much more readily than it would in a lower pH environment. I have seen this happen in my ARLC tank after dosing iron so I suspect you may be experiencing the same thing. It could also be something else, but iron would be the first thing I would check. Does it cloud up soon after you dose the CSM+B+Fe?

 

[cowman345]

No, it clouds about 8-12 hours after dosing NPK... it's been 8 hrs since I dosed CSM+B+Fe, and no increased cloudiness... however, it may be a reaction to the iron already present in the system, I suppose. Either that, or maybe the bacteria needs even more bio media to colonize? Otherwise, I'm at a loss!
-dave-

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Doesn't EcoComplete provide plenty iron? Maybe there's too much when you dose?

 

[cowman345]

Hmm... could be. I'm afraid of dosing too little anything, including iron. But then again, Travis don't you also dose iron (iron chelate - 1tsp in 500ml) and also use EcoComplete?

-dave-

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Could experiment by dosing a little less each time til the cloudyness doesn't happen anymore. But keep a close eye on all the plants as well. Could just be dosing a little too much.

 

[cowman345]

Maybe I'll give that a shot... I'll have to mix up some iron seperately...

Thanks! I'll post an update after I try it for awhile.

-dave-

 

[cowman345]

Updated tank shot: 75gal planted, 3 months old (eventual goal: planted mbuna)

Travis, Lonewolf - Thanks for the advice about overdosing iron possibly being linked to cloudy water... I cut down on my iron a bit and the tank is clear again - steady clear for 2 weeks now, though it did take some time to clear after I reduced the iron.

Still trying to get a handle on fertilization, but i'm getting better at making predictions. Siamese Algae eaters are doing a great job of cleaning up, and growing fast. I hope to be ready for some Cichlid fry in the next couple months.

All my staghorn algae is GONE. SAEs eat the stuff pretty nicely (bristlenose pleco may help here) but they prefer the softer algae. Once the soft stuff was gone, they ate all the staghorn.

Still have some green thread algae here and there... SAEs keep it at bay, but can't quite keep up... anyone know why this algae sticks around? I heard it may be due to excess iron. Anyone else have input?

BTW, tore up my Glosso... that stuff was driving me nuts, it was growing too fast and thick and became inundated with riccia growing throughout it which made it a growth bed for algae. I think it looks better now... I'd love a slow growing, short ground cover... any ideas?



-dave-