Help!

[Bobz38]

Hello, I have a 75g new saltwater set up that just came out of cycle on it's fourth week, all levels seem ok nitrates 0, nitrites 0, amonia 0, ph around 8.2? I did a 20% water change over the weekend with R0 water and after that my tank has been realy cloudy every since?? I don't know what's going on becuse the water was realy clear prior to the water change? What went wrong??

 

[SHARPiE]

nitrates 0, nitrites 0, amonia 0, ph around 8.2

How did you cycle the tank? You need an ammonia source to do a cycle.
What kind of test kit are you using? Strip tests can be notoriously incorrect.
When a cycle is complete - you will get readings of nitrate.

As for the couldy water - what is your substrate - sand or crushed coral?
Doing the water change may have created a mini sand storm.
Does it look sandy, bubbly or cloudy?

 

[ryshark]

Hello, I have a 75g new saltwater set up that just came out of cycle on it's fourth week, all levels seem ok nitrates 0, nitrites 0, amonia 0, ph around 8.2? I did a 20% water change over the weekend with R0 water and after that my tank has been realy cloudy every since?? I don't know what's going on becuse the water was realy clear prior to the water change? What went wrong??

How did you mix up your water change water? Did you put the water in first and slowly put the salt in second? What are you using to mix/aerate the waterchange water?

 

[cmor1701d]

All good questions.

How much Live Rock if any?
How much Base Rock if any?
What is your substrate (bare bottom, sand [type], crushed coral)?
How deep is your substrate?
Please explain the method used to cycle the tank
Was PWC mixed up with heated RODO water and allowed to aerate overnight or longer?
What brand test kits are you using?

 

[Bobz38]

Thanks for the replies, I have at the bottom caribean sand about an inch i put 50lbs in as far as cycle method I have about 80lbs of rock 40lbs of which is live rock and plenty of cycle. Running a wet/dry filter with a protein skimmer. Over head I have a T5 light bar, my water was tested at home and at my lfs twice. When I did the water change I just poured the water right in with no pre mixing? Today the tank has gotten alot clear, i'm thinking I may have sent it through a mini cycle?

 

[Kristall-99]

when your poured the water right in to me it sounded like you added just ro water. did you add salt to the correct salinity to make up the difference of the water you took out?

 

[ryshark]

Thanks for the replies, I have at the bottom caribean sand about an inch i put 50lbs in as far as cycle method I have about 80lbs of rock 40lbs of which is live rock and plenty of cycle. Running a wet/dry filter with a protein skimmer. Over head I have a T5 light bar, my water was tested at home and at my lfs twice. When I did the water change I just poured the water right in with no pre mixing? Today the tank has gotten alot clear, i'm thinking I may have sent it through a mini cycle?

Pre mixing the RODI water with the Saltwater mix is very important. It gives the saltmix a chance to disolve, it gives you a chance to bring the water up to the correct temperature and adjust the salinity accordingly and it aerates the water putting oxygen into it and bring the ph level to where they need to be. It is important to first put the rodi water into a mixing container, turn on a pump or powehead in that container along with a heater, slowly add the saltmix to the water and then wait usually 24-hours before adding the water to the tank.

 

[Krypt]

+1 for the premixing. All new saltwater should be mixed, heated, and aerated for 24 hours before the water change.

 

[thincat]

do you have a sump? If so then add your change water there and you won't get the cloudiness. It looks like you added your water to fast. And yes you need to premix before adding to your tank.