Help, all of a sudden cloudy!

[Wings4wheels]

I recently setup a 90 gallon fowlr tank. Went through the cycling process and over the past few wks i have added a small pair of false clowns, small pair of bangaii cardinals and a peppermint shrimp.
I woke up this morning to find the tank quite cloudy. I am not sure what the culprit is. I last did a water change last wednesday. I took some tests today, and everything is fine, although pH could be higher (around 7.9).

I want planning for another water change til next wednesday. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Krypt]

Could be just a bacterial bloom. Is there any odor coming from the water?

 

[Wings4wheels]

No odor that I could detect.

 

[Wings4wheels]

Lets just say it is a bacterial bloom. If it was, should I do a water change, or wait until the water clears?

 

[Kio707]

Do a 10% pwc. Also keep an eye on nitrates. How long do you leave on lights and how often do you feed?

 

[Wings4wheels]

Nitrates have held steady at 20 or less. Lights were about 10 hours, but I have adjusted that. I have a hob mini fuge that is lit longer, so that light bleeds in for an hour or so before and after the main tank lights. Also think I have over fed for the last couple if days, since one of the cardinals sends to hide and doesn't seem to interested in food.

 

[Kio707]

Yeah, your trates are high... Try to get them to about 10 or lower.

 

[Kio707]

Also lights for about 7 hrs are plenty.

 

[Krypt]

What kind of macro do you have in your minifuge?

 

[Wings4wheels]

Adjusted light timer already. Trates are high? I get so many mixed reviews on this. I have heard that the goal is zero. Also heard that zero is impossible. Have heard that 40 and under is fine for fowlr tanks. I would love to get them lower, but a 10% water change will move it from 20 to 18 right? Want to get it right, but I am so confused. Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

[Wings4wheels]

I am using cheato. I diy'd it out of a aquaclear 500. Has sand and rubble in it too.

 

[Kio707]

Lol... I feel you on that. 20 isn't horrible, but 10 and below is better. High trates will feed you algae. Mine are 0-2.5 in my tank.

 

[carey]

Nitrates can be at zero with a bit of effort on your part. Most of my tanks run at 0 and it's weekly water changes of the correct amount and not overfeeding the tank that helps get to that point.

If it were me I would do a quick 20g water change and go from there. It may take 20% water changes going forward to make a dent in the trates. Once you get there its easy enough to maintain.

 

[Wings4wheels]

Cool, good to know they can get that low! Maybe I will keep doing weekly pwc's til I get it down or run out of money! How long should I light the fuge, and should it coincide or be the opposite of the main tank?

 

[carey]

I run both my fuges opposite my main lights.

 

[Kio707]

I leave mine on 24/7... others due opposite.. It's up to you.

 

[Wings4wheels]

Is 24/7 ok if I want it to be a pod factory, or do they need dark?

 

[Kio707]

I have a mandrin and it hasn't starved... lol

 

[Wings4wheels]

Awesome. I eventually want one too!

 

[Kio707]

Start doing pods now... took me over 3 months of adding them to even get this guy to plump up. Now it eats pellets and occasionally frozen.