Cloudy ish water??

[somethingsfishy]

I have a marineland 350 and was wondering why my water looked cloudy. Almost like little air bubbles. I am using poly fill in the filter but it doesn't seem to be helping. Its not bad just not clear.

[Mr. Limpet]

Whitish cloudy water? Sounds like a bacterial bloom to me and PWC of 25-50% 3 days in a row should clear it up. No filter media is going to clear it out, but glad to hear you're using poly-fil

[somethingsfishy]

I don't want to say yes but it does look like white tiny balls. So that's not normal. Huh. Three days of 50 pwc will remove them but how to prevent it? I did a 30 pwc yesterday should I start today at three or just two more pwcs? Thanks.

[Mr. Limpet]

Generally a bloom is caused by cleaning your tank TOO good IME and the bacteria float trying to find a new place to live. I'd suggest doing 2 more and see how it looks. Some have said if you let it be, it'll go away on it's own, but I found that didn't work for me the last time it happened.

[somethingsfishy]

Alright two more. Thanks alot. Should I do less cleaning?

[Mr. Limpet]

I try to break it up, one week vac part of the gravel and clean one filter and the next time a different part of the gravel and the other filter. Also when you clean out your filter media, you rinse it in used tank water and not tap water correct? Tap water kills bacteria.

[somethingsfishy]

My usual 30 pwc is a full gravel vac agitating as I go. Cleaning both filter pads and swapping the polyfill. Then I treat the tank with prime and add water.

[jetajockey]

agreed, sounds like a bacteria bloom, just ride it out.

[Mr. Limpet]

Originally Posted by somethingsfishy

My usual 30 pwc is a full gravel vac agitating as I go. Cleaning both filter pads and swapping the polyfill. Then I treat the tank with prime and add water.

I'd suggest breaking it up on the filter and gravel cleaning which should keep it from happening again.

[somethingsfishy]

Thanks alot. Here's a pic. In case were talking about different things.