How to clear up my new nano tank

[Bonz]

I have a 28g jbj nano with led lights. 40 lbs of live rock with 8 fish. (2 small clowns) tang, cardinal, wrasse and 3 small blennies. I have a little cloudiness to my water for about a week and a half. I thought it was a bacteria bloom but it did not clear up. I am running a tunze protein skimmer and i would like to have advice in clearing up my tank to be crystal clear

 

[iDream]

there are way too many fish in there if they were small or not. the tang definitely will outgrow that tank and fast. the cloudiness could be from not cycling the tank(new tank syndrome), did you do that?

i would suggest maybe 4 smaller fish MAX for that tank, the clown pair, maybe the cardinal and one of the smaller (adult size, not current) blennies

 

[Fishygal]

I didn't properly cycle my tank before adding fish and had the same issue with cloudiness. I was also having issues with high ammonia levels. The associate at petco informed me that I cld start my tank with some zebra danios after letting it cycle for only 48 hours! Little did I know, being a brand new aquarist, that I shldve cycled it for a month b4 adding fish.

I ended up having to do 25-50% water changes on a weekly bases for a month and a half just to keep things evened out so that my fish wldnt die. After that my tank started doing very well and I do a 25% water change once or twice a month now. Fish are doing well and water remains clear

 

[ReefBreeder]

That is a lot of fish for a small tank... I agree with the above. Get rid of some of the fish abd use the money to buy a UV steralizer.

 

[Bonz]

Yea. The tank cycled. I have 0 amonia, nitrtites and nitrates. The ph is at 8. I dont count the blennies because they hide in the rocks all day. I dont have a mechanical filtration because my protein skimmer is in the spot where the filter was and there is no room to put both. I did however bought a micron sheet and cut it and put it where the columns for the pumps go. I have been seeing a lot of gunk getting caught and i see a little improvement with the water clarity. (it is not as bad as i think it could be). The picture shows the clarity level.

 

[iDream]

you dont need a skimmer for a tank that size, a mechanical filter would be much more useful.

you shouldnt have your nitrates at 0, you should have some, especially with that amount of fish in there. the stocking isnt about swimming room, its about bioload, so while the blennies may not swim out in the open much, but they still poop, and thats what counts.

as a general rule of thumb tangs require a 6' long tank, which is 100G+.

what kind of test kit are you using? liquid or strips?

added, UV sterilizers are useless for a tank your size, along with the protein skimmer.

how did you cycle the tank btw? the cloudiness could be NTS or the bioload being much too high

 

[Jnam]

Run some carbon that will polish the water, but you really need to figure out the root cause. I (for the most part) agree with idream. Tangs really need room to swim.

 

[Bonz]

Api liquid test. I added live rock and live sand and did water changes to watch for the spikes. Took two weeks. I read a lot of forums that a protein skimmer works good on nano tank. I check my water once a week and my levels are consistant. From my first post, does my water seem to be really cloudy or you have seen worse. Im new at saltwater. I also add parta and b to get my calcium levels @450 and good alkaline levels.

 

[Bonz]

Well the guy at the lfs told me a tang was good for my tank. The fish community seems fine right now and my tank likes swimming inside and out of my caves. It doesnt seem stressed out. The lfs said it could be from overfeeding. I use pegasys mysis shrimp and the frozen cubes can be the problem.

 

[iDream]

ive never seen water that cloudy except when i added my sand/water. the tank should be clear by now. like i said the skimmer in a tank that small isnt worth it, most small skimmers dont do anything anyway.

two weeks is a somewhat short cycle, but thats besides the point now. if you want to leave the tang go ahead, but like i saw someone say on here once 'ive never been able to tell when my fish are happy or not' cabezon i think it was.

as for the additions, i would stop them. they may be contributing to your problem, a tank that small needs only fresh SW, any corals can get what they need from the water.

good call on the liquid API kit.

the lfs said what could be from overfeeding? the cloudiness? that could contribute, how often do you feed and how much?

 

[Bonz]

I feed them twice a day. I try to keep it under control and feed them what they can eat. In the beginning i know i definitely over fed. I have a tunze skimmer and read it was the best for nano tanks. I just put back my activated carbon bag. The micron sheets seem to collect brown stuff out of the water. I do weekly water changes(20%). Its slowly clearing up. My rocks have algae on them but also i see corraline algae growing on it as well. I dont know why i am receiving great readings with my testing. The bioload seems fine as of right now. The tank has been running for 5 weeks. I know it was not done conventionally, but the life seems to be fine at the moment and my coral are doing good as well. (zoo, pulsing xena, and the grass looking coral)

 

[Bonz]

I am definitely done adding outside inverts and coral. Also, if i didnt cycle right, when will the cloudiness leave the tank?

 

[Jnam]

You dont see readings because whatever is causing the bloom is consuming it. Dont reuse your activated carbon use fresh activated carbon instead to really clear it up.

 

[Bonz]

So what i am reading is a false reading or am i reading it right?

 

[Jnam]

Correct reading, its just whatever is in your water is consuming the nutrients you are testing for giving you a 0 reading.

I would suspect your bioload as the culprit to your water quality issues.

As stated before do a good size PWC and then get your FRESH carbon up and running.

 

[Jnam]

And feeding tiwice a day is WAY to much. I have a well stocked 36 gallon and they get fed MAYBE twice a week.

 

[Picaso]

Try adding a U.V steriliser these things clear water up within 24 hours also kill of any thing that's floating around in the water might be worth looking into

 

[maxst2]

Well the guy at the lfs told me a tang was good for my tank. The fish community seems fine right now and my tank likes swimming inside and out of my caves. It doesnt seem stressed out. The lfs said it could be from overfeeding. I use pegasys mysis shrimp and the frozen cubes can be the problem.

LFS like that I bet laughed and called you a sucker when you left. Sad truth is that tang MUST go back

Feeding should be every other day as well at the most.

A skimmer on a nano tank to a big 400g tank is equally useful. Just different sizes.

 

[Picaso]

There is no easy way to lower nitrates. There are 3 ways I know of that work well 1 water change 25% or more if levels are very high. 2 have an open tank with no lid because the cycle is ammonia turns to nitrite / nitrite turns into nitrate which then evaporates if you have a closed lid it will work it's way back into your tank. 3 you can get some nitrate stuff to put into your filter I have it in mine and it works well. As for the tang when it gets big it will over crowd your tank bigger fish = more waste. I think pwc means precise water change let me know how you get on and look into a sterilliser

 

[Bonz]

Well, i will bring the tang back when he grows as i do with most of my fish. I changed the direction of my powerheads because i noticed the sediments on top were getting pushed away from the overflow tank. The result so far is that the tank is clearing up faster. I will keep it posted and i will reduce my feedings.(could of been source of cloudiness)