4FordFamily
Tang, Angel, and Wrasse Nerd!
View BadgesStaff member
Super Moderator
Partner Member 2024
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
Hospitality Award
INDMAS Member
My Tank Thread
Alright,
So I’ve been battling this for weeks now each time I’m sure I fixed the culprit. Before I say much more, you should know an identical 55 gal qt to the one we are discussing sits 10 feet away with same bio load, feeding, and everything else.
So this started while fish were in copper. I figured it was related, no I didn’t mix any meds it just happened.
I would change 85-95% of the water and it would return in 3-5 days as bad as before. Within 48 hours you could see it returning. I figured it a bad batch of coppersafe, since the tank next to it remained clear. At first I dosed araga milk after water changes for PH as I’ve always done, and some dr tims. I’ve tried one of those products, none of those products, and even drained the HOB filter and emptied the water out of the tank 100% the past two times.
The most recent time I wiped the entire tank with vinegar and soaked all equipment in it and replaced all media including the bio wheels, carbon, and sponge media. It took another day or two to return but it’s coming back. I drained every drop of water out of everything, everything either soaked in vinegar or was cleaned with vinegar over an hour period (all the fish could handle in a bucket).
I’m perplexed! The cloudiness is mostly whitish but has a yellowish hue as water fouls. It smells nasty as it worsens sometimes, like organics. I think it to be bacteria bloom.
I’m lost! I am immensely frustrated— as it worsens the fish start to visibly be shortened of oxygen, and I’ve lost fish due to the recurring issue and my inability to change the water as often as I need to (3-4 days 100%) due to work, kids, and other complications.
What can I dose in here to get rid of this issue? Anyone ever dealt with this?
My other 55 gal qt, 180 DT, Reefer 170, and Reefer Nano don’t have this problem!
So I’ve been battling this for weeks now each time I’m sure I fixed the culprit. Before I say much more, you should know an identical 55 gal qt to the one we are discussing sits 10 feet away with same bio load, feeding, and everything else.
So this started while fish were in copper. I figured it was related, no I didn’t mix any meds it just happened.
I would change 85-95% of the water and it would return in 3-5 days as bad as before. Within 48 hours you could see it returning. I figured it a bad batch of coppersafe, since the tank next to it remained clear. At first I dosed araga milk after water changes for PH as I’ve always done, and some dr tims. I’ve tried one of those products, none of those products, and even drained the HOB filter and emptied the water out of the tank 100% the past two times.
The most recent time I wiped the entire tank with vinegar and soaked all equipment in it and replaced all media including the bio wheels, carbon, and sponge media. It took another day or two to return but it’s coming back. I drained every drop of water out of everything, everything either soaked in vinegar or was cleaned with vinegar over an hour period (all the fish could handle in a bucket).
I’m perplexed! The cloudiness is mostly whitish but has a yellowish hue as water fouls. It smells nasty as it worsens sometimes, like organics. I think it to be bacteria bloom.
I’m lost! I am immensely frustrated— as it worsens the fish start to visibly be shortened of oxygen, and I’ve lost fish due to the recurring issue and my inability to change the water as often as I need to (3-4 days 100%) due to work, kids, and other complications.
What can I dose in here to get rid of this issue? Anyone ever dealt with this?
My other 55 gal qt, 180 DT, Reefer 170, and Reefer Nano don’t have this problem!
Last edited: