VERY cloudy, green water

[AdeptMrSniffles]

Hey fellow reefers,I've got a serious issue that I can't seem to resolve and its driving CRAZY!!! My 90G has been cloudy for the past 6-7weeks. It'll be semiclear after a water change, cloudy (milky) the next morning and green at night. I've been doing 25G water changes every 3 days. Currently I have 0 Amm, 0 nitrite, 0 Nitrate, 0 phosphates, 360 Cal, 1300 Mag, 10 dKh, 8.2 pH, 1.025 Salinity, 78-80 degrees. Setup wise I'm running a 20G long sump with 200 micron filter socks (rotated every 4 days), MR1 reactor running phosban and carbon, ReefOctopus NW skimmer, refugium with Cheato, mag 9.5 (flow dialed down for overflow reasons), 2 x Koralia evo. 1050gph and MP10 powerheads, 2 x 55W LED fixtures (7" off the surface, whites @ 15% and blues @ 50%). I'm only running my lights around 8hrs/day. I've been feeding my fish every 3 days with mysis. Multiple LFS's and research has told me its a bacterial bloom. I'm guessing it's from having added my 5 fish (2 maroons, cherub angel, PJ cardnial, and yellow watchmen) and my corals all in one day. I know it's stupid to put such a bio load into a new tank that fast but my previous 29G Long tank was getting heavy infested with algae and my temp. was stupid high because my controller temp. sensor was VERY far off when I thought it was fine. Any thoughts or suggestions to get my water clear finally??? It's very discouraging looking at my tank knowing all the $$ that I've put into it, which I'm sure we can all attest too. I've put 5+yrs into my fish and a few colonies that I REALLY don't want to loose so any help is appreciated. THX!

 

[Bluesaltwater87]

Hey buddy. i hear what your sayin i had the same problem in my system when i put a few to many fish in it and had clowdy water for about a 5 weeks. The thing with a bactiria bloom it a filter sock cant get it out. you eather need to have a micro filter pad that can take out the vary fine particals. but the way i took care of it was i instaled a U.V. sanitizer that i have on a timmer that runs for 1 hour every 6 hours and i started using Bio Balls as a Bio filter. the combination of the 2 took out the cloud in about 2 to 3 days. Is you skimmer picking up anything? my skimmer was going nuts lol. another Question, is your testing equipment new or old? hope this helps.

 

[AdeptMrSniffles]

Thx for the reply. I went out last weekend and bought all new API tests. I was looking at UV sanitizers last night but don't know what size I should get. Any suggestions?? Also, I'm not sure if it's hurting anything but I clean my filter socks by rinsing them off in the shower, both sides multiple times then hang to dry.

 

[tampasnooker]

Green water is a single cell algae bloom (phytoplankton), not bacteria - which is why you can't filter it out. Same trigger to set it off, nutrient spike due to adding biomass. The best solution would be a UV as you can kill it off when it passes through. Because it is a single cell organism, and it can simply divide to reproduce you have to kill it - not filter it.
In a fish only system a flocculant would clump the cells together to a large enough mass that you can filter it, but I do not know of a product that I know to be reef safe. Brand name products would likely be labeled "clarifiers"
Be prepared for water changes as the algae dies. It will release nutrients back into the water which could fuel other algaes.
Good luck.

 

[.Marshall]

Go to petco and buy the smallest UV sterilizer they have, it's a korny name like "the green killing machine" or something like that, it is recommended for like 5-30g tanks but it will work for your 90g. I used it on my 75 when I have cloudy water and it was crystal clear in a week. You may have a couple smaller blooms a couple weeks down the road but thats no problem that little UV cant handle. After your tank stabilizes and you get good bacteria cultures in your tank you shouldn't have anymore blooms like this = no cloudy water. The UV sterilizer is about $35 if I remember correctly.

You DO NOT need to go buy a high end $150+ UV just because you have a 90g, the smaller one just means it will pump the volume of water through that UV a little slower, but that is probably better so it is not such a big change from cloudy rich nutrient water to clear low nutrient water.

EDIT: Here is a link to the UV I am talking about. Green Killing Machine Internal UV Sterilizer with Power Head at PETCO

 

[AdeptMrSniffles]

Awesome! Thx Marshall! I was checking prices last night and they're all $120+. $35 is much more reasonable.

 

[.Marshall]

Awesome! Thx Marshall! I was checking prices last night and they're all $120+. $35 is much more reasonable.

No problem man! Exactly what I was thinking when I bought mine, "Shoot, I can try it for $35" and it worked like a charm!

Only thing I would say is your filter socks will clog A LOT faster when you're running the UV sterilizer, I would change them out maybe every 2 day (maybe even once a day) while you're running the UV the first time, so watch out for that so you don't have overflowing filter socks.

And remember to take it slow next time when adding fish and corals until your tank is a little more established :wink:

 

[AdeptMrSniffles]

Went by Petsmart after work and picked up the only Green Killing Machine they had, which was the 24watt model (rated to 100G). I took a "before" picture that I'll post along with a 24hr after pic, as well as 48hr, 72hr, etc. until it's cleared up. I hope this works! I also hope this thread will help out anyone else out there faced with this obstacle.

 

[AdeptMrSniffles]

Quick update. First pic. is last night at 8pm. Second pic is at 6pm tonight.

 

[miyags]

Nice, looks like it's working for you. I run a small 9 watt one 24/7.

 

[AdeptMrSniffles]

Thx. It's def. working VERY well. I'll prob. run it about 8hrs/day once I get everything under control. My filter sock was filthy and my skimmer had a very nice collection of skimmate. Seeing the progression my tank had made really helped bring outta the gutters mentally about having upgraded. This hobby/addiction can be cruel at times. So thank you all for your help. I've been holding off on buying some nice pieces of coral because I couldn't even see in my tank. I guess the wait is over

 

[Saltydog73]

We're having the same problem, going on 7 weeks now and I HATE IT!! We have 29G with live and dry rock, and live sand. Fish include one reef angelfish, one six-line wrasse, and one firefish. Three emerald crabs and one starfish (can't remember the name, but like a brittle star). Might still have two mushroom corals, I believe the candy cane coral is still alive, but I think the two types of zoanthids have perished. There is a small pump circulating, and a filter.

 

[HanKami]

any updates on your tank?

 

[Saltydog73]

We bought a UV sterilizer and its no longer green, just cloudy. We can't run the filter because the motor is making a horrendous racket. I think that's why it's still cloudy. On a good note though, all the fish are alive and well! Getting a new filter soon.

 

[Rivy1234]

This thread is exactly what I needed to see! My tank has been cloudy and green for two weeks. I tried numerous different things. Just purchased a UV sterilizer and am setting it up now. Thank you Reef2Reef friends. You are all lifesavers.

 

[frizzayyyyreef]

Old post but I just bought a killing machine ….how did yours end up working out? Mines only rated for 20 gallons I have 36g but 48 hours later I see no improvement….maybe I’m being inpatient? But everyone says 2 days you’ll see it