Cloudy reef tank

HI, My reef tank is about 3 or 4 weeks old. I have been dosing with B-ionic.
My water, after a dose stays cloudy for two or 3 day's. I don't think this is normal. I haven't tested anything but the kh. (other kits are on order) THe kh is 15-17. I know that's to high, but this B-ionic is suppose to buff it. Need some help. I bought about 25 zoo frags and they look just so-so. Thanks.

Sorry, can't include personal commercial links

 

Stop dosing until you can test your other parameters. The water staying cloudy for more than 15 minutes is a sign of your parameters being out of whack.

No need to dose until you have hard corals in the tank.

 

with kh that high you're getting calcium precipitation. Stop dosing, wait a week, and check again.

With nothing in the tank to utilize calcium the levels are just building up to the point the water is super saturated and any drop in temperature or increase in pH by adding supplements will cause the water to go cloudy.

 

2in10, are you telling me that the calcium without hard coral in the tank is a worry I don't have to have? I only plan to stock soft coral.

 

Yes only LPS or SPS corals need calc. Softies will be just fine.

 

Pretty sure soft corals use calcium also. Most softies form calcite and aragonite spicules in their skin to aid their support. I don't think they use calcium as fast as SPS and LPS "hard" corals, but they would certainly benefit from calcium levels in the 450ppm range. It's always a good idea to make sure your water is as close to natural parameters as possible, and in some cases supplements can increase growth rates.

That said, I don't think it's AS important to dose for calcium on a regular basis for softies if you have aragonite/oolitic sand and live rock, as they will naturally buffer and elevate the calcium levels on their own. Along with routine water changes you should be able to keep a decent calcium level without too much work. Just make sure you monitor all your water parameters, and if calcium gets below 400-450 consider some small supplemental dosing.

-Doug

 

You should not have any livestock in there yet, let alone coral.

 

I have about 25 different zoos and they are doing pretty good. They are getting grass on the plug with them. I guess that will be my next problem. The plugs are about 4 inches under water in a plastic rack. I'm using 96 watts of t5 lighting. I have done a weeky water change and another one is due tomorrow. I'm using the lights about 7 hours a day. If someone wants to go ahead and help me with the grass on the plugs, please do so. I don't have it anywhere else yet.

 

Water changes while the tank is cyling is ill advised. The "grass" is algae, probably Green Hair algae. This is because the tank is cyling. List all your parameters ie. Calcium, Magnesium, Alkalinity, PH, SG, NitrITE, NitrATE and Phosphate.

 

Guess it would help to see the grass/algae.