Cloudy water keeping doing every 2nd week

Hello all,have a problem in my tank it like keeping going constantly every 3rd week cloudy water than browny stuff then absolutely sparkling clear water for 4-5 days, all parametrs of water ok, carbons change every 3-4 days (rains it before ofcource), dosing vodka resonable, maybe keeping cyicling tank is 2,5 months old. Lighting going for 10hrs, some person tell me in fishstore shut lights off for couple days. Cost me already 3 coralfrags, lights is ok last edition leds of CREE XM-l, have no clue whats happen tank150g

 

You are dosing vodka then? are you familiar with the process of this? I hear that if it isnt done correctly it can really mess up a tank.

 

Vodka is ok it not gonna hurt 1-2oz a day that nothing I guess, problem is why cloudy water become 3rd time

 

Sorry for the life of me I can not figure out why you are dosing a 2.5 month old tank with vodka? 1-2 oz a day? How are you adding this carbon?

Also you do not need to change carbon every 3-4 day, more like every 3-4 weeks.

I am sincerely curious why you are dosing this tank with vodka?

 

i think the problem is EXACTLY the vodka dosing. That is why you are getting the cloudy water. What proof are you using of the vodka. It needs to be 80 proof at least. No cheap vodka allowed!. Also 1-2 oz is way too much to start out with, especially in a tank that is just starting out. It is more like 1cc at the max. I assume you have a skimmer?

vodka provides the carbon that is needed for the bacteria to increase. This consumes various organic compound in the water and allows the skimmer to skim it out.

However there are PROBLEMS with it and I would DEFINATLY not recommend this for a beginner and absolutely not for a new tank.

The cloudy water is basically bacterial blooms and I would even go as far to say your dissolved o2 is WAY low in the tank.

The other problem is that once you start dosing a carbon source you are pretty much stuck doing it for ever.

No matter what you do, you are doing wayyyyy too much. This needs to be increased slowly over a long period of time. I dosed 1cc in my 135g tank and then over a couple weeks increased it very slowly (i decided to go the biopellet route)

here is a really good article on it
Melevsreef.com - Dosing Vodka to Lower Nitrate & Phosphate


also you did not loose your corals because of the lighting being off for 3-4 days. it was the vodka that killed them Trust me on the light, i had to completly cover my tank for 12 days to treat dino and I had sps, clams the size of a football, lps etc. They did just fine

 

OK tnks for advise, will stop dosing vodka, did it try to low po4, anyway in a future planning run a bp reactor, API test showing0.25-050 po4 it that ok? Yes I do have skimmer but not really prodactive Instant Ocean brend

 

You can try phosban or similar products to assist in removing phosphates.

Use only RO/DI water even if you have to buy bottled water or get your water from a reliable local fish store.

I would get a better test kit than API.

You can also try exporting phosphates through the use of macro algae.

 

hey now you can kick back and watch your tank while DRINKING the vodka.

Definately stop dosing vodka with the skimmer you have. however i would not recommend cutting it out cold turkey if you have been dosing it for a couple months now. I would recommend doing half the dose maybe 3x a week, then cut that dose in half the next week and go down 2x week, and then half that dose for 1x the next week. I dont know if there is exactly a protocol to stop carbon dosing but i know you will have issues just stopping it.

Like coraline said there are far easier/safer ways to treat your water. Phosban reactors are awesome and I have had great luck with them. Also chaeto macro algea will help you a lot.

 

I do have a chaeto it looks fatty and progressive, than what brand of test is good to monitore po4?