CLOUDY WATER

Welcome guest Mike. Please register as it is free!

A complete description of your set-up, live rock, sand substrate, mechanical filtration, and water circulation are needed. How long your tank has had salt water in it, and your Ammonia, Ph, Nitrite, and Nitrate readings would be most helpful.

Pictures would be even better.

 

I dont have substrate or live rock yet. I used instant ocean sea salt. I didnt add calcium to the tank. The only thing in the tank is water and salt. I have a sump w/ an overflow and a powerhead. The pH is normal ~8ish. I didnt check the ammonia ect since there is nothing in the tank. Sorry I dont have a digital camera but as best as I can explain it looks like a white cloudy when I look into the tank and it looks like a white cloud of smoke when I look up at the tank from the bottom.

 

Mike, go ahead and sign up,
Did you mix the water and salt in the tank, wahat is the SG of the water

 

I mixed the salt in the tank anf the sg is 1.022

 

IO salt has been having some ALK problems lately the result is high ALK and very clowdy water. Try checking the Alkalinity with a test kit. I bet is will be very high.

J

 

change the water out with a new batch of mixed salt.

 

I went to my LFS and he told me that its normal for a tank to be alittle cloudy at first and that it will take a while, a couple of months, before the tank is established and the water is crystal clear, but he gave me a bag of activated carbon and told me this will help. Is this guy right or is he full of S**T.

 

It will take about 2 months for the tank to go though the nitrifications cycle, but it should not stay cloudy more that a couple of days.
My was clear the next day.

 

WELL I DONT HAVE ANYTHING IN THE TANK YET TO START THE CYCLE. I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO. I WANT TO GET THE LIVE ROCK AND SAND FOR THE TANK BUT ITS EXPENSIVE AND I DONT WANT TO WASTE THE MONEY. MY SG IS 1.022 AND THE TEMP OF MY TANK IS AROUND 78[sup]o[/sup]F. BUT THE FILTER HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR ABOUT 10DAYS AND ITS STILL NOT CRYSTAL CLEAR. I PUT THE CARBON IN SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND I DONT SEE A CHANGE. I DIDNT BUY A TEST KIT YET, I FIGURED I DIDNT NEED IT UNTIL I HAD THE LIVE ROCK AND SAND, BUT MAYBE I WILL GET IT AND CHECK THE ALKALINITY. I DONT KNOW IF THATS GOING TO BE IT BECAUSE IT WAS A LITTLE CLOUDY BEFORE I ADDED THE SALT.

 

I say test it. Worste case your Alk is through the roof and you need to buy new salt and mix new water. But if you guess and add your LR you could kill you LR.
If it does turn out to be the salt make sure you take it back. Your LFS should replace it for free.
I continue to use IO salt, I'm just a little more causious when I do.

Keep us posted.