Why is my tank cloudy?

S

saltyrottie

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All my parameters are good, the only thing that has changed is that i added a biopeller reactor. This was about 8 weeks ago, and my tank has been cloudy ever since. My skimmer skims this nasty stinky slimy stuff now and I have to clean it every day , & I can't get the tank to clear. What's the problem here, is it the bio pellets?

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Cloudiness is fairly normal with biopellets for the first few weeks. Make sure you have the effluent of your biopellet reactor going directly into the intake of your skimmer and it will help with the cloudiness.
 
Sounds like you have an algae bloom. This is sometimes caused by the reactor. What is your Nitrate levels at now? Also if you have calerpa, it could be that as well. The algae bloom will reduce the oxygen in your aquarium so I would arriate the water until its over.
 
I shut it off for 24 hours, is it safe to turn it back on now? It's just frustrating waiting this long to have a pretty tank again.
 
Yes, but remove half the pellets and follow the guidelines this time around. Add 1/3 to 1/2 of your total amount needed for the first week or two... then add the rest in. What happened was all that food for bacteria resulted in a population BOOM... it was freaky deaky bacteria orgies in your tank. So, reduce the food for them, let it run for a week or two, then add the rest back in.

While ugly, it wasn't harmful and would have cleared up on its own in time.
 
Don't remove pellets lower your alk. Higher alk and pellets has been known to cause this issue. Also bacteria imbalance.


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Never shut them off keep them going all the time. You will make things worse doing that.


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Slow down dosing and if your doing water changes maybe switch slats that have lower alk. Instant ocean is lower and what I was doing before I stopped water changes (not recommended).


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Alk doesn't really have much to do with it, it was simply a bacteria bloom. just reduce the pellets and start over or just wait it out. There is nothing to worry about, its simply bacteria that you overfed by having too many pellets initially.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/instructions/article/BRS-Biopellets - Read the bottom.

Alkalinity discussed.....

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2256585

There is no solid proof that high alkalinity does anything with the pellets, but there is speculation about it in some cases. However, if it were an issue, it would happen with many more people who run high alk and frankly it does not. The more common complaint is that alkalnity is harder to stabilize while running pellets.

But with that said, it is your tank and your coral. Follow the path you feel most comfortable with.
 
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