Tank gets milky with halides on

[Len]

Here's a mystery I'd like to brainstorm with you guys. My tank gets milky/cloudy the longer my halides are on. After the halides are off (actinics only), the tank is visibly milk/cloudy immediately following, but it clears up significantly over the course of a few hours. My tank specs are here: topic131275.html

Any ideas welcomed.

 

[Anonymous]

Len

Sounds odd, what are you running as far as chems. Did your salt not dissolve all the way? I have no ideas, but can ask leading questions if you like.

 

[jamesw]

It sounds like something photosynthetic in the water. With a new tank there are just a crapload of bacteria in the water - but that wouldn't explain it because they aren't photosynthetic. I wonder if it's diatoms or some kind of phytoplankton??? My vote would go to diatoms or some other type of plankton.

Cheers
James

 

[trido]

Kalk?

 

[Anonymous]

Strange in deed... my thought is something photosynthetic is the culprit (something about it happening when the lights turn on )... might be the pH rises causing something to precipitate (I really am making wild guesses btw ), could be something as simple the lights cause an additional convection to occur which is bringing that super fine sand you mentioned in the other thread up... I'd put a filter sock on your drain for a couple days to see if it doesn't clear up or run some carbon.

 

[Len]

I'm dosing nothing right now, and the salts were all mixed well. My filtration is just the skimmer, TLF carbon, and a 100 micron filter sock. The water clears the water up over night, then the process begins again when the halides come on.

The water just gets a cloudy look to it, with a lot of tiny particulates visible in the water column when you look at it from certain angles.

Some of my theories:
1. Bacterial bloom (somehow spurred on by light)
2. Algae bloom in the water column
3. Photosynthesis on the sandbed, causing tiny raising O2 bubbles to carry up super fine sand particulates.

The few corals in the tank are doing fine. My tang is dealing with ich I might have to remove him and let the tank go fishless for 2 months.

 

[Anonymous]

I vote for some sort of bloom. Have you got access to a diatom canister filter?

 

[Sea Turtle]

When I was doing fresh water a long time ago, I had a very similar problem. I used this product http://www.lnt.com/show_product/49694/? ... term=49695

I am not sure if it is reef safe. Maybe someone else might know this. However, it cleared it right up. Your skimmer will probably remove it once this stuff gets in there. Might be worth some looking into.

 

[Anonymous]

Get a microscope and start looking at the water when it's milky and when it's not. If it's only when the MH is on that it must be something that either reacts with or to light.

Hurry up! Get a microscope!

 

[leftovers]

I think you are just too excited about having your tank again ......

 

[Anonymous]

8O :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

You just made ME spew! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

Man... I just came in here to read about Len's tank.

 

[Anonymous]

Simple - Dont turn on the halides - case solved. 8)

 

[WRASSER]

AND of course there are noooo pictures of this cloud..... 8)

 

[Anonymous]

AND of course there are noooo pictures of this cloud..... 8)

8O

My GOD, man, you're right!

 

[Len]

Well, do you really want to see pics if leftover's theory is true?

 

[Anonymous]

:lol: That would make me dead I would die so bad. :lol:

Hey, as long as it's not like Two Girls, One Cup. :x

 

[WRASSER]

now he is TEASING with pictures AGAIN... ... here we again, ALL talk and NO PICS. :roll: :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

Here's a mystery I'd like to brainstorm with you guys. My tank gets milky/cloudy the longer my halides are on. After the halides are off (actinics only), the tank is visibly milk/cloudy immediately following, but it clears up significantly over the course of a few hours. My tank specs are here: topic131275.html

Any ideas welcomed.

Obviously something photosynethic (sp LOL).

So how to prevent. Don't leave the halides on for so long.

8O

 

[Len]

I actually turned off all the halides yesterday, and the tank still got milky with just the actinics on. It's relatively clear in the morning, then gets more murky as the day goes on, then it starts to clear around 8pm (the actinics stay on until 10pm), so there seems to be a life cycle to this bloom. I'm guessing it's an algae bloom.