Tank Help, please

[jo1414]

The Info: Around 1/1-1/2, my 40GB had a pH and kH crash. At the time I was doing crazy research, asking questions, and still didn't know why. (Cory just happened to answer a question on the 1/21 livestream.) About 4 days in I kind of decided it may have been that I was crushing so many bladder snails in the tank and I didn't test for a couple of weeks while I was doing that so it's possible there was an ammonia and nitrite spike I didn't see. I started recovery slowly. Crushed coral, removing the snails rather than crushing them, daily testing. I didn't use meds like pH up even though the LFS suggested it. Over a week and a half my pH and kH slowly improved and now pH is 7.2. kH/gH is where it normally is for my area's water. Ammonia/Nitrites: 0 and Nitrates vary 20-50 depending on when I dosed Easy Green. The fish/snails are looking good, active, and eating well and the plants are looking marvelous. (no filter change, just clean in tank water, I only clean the top of the substrate.)

Tidal 55, hot rod with coarse sponge and filter floss sheet. Prefilter sponge with substrate cleared out from under it. Plus, 2 small Co-Op easy-flow sponge setups.

 

The Issue: My tank is cloudy. I've done the wait-and-see thing, I've done the looking at the water in a white cup thing (not green, sometimes milky sometimes not, and I've added water polishing, purigen, charcoal (purigen and charcoal not at the same time). Daily testing and I did a water change a few days ago. I did add accuclear once and it didn't clear. I mean, I guess it could be the yo-yos stirring up the substrate.

Toss me out your ideas. Maybe I missed something. (I followed the AqCoOp video that Zenzo did.)

[Colu]

It more than likely a bacterial bloom increase water changes give it time it will good away can you post a picture of the tank 

[jo1414]

@Colu Here you go. How much of a water change and how often do you suggest? 

[Colu]

Looks like a bacterial bloom I would do is add an extra air stone and do daily 30% water changes for the next 5 days lower your nitrate below 40ppm it should start clear 

Edited January 30 by Colu

[jo1414]

Thank you so much for your help.

[jo1414]

duplicate post

 

Edited January 30 by jo1414
duplicate

[nabokovfan87]

On 1/30/2024 at 3:34 AM, jo1414 said:

Tidal 55, hot rod with coarse sponge and filter floss sheet. Prefilter sponge with substrate cleared out from under it. Plus, 2 small Co-Op easy-flow sponge setups.

 

The Issue: My tank is cloudy. I've done the wait-and-see thing, I've done the looking at the water in a white cup thing (not green, sometimes milky sometimes not, and I've added water polishing, purigen, charcoal (purigen and charcoal not at the same time). Daily testing and I did a water change a few days ago. I did add accuclear once and it didn't clear. I mean, I guess it could be the yo-yos stirring up the substrate.

Toss me out your ideas. Maybe I missed something. (I followed the AqCoOp video that Zenzo did.)

There's a bit of bypass on the tidals when it comes to the way they run from default.  There's a thread in my signature with a few variations of mods which will help things as best you can.

Essentially, use the fine pad to close up that hole in the basket where a lot of the flow goes through. Because that flow pushes all the dirt right into the media, it can get clogged and then You're biological side of things is much less efficient. I would make that very minor adjustment, a good water change, and then go from there.

 

[NOLANANO]

On 1/30/2024 at 6:15 AM, Colu said:

Looks like a bacterial bloom I would do is add an extra air stone and do daily 30% water changes for the next 5 days lower your nitrate below 40ppm it should start clear 

I am just curious but when my tank went through this I was told to avoid water changes because it basically feeds the bacteria that are blooming. I was told that the water would clear up over a week or 2 when the bacteria consume all the "food" in the water and die off of starvation.  My cloudy water went away using this method but was I misinformed?

[jo1414]

@nabokovfan87 I looked through that when I first got my tidals. It's how I learned to take it apart and put the sponges in different areas. Thank you.

@NOLANANO I was told the same thing. Leave it alone. But, I wanted to make sure it wasn't something else so I did do a water change and it is improving.

 

[Colu]

On 1/30/2024 at 9:11 PM, NOLANANO said:

I am just curious but when my tank went through this I was told to avoid water changes because it basically feeds the bacteria that are blooming. I was told that the water would clear up over a week or 2 when the bacteria consume all the "food" in the water and die off of starvation.  My cloudy water went away using this method but was I misinformed?

You can  leave it without water changes sometimes it will improve on its own or you can do daily water changes that's the method I have used and found to effective 

Edited January 30 by Colu