Cloudy reef tank

Question

Tank pic   QUESTION: I set up a new 250 gallon (210 tank 40 sump) reef tank 8-12 months ago.
The tank cycled very slowly 4-5 months
Never through cycling did I ever see any Ammonia Nitrite or Nitrate yet to this day I have not seen anything.

Blah Blah cutting to present problem

2 weeks ago Zoa's seemed down and i moved the rock crosser to the top. They kind of perked up but they are still weak.

4 days ago tank looked at little hazy, I dismissed it thinking something was screwing around in the sand. And I also was shocked to see that i had made major headway on algae- it was almost completely eradicated seemingly over night.

3 days ago I realized it was not some one screwing around in the sand. (I ran a full battery of tests) 2 - 4" diameter spots of Cyano appeared in the sand

2 days ago I started 7 gallon water changes every 2 hours
yesterday after completing 7 water changes the tank is extremely cloudy

Yesterday ran a full battery of tests and started calling people

Today feeling hopeless ran another full battery of tests
Cyano appears healthy and growing when the lights come on but by evening looks dead

Ammonia always has been and still is at zero
Nitrite """"
Nitrate """"
Phosphate """"
PH 8.3
KH 11
SG 1.024 which is where I keep it
Temp 77-77.5 Night-day
Calcium 425-450 over the last week I doze liquid calcium to maintain levels

Live stock
3" kenya tree
4" Branching Leather
10 mushrooms
2" Stubby thumb leather
1 young yellow tang
2 Green chromis
125 assorted red leg, blue leg, turbo snails clean up crew

What is going on? I can barely see the black over flow boxes by evening

ANSWER: Hello,

Sorry to hear about yoru problems

Im not totally sure what is going on, BUT, im thinking that you did way too many water change way too fast

You basically did a 100% water change in a very short period of time...

And everything is probably kinda in a little bit of shock right now...  Im guessing things will settle down but, for future reference...

Cyanno is not the kiss of death... basically eveyrone has some cyanno some where in thier tank..as long as the cyanno doesnt grow and get everywhere, then things are okay... it is okay to have a patch here or there, or in the back or side corner...

if it gets worse then yea, you can treat for it, BUT, water changes is not the fix for cyanno...

If the cyanno is everywhere, i would suggest turning off the lights for 3-4 days... if the cyanno is still there then to add or use cyannon treatment, like RES SLIME REMOVER or other similar product...

But only IMMEDIATELY after a lights out treatement... it is like treating a flu AFTER you eat your chicken soup...   the chicken soup might not fix the problem but it will make it weaker and easier for the medicines to work...



Please keep me posted, and you might want to use my new forum at www.thelittleocean.com

that forum is easier to upload pictures and easier to keep your messages and issues sorted/seperated and esaier to peruse...


good luck and PLEASE keep me posted on your progress




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Well I wasn't I guess to totally clear. I only changed 7 gallons 7 times with factoring in changing water in small batches repetitively and changing water out that I just put in I effectively only changed 38 gallons out of  250. or 15%. My major problem is the tank was severely cloudy before water change, and water change did not help and possibly made it even cloudier. Cloudiness is my concern.

As far as cyanno goes it seems to perk up at night and die off by day, it very red and vivid colored when the lights come on but by evening it is dull brown and curling up at the edges.

Answer
oh, you were clear, I wasnt clear... i didnt read what size tank you had.  MY BAD


again, i still wouldnt worry about the cyanno too much right now... but if it does get worse you can follow the suggestions to turn out the lights, to avoid it growing during the daytime/daylight/lights on time

have you tried to run carbon?  you can either get a media bag, filter bag and place some carbon in it, or get a media reactor and run carbon throu that...

That will help clear up the water.  You can try some other clarifier products...

Although i usually just try to be patient...

How does the 'leather' look


sometimes they get moody and release some chemicals into the tank... and sometimes they look like death, and rotten, but they usually make a full come back

Again, i am still not totally sure what could hav causedd this or started your zoas to close, but dont want to rule it out either...

if you wanted to try the cyanno treatment, go for it... maybe turn the lights off for a 2 days and see if the cyanno is receeding/weakening, then maybe use some red slime remover...

im not sure that is the problem but at least yo ucan be productive and trying to remove the possibility of the cyanno being a part of the problem


sorry again for misunderstanding your first message the water change issue

I had a large tank before the one i have now, and wouldnt think twice about adding 20-30 galloons at one shot...

Again, it is the percentage that is the 'safety'.. no need to time or space out the water changes when you are dealing with small amounts/percentages


good luck and please keep me posted


bill