Hazey Salt Water

Question
I hav recently set up my salt water aquarium and I have been Testing the water everyday.  The salinity and gravity is reading where it should but it has been hazey for a week already. Should It be clearing up by now or is this a problem?  If so how can I take care of it?  I would appreciate your input. Thanks
                           Art

Answer
Art,
The haze that you are experiencing is most likely one of a couple of things.  One it could be sediment from your substrate that is still floating around the tank or is attached to the glass.  Or it could be a bacterial bloom.  Which, I know sounds bad, but there are good bacteria that you will need in your aquarium and filter to "cycle" the tank.  These bacteria feed off of the waste products from the fish and convert it into a less toxic organic.  When tanks are new or even sometimes when new fish are added you will see these bacterial blooms.  They will free float for up to a week in some cases until they settle into the gravel, filter, etc.

Regardless, it might not be a bad idea to have the water tested by a local fish store for ammonia, nitrite, nitate and pH.  These are the basic tests that should be performed on a regular basis.

Best of luck with your tank!

Regards,
Scott Johnson
Aquarium Crazy Fish
www.aquariumcrazyfish.com