New tank - Milky water

Hello!

I’m about 2 months in a new 90 gal set up with a 20 gal sump. Somewhere around 100 lbs love rock, 3 inch live sand bed with another bag in my fuge. Running a octo skimmer. No fish yet. I seem to be through my first cycle. I tested my parameters and had them backed by our local salt shop (seascapes). Problem is I have the dreaded “milky water” that seems to be rather normal but I cant decide how (or if) to treat it. Seen lots of debate on UVs but I’m not sure I want to make the investment. I’m also battle some brown algae but it has been improving....plenty of flow in the tank. Any thoughts??

 

GFO reactor.

 

What do you have for filtration? Hang on back or a sump

 

Depends on my tank I have both. Either way, you should have a GFO and Carbon reactor to keep your water clean and clear. Combined you can not go wrong. The reactors have there own water pump and return line. You can feed it from the back of your tank or a sump

 

Talking to the one who started the thread. Carbon pulls yellowing out of the water, it won’t clear up cloudiness. Looks like Tank needs a filter or lower micron filter socks.

 

Sump - 20 gal. Skimmer in 1st compartment, return middle, fuge final compartment

 

The skimmer should pull the cloudiness out. Do you have filter socks in your sump?

 

No socks no a bad idea. Seems to clearing a bit today. It’s not dust. When I turn the pumps off the “milky film” suspends in the water.

 

One water change complete - doing anther this weekend...hopefully that helps to clear things up as well

 

Decided to add socks - do most typically go mesh and include carbon?

 

If it's dust from new sand, it won't clear from turning the pumps off for a bit. Mechanical removal with filter socks should do it in a couple days. No need for carbon in the socks. Use felt for finer filtration. As others mentioned it's also possibly a bacterial bloom... are you dosing anything to encourage bacteria populations?

 

No dosing yet. Looks likes it time to invest in a dual reactor. I will need a pump fed solution. Looks like BRS has a nice one but hopefully I can find a good used one...

 

Just curious, how did you cycle the tank? It's possible to have a bacteria bloom but if the tank is completely cycled, the water shouldn't really be cloudy from bacteria.

What did you use for sand and, what is your flow rate? Is the sand moving in the tank and/or in the fuge?

Lastly, why 2 water changes if nothing is in the tank? It is possible to restart the cycle again if the water change(s) are too much (or too soon).

 

I used Bimini pink shipped directly from the carib sea (5 bags in 90, 1 in fuge). As far as flow I don’t know exactly how to measure it but I have a jaebo OW50 in addition to what I am pumping from the sump. Protein skimmer is an Octo 150s. I did use some turbo start that was recommended from seascapes when I added my chateo and copods

I lost power and the system shut down for an extended period of just after adding the turbo (I was out of town). I didn’t have my lights dialed in yet, was running my sump light 24/7 and pretty sure I didn’t have the skimmer running at capacity. I soon noticed a pretty good outbreak of diatom so I did a water change. That has really started to clear but the milky water remains. All tests I have ran come back with positive results.

 

As said above, felt filter socks should clear up the water in a day or two. Watch socks as they may fill up fast and overflow.

 

Ordered some last night - placed a rush on it!! thanks for the advice. Seems like a logical move to get a good dual reactor for the long term benefit of the tank. Working on that now. I really appreciate everyone's advice!

 

Did you rinse the sand or use directly from the bag?
Can you tell us how long the tank was without power( flow)?
Also, what are the results of the tests you ran...ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and phosphates?
Are the copepods alive?

 

Power was out for 2 days. Co’s Didn’t make it. Tests before and after were all good. Socks and reactor arrive tomororw - we will see what impact that has...

 

You most likely lost your cycle... (When asked what your test results are/were...we ask for numbers as they can tell us a lot. Same as when asked what tests were used. There"s a big difference between an API test and a Salifert test. Just trying to help you.)
Be very careful as I really feel that your tank has probably crashed.