ive just set up a 400 litre marine tank with sump. ive salted the water added the sand and live rock to the main tank and in the sump i have some black plastic tubes then into a sand bed with live rock then a skimmer , then a phosphate reactor and for a bit of added filtration ive put a cannister filter direct to the top tank . Now my problem is it is struggling to clear and has a haze to the water. Is it me expecting too much or have i done something wrong. Ive done a few tests and the only test that was out a bit was the ammonia which i knew would be with it being a new tank. Can anyone tell me if there is anything i have missed thanks
new marine setup cloudy
- Thread starter wagger123uk
- Start date
Nope, you have done everythig right so far.
You dont have to run the skimmer until the tank cycles, as well as the phosphate reactor.
The tank should clear up on it's own. If you don't have any flow in the tank right now, you should add at least 2 powerheads. Personally I would take the HOB off before any problems arrise from it.
You dont have to run the skimmer until the tank cycles, as well as the phosphate reactor.
The tank should clear up on it's own. If you don't have any flow in the tank right now, you should add at least 2 powerheads. Personally I would take the HOB off before any problems arrise from it.
Big Reef is trying to isolate down if you have a dust storm caused by new sand ...which is common in new tanks ..especially when one doesn't rinse the new sand.
The post after is correct about reactor and skimmer...i generally would advise you just wait it out for a month till all the algae blooms go away and parameters are stable looking.
After that break in you can fire off the skimmer and reactor....no point removing the dissolved organic compounds yet.. you want them for the cycle to complete...it just makes it take longer.
ps: the cloud will settle down in several days ...don't worry. Just let things cycle and wait.
follow up to cloudy water
hi sand rock been in 4 days and its only started to clear when we turned the phosphate reactor down. what should the flow be on these things we just had it on full and everything was turning orange . also how long should i leave it b4 i start to put corals in it our old tank cracked and ive rescued some of the coral and 2 humbugs , 1 clown fish and a horseshoe crab and i need to transfer it as soon as i can but dont want to loose anything else . ive also added by advise of the local marine shop some startup to speed it up am i doing it right or have i been misled thanks
hi sand rock been in 4 days and its only started to clear when we turned the phosphate reactor down. what should the flow be on these things we just had it on full and everything was turning orange . also how long should i leave it b4 i start to put corals in it our old tank cracked and ive rescued some of the coral and 2 humbugs , 1 clown fish and a horseshoe crab and i need to transfer it as soon as i can but dont want to loose anything else . ive also added by advise of the local marine shop some startup to speed it up am i doing it right or have i been misled thanks
I don't know much about a phosphate reactor, but for the tank you will have to let it cycle until your readings are all 0 and nitrates are 20 or less. If you add the corals and damsels to soon you will lose some of them IMO..
You really don't need the reactor at this point.
You really don't need the reactor at this point.
I would run the skimmer and have it help skim out all the extra proteins in the tank. I have always turned my skimmer on the same day my tank was setup. Skimmers do have a break in time where you will have to play with them until they slim up.
had my water tested today everything was 0 . when would be the best time to add the caulerpa to the sump?
Phosphate reactor getting it going:
First you have to rinse the media... i usually just put the media in....put RO water in a bucket....put the pump end of the tub inside near a sink and pump full power till the orange dust is gone from the chamber...clear water flowing...
Then I hook it onto the sump and ready to go...the last thing you want in the future is that dust to go into the tank like that.. It will kill things fast.
The phosban instructions say no more than 80gph through it from what I recall. Since I have a 100gph pump i just turn the nob down some ...you dont want the media to be crashing around a lot...just stirring inside from the upflow.
Your readings may say 0 now but with cycle comes ups and downs... have you started the cycle properly..(check sticky on the top of forums here).
As for Fuge set up...im guessing you have a fuge sump... Not necessary to get that going yet....wait till cycle is over.
its a waiting game and something I would not rush.
First you have to rinse the media... i usually just put the media in....put RO water in a bucket....put the pump end of the tub inside near a sink and pump full power till the orange dust is gone from the chamber...clear water flowing...
Then I hook it onto the sump and ready to go...the last thing you want in the future is that dust to go into the tank like that.. It will kill things fast.
The phosban instructions say no more than 80gph through it from what I recall. Since I have a 100gph pump i just turn the nob down some ...you dont want the media to be crashing around a lot...just stirring inside from the upflow.
Your readings may say 0 now but with cycle comes ups and downs... have you started the cycle properly..(check sticky on the top of forums here).
As for Fuge set up...im guessing you have a fuge sump... Not necessary to get that going yet....wait till cycle is over.
its a waiting game and something I would not rush.