Cloudy water????

[pjr]

My daughter's tank has just developed ultra cloudy water. I mean, on the tank (36x18x18 , a breeder 50) you can barely see the back glass. The tank has been up For almost six months, and this has suddenly become a problem. There is a hang on skimmer and a hang on filter. I’ve added some polyfilter material to the hang-on, but to no avail.

Any suggestion on cause or solution is appreciated. This one has me confused.

[RedfordReefer]

Could it be an algae bloom?

[pjr]

Maybe! I've never seen one.... other than the hair algae on the rock type of bloom. She did have some hair algae, but a sea hare devoured it all last month.

[RedfordReefer]

What color is it? I've heard of some tanks being so Nutrient-rich that the actually grow (phyto)plankton faster than the natural predators can remove it.

[pjr]

When we did a water change, the water had a yellow tint....

[RedfordReefer]

when was the last change and what percent volume? It seems to me that there was a spike in nutrients and that caused some unusual chemistry. Yellow water is usually a tell-tale sign that perhaps religious water changes weren't done.

You might want to get some active carbon in there and run it for a couple weeks, along with regular water changes over the next week.

couple more things PJR;

Check the skimmer. Make sure it's bringing out thick brown disgustingness. Sometimes, yellow is a sign of too much waste in the water.
Check the Lights. When is the last time the bulbs were changed? Are they due? When the spectrum shifts, it causes undesired changes in the water's chemistry.
Feeding. How much is the tank being fed? Are there enough in the Clean up Crew to keep the uneaten food off the sand?

[SaltCreeps]

"Yellow cloudy water in a saltwater aquarium is caused by Dissolved Organic Compounds (DOC’s) or proteins. To reduce the amount of protein in your tank, protein skimmers work exceptionally well. Reducing the amount of food that is fed to fish and other creatures in the tank, as well as vacuuming uneaten food, detritus, and substrate on a regular basis can help to maintain a clear aquarium. Increasing the tank’s biological filtration is also recommended as it serves as a breeding ground for bacteria." From what i have been reading you need a better skimmer and maybe a filter system but photos will help on my call

[cephalotus]

I agree with Redford do a decent size water change and run alot of carbon actively.

[fawkes]

I would add an external canister filter with carbon - if you have one. Test for ammonia - especially if there are fish. If the pH is 8.4 there is little room for any significant ammonia spike.

[greenstarfish03]

Take it for what its worth but if it is an algae issue in the water column algae needs light just like everything else. Your corals and stuff will make it a few days w/o light so I would turn off the lights and wrap the tank in a blanket or soemthing so absolutely no light gets in for 2-3 days. When you unwrap the tank the algae should be gone. If its not an algae issue I wouldn't go that route Along time ago I had a bad algae issue in the water column but the water was more green then yellow.

As mentioned above a pic would help.