Dry Rock and long-term bacterial bloom

[jon.smolders]

Hey everyone,

I am in need of some advice and opinions. I have been dealing with a bad bacterial bloom for the last few months, and I would like some feedback as to what I can do to correct the issue.

Here is my setup:
- 60 gallon tank, 20 gal sump. Total water volume of about 70 gallons
- 35 lbs dry pukani rock
- 1 lb live rock (one small mushroom rock, one small ½ lb piece to help seed with sponges, etc)
- bare bottom
- BM Curve 7 skimmer
- Running 1/2 cup carbon in sump baffles changed at least monthly
- Run filter socks occasionally but never for more than a few days at a time
- Tecklight T5 x 6 lamp. Only running 4 lamps, brand new in the last couple months on for 9 hrs a day
- Temp 77
- Salinity 35ppt (1.026 sg)
- pH 7.8
- Calcium 360ish
- Alkalinity currently around 6-7 dKH - trying to keep it up past 7
- Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates all 0
- RO water TDS 0
- PO4 0ppm test kit was a bit dated however
- 1 pajama cardinal, 1 blue neon goby added about a month ago
- several small frags of montipora, star polyps, green nepthea, meteor shower crystphea, xenia (not doing well), and a "grassy fields" lps, green rhodactis mushrooms (now a pale blue)
- 3 red hermits, couple snails lost a few over the last few months


The system was started 10 months ago. Very, very little coraline algae. Little algae in display or on rocks. Chaeto in sump

After lots of reading online I finally made sense of the low alk and pH. The bacteria use up alk because it is a carbon source. Bacteria also produce CO2 which would drive down the pH. I figure the other nutrient source in the system is the dry rock. I did not give it an acid bath, just stuck it in the tank with a piece of shrimp and let it go for a few months. I had bad algae for a while, and I suspected the sand so I removed it and went bare bottom. That helped the algae a bit, but the tank still had a white haze. Just over a month ago I did a 100% water change. Transferred everything into a brute, drained the tank completely, cleaned, refilled with fresh salt water, transferred everything back. Looked great for a week before the haze came back.


So... I have come up with a few things I might try to get this under control.

1.Dose bacteria. I started the tank with MB7… would it help at all to dose more bacteria to consume the nutrients faster? Maybe I should dose vinegar or vodka too to give them a carbon source other than my alkalinity?

2.Reduce the amount of dry rock in the system. Say I take out half of it. I could cure it elsewhere. Then there would be less leaching nutrients overall and maybe the system could handle it?

3.Establish a different source of bio filtration. Could I add a DIY wet/dry filter in hopes that the bacteria would colonize that instead of my water column? Would the extra bio filtration help the system handle the nutrients leaching from the rock?

4.UV sterilizor - I know this would help clear things up (at least temporarily) but I don’t really want to drop another $100 on another piece of equipment at the moment… I’d rather figure out how to deal with the root issue.

5.More mechanical filtration - Thought about a DIY canister filter with filter floss… not sure if it would make much of a difference though.

6.Weekly 30% water changes and more patience. I was doing 15% every two or three weeks before the 100% change. I've also been dealing with this for months now so my patience is … well… dwindling.



Any thoughts or comments would help. I’m not really sure what route I should take with all this. Thanks!

[spit.fire]

Dosing vodka would probably make it worse, do you run your skimmer 24/7

[gobytron]

Cyanobacteria?

Try putting a pump blowing along the surface of your display to better oxygenate your water.

[gobytron]

This might be a really dumb question, and I see now it's not cyanobacteria.

But how do you know what you are seeing is indeed a bacterial bloom rather than something else clouding your water?

[jon.smolders]

No its not cyano... its just a white haze in the water column. Yes, I skim 24/7... fairly wet too but it doesn't seem to have an effect on the bacteria. I have two powerheads near the surface giving me good surface agitation. I'm pretty sure its bacterial because of the low pH and alkalinity. I am open to other suggestions however. Bad bucket of salt? I use Reef Crystals and just opened a fresh bucket and have some water mixing for a 30% water change. Maybe the last bucket was bad? Could magnesium or calcium precipitate out into the water and cloud it for months?

Here's a pic from the side

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x358/jsmolders/20150116_180620.jpg (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/jsmolders/media/20150116_180620.jpg.html)

[Koleswrath]

Don't think it would be calcium precipitating unless your dosing cal/alk,etc. - precipitation is usually due to an excess of calcium and lack of magnesium but your salt should be balanced.

I dose vinegar and the bacteria is noticeable in mats that collect close to the dosing inlet and in my reactor. All in very stringy mats but nothing in the water column that shows as cloudiness. Dosing vinegar and Kalk will definitely help the alk and ph issue and might help to get the bacteria in your sump instead of the water column ( if that's what the haze is).

[Masonjames]

I really am not sure if you would be experiencing a bacterial bloom for a constant 10 months. The bacteria responsible for such water born blooms cannot synthesize there own food and are completely dependant on complex organics. I highly doubt with your two fish you are imputing enough organics to promote a bloom never mind sustain one without a needed nutrient quickly becoming limiting.

[Myka]

What do you add to the tank? Supplements? Fish food? Corals Food? Additives?

Have you been using one bucket of salt this whole time?

[Wheelman76]

I started with 100% dry Pukani rock and had the same problem as you. The bacterial bloom would just not go away no matter what I did. Some days it was a little better and some days a little worse but I just couldn't get the water clear. A friend recommended to try running a UV for a few days ( thanks Albert) I borrowed a UV sterilizer from a buddy ( thanks Rich) and within 24 hours the water was crystal clear. I ran the UV for a few more days and then took it off and the tank has been clear ever since.

[TimT]

The best way to clear the waterborne bacteria is by UV. A UV is also very useful when putting new fish into the display or reducing the possibility of a disease outbreak should you have a temperature fluctuation.

There are a couple of other options but they are not as effective... ozone into skimmer and also Hydrogen peroxide dosing. You have to be very careful using either method as they can wipe out your tank.

The bacteria will lower your dissolved oxygen content of the water and also your redox potential. It is important to keep your skimmer running.

The upside is that the bacteria will consume nitrates.

Cheers,
Tim

[jon.smolders]

I really am not sure if you would be experiencing a bacterial bloom for a constant 10 months. The bacteria responsible for such water born blooms cannot synthesize there own food and are completely dependant on complex organics. I highly doubt with your two fish you are imputing enough organics to promote a bloom never mind sustain one without a needed nutrient quickly becoming limiting.

That's why I was suspecting the dry rock as being the issue. I did not do an acid bath before putting them in the tank, so all the organics in the rock could be feeding the bacteria...

[jon.smolders]

What do you add to the tank? Supplements? Fish food? Corals Food? Additives?

Have you been using one bucket of salt this whole time?

Yes, for most of the time I only used one bucket of salt. I finished it off when I did the 100% water change in December. I don't add anything to the tank, other than playing with the alk/calcium in the last two weeks. Fish are new too... added them just before Christmas so feeding is not the issue because I have had this problem for months prior.

I just did a 20g water change yesterday afternoon and I am running some mechanical filtration too so we'll see how it looks when I get home...

[Jaws]

Going through the same thing with my new 400G tank. Cloudy white and all the fish are suffering with pretty bad signs of what appears to be either ich or stress. Shouldn't be ich considering they were all in quarantine and treated with chloroquine phosphate for 3 months prior. Thanks for the tip about the UV. Hopefully that starts bringing them around. I also have about 50 pounds of live rock in a dark tank that I was hoping would help counter balance all the previous dry rock. All my dry rock was acid bathed before though so not sure why it's making the water cloudy after cycling for over two months.

[TimT]

I did not do an acid bath before putting them in the tank, so all the organics in the rock could be feeding the bacteria...

The rock is pressure washed with saltwater on the dock after it is harvested. This gets rid of the majority of the external organics. There would most likely be some worms, crustaceans and bivalves within the rock that would need to cure out.


fish are suffering with pretty bad signs of what appears to be either ich or stress

I would suspect stress from low dissolved oxygen and a low redox.


Are either of you doing any home renos with gyproc/drywall at all?

[albert_dao]

Just borrow or find a used UV. It really is the best solution here.

[Jaws]

Are either of you doing any home renos with gyproc/drywall at all?

Not me. I'd be surprised if there wasn't enough oxygen though. My tank has a coast to coast overflow plus 3 Maxspect Gyres, 2 MP40 Vortechs and 4 Tunze 6105s so there's plenty of surface agitation too. Or does that not matter in this case?

[gobytron]

The rock is pressure washed with saltwater on the dock after it is harvested. This gets rid of the majority of the external organics. There would most likely be some worms, crustaceans and bivalves within the rock that would need to cure out.




I would suspect stress from low dissolved oxygen and a low redox.


Are either of you doing any home renos with gyproc/drywall at all?

I would definitely be exploring other explanations other than bacterial bloom.

[Jaws]

Just borrow or find a used UV. It really is the best solution here.

I have a large UV too so hopefully I can get that up and running asap.

[jon.smolders]

The rock is pressure washed with saltwater on the dock after it is harvested. This gets rid of the majority of the external organics. There would most likely be some worms, crustaceans and bivalves within the rock that would need to cure out.

Are either of you doing any home renos with gyproc/drywall at all?

I have in the last month found a small leaf and a small twig as I was blowing off the rock with a turkey baster... so I imagine there must be some organics still decomposing deep inside. I get a fair amount of detritus settling in one area of the tank.

I did finish the drywall and paint in the basement (where my tank is located)this summer, but I made sure to seal off the room my tank was in when I sanded it. I also painted the concrete floors to keep the dust down. All that was done before my 100% water change, so I would think that if that was the cause then the water change should have taken care of it...


I started with 100% dry Pukani rock and had the same problem as you. The bacterial bloom would just not go away no matter what I did. Some days it was a little better and some days a little worse but I just couldn't get the water clear. A friend recommended to try running a UV for a few days ( thanks Albert) I borrowed a UV sterilizer from a buddy ( thanks Rich) and within 24 hours the water was crystal clear. I ran the UV for a few more days and then took it off and the tank has been clear ever since.


Maybe this is the simplest option? Would it matter what size I used? I was leaning toward a 9W Green Killing Machine because I can get one shipped for about $75... and I don't want to fork out hundreds for something I will only use once and a while.

Seems like a better idea then hydrogen peroxide dosing... which is intriguing BUT doesn't seem like its work the risk. Pretty sure my wife wouldn't be too happy if I told her I wanted to order another $200 worth of coral frags because I just killed all mine :lol:

[Jaws]

Sorry to hijack your thread by the way Jon. I was just very happy to see this thread since I seem to be going through an identical issue at the moment.

[jon.smolders]

Sorry to hijack your thread by the way Jon. I was just very happy to see this thread since I seem to be going through an identical issue at the moment.

No worries. :) If it is the same issue then it would be interesting to see if there our systems have something in common that could be causing it. You said your system is two months old? Are you 100% dry rock right now? Also let me know if the UV works for you...


I would definitely be exploring other explanations other than bacterial bloom.

What else could it be?

I did come across a random reference on RC about a guy having cloudy water that only went away when he changed his RO membrane... he didn't go into any detail though. Mine is four years old, but I had it in storage for two of those years (it didn't dry out). It is still reading 0 TDS though so it should still be good...? Now that I think about it, it does spike to 40ppm for the first 30 seconds or so before falling to 0. Would that be an issue?

[Jaws]

No worries. :) If it is the same issue then it would be interesting to see if there our systems have something in common that could be causing it. You said your system is two months old? Are you 100% dry rock right now? Also let me know if the UV works for you...

I used about 200 pounds of dry rock but I bleached it then gave it an acid bath and dried it in the sun for days. Then I cycled it in the tank for over two months before adding fish. I also used Prodibio to help with the bacteria. I added about 100 pounds of live rock to the display tank about a month ago too to help seed everything. I've sinced moved it to the fish room in a 100G dark tank designed for rock only that's connected to the rest of the system. I also run carbon. I figured that would be enough to get rid of the haze in the tank but unfortunately not. I should also mention I've sold a ton of the extra rock I had from the same batch to other reefers and they didn't have any problems that I'm aware of and their tanks are flourishing. They were adding it to their existing already established setups though. Since I'm starting to lose fish now, I'm getting really worried something else is wrong. All parameters are great though. I'll let you know how it goes. I look forward to your experience as well.

[TimT]

I would definitely be exploring other explanations other than bacterial bloom.

An easy way to be sure it's bacteria is to check your nitrates. No or minimal nitrates means it's bacteria and not a buffer issue.

Maybe this is the simplest option? Would it matter what size I used? I was leaning toward a 9W Green Killing Machine because I can get one shipped for about $75...

The hazy water and whitish growth on the inside of the glass is indeed bacteria. Free floating bacteria are very easy to kill with a UV, so the 9 watt should be adequate. Just make sure to put nothing larger than 300 gph pump on it or you won't get a high enough dosage to kill the bacteria.

Not me. I'd be surprised if there wasn't enough oxygen though. My tank has a coast to coast overflow plus 3 Maxspect Gyres, 2 MP40 Vortechs and 4 Tunze 6105s so there's plenty of surface agitation too. Or does that not matter in this case?

Current within the tank is good for promoting gas exchange at the surface but a skimmer is much better. Put the UV on your tank and it should clear the bacteria very quickly.

[Jaws]

Current within the tank is good for promoting gas exchange at the surface but a skimmer is much better. Put the UV on your tank and it should clear the bacteria very quickly.

Thanks Tim. I'll get on that right away. I do have a simmer running in the sump downstairs too.

[Skimmin]

Interesting guys. Just wanted to let you know that I too had this issue. Started Sept 26/14 cycling 250lbs of pukani in a tub with heat and no light for a month. Took it out. No stink but still some noticeable organics. Put into my new 300gal on Nov 26. Began dosing vinegar immediately. After about two weeks the tank clouded up so bad i couldnt see through from one side to the other. Reduced dosing substantially and after a week cleared up pretty decent. Tank is clear now. Im also sure it is bacteria but not sure what from....?I added chromis and a dozen snails Dec 26. I now have 13 of 15 chromis left in the tank and have had no snails or crabs die so I hope I'm ok. Dealing with a pretty nasty diatom/algae bloom now so gonna stick with vinegar and hope it dies off soon enough. Not sure what its worth but I've been running a skimmer since day one.

[eli@fijireefrock.com]

Bacteria bloom is due to few things happening in a tank.My views only on what I have seen and know.This might be rambling so bare with me:biggrin:

With new rocks that has just been cycled and placed into the main display (if recipes been followed correctly) 1st lighting should be at a slow start instead of a full blast as this will get different bacteria from the cycle to bloom.

if curing rock in any type of tub with no lighting and high temperature and adequate flow grows the type of bacteria that will not fully survive under full lighting and that produces your rock to cycle again in the main display (one of witch bacteria bloom in the water column)

Any type of carbon dosing(too many to count the brands out in the market) is not required while curing as the rock has ample of amino to keep the nitrifying bacteria multiplying to the point of totally curing the rock)

Early removal of any dry rock from cycle period will get different bacteria bloom in the display,yes it is ugly but will dissipate in time given that the only thing running in a display would be the skimmer and carbon.

At any time the rock or a living thing gets removed or added to a tank or maybe re-aquascape there will be a war by bacteria be it noticeable or not.

Trying to keep parameters in check in newly setup system is never a good sign as a young system has to go through different stages and I believe by adding things you are only testing and playing with changes that leads to good and sometimes bad and unfortunately we don't like to spend more money than needed to,..

Bacteria in the water column could be removed easily by taking few steps.
Add filter floss for few days, lower the photo period of your new system, add good quality activated carbon and over skim, if a UV is available then use it at the rate by manufacturer rating. After few days passes do up to 30% water change.
By then you should be looking good and keep up with the activated carbon replacement as it get depleted faster than normal.

What I really find wrong is that so many people with new system try to ramp their lighting as high as possible rather that following a scheduled time or maybe thinking of what is in their system that requires lighting and how much.
Fish very little lighting, Softies a little more that what fish require, LPS almost 10% higher that your softies and so on,...But who wants to add LPS and SPS into a young system that is still in the developing stage.


I too have had a haze look in my system but that was due to over dosing on carbon (vinegar and Vodka) but cleared in a couple days with no water changes and no ill affect to the fish and corals, like mentioned above steps and clear up.

I highly believe in these items to have a successful reef display, oversized skimmer for future upgrades or if over skimming is ever needed.
Activated carbon, good quality always lasts longer,always check the MSDS sheets for your carbon to see the pore sizes and the surface area of it.
HC-GFO is a good choice to have but I wouldn't start with it from the get go as it gets costly too fast, Fozdown is a great choice for Phosphates removal I am sure tons of other product out there buts being specific to what I use.
Surface agitation is always required as it plays a big role with your fish health, coral growth and bacteria exchange gases.
Rock and or rubble is a must for bacteria growth as your system matures.

Really rambling now.:lol:

[jon.smolders]

With new rocks that has just been cycled and placed into the main display (if recipes been followed correctly) 1st lighting should be at a slow start instead of a full blast as this will get different bacteria from the cycle to bloom.

if curing rock in any type of tub with no lighting and high temperature and adequate flow grows the type of bacteria that will not fully survive under full lighting and that produces your rock to cycle again in the main display (one of witch bacteria bloom in the water column)

What I really find wrong is that so many people with new system try to ramp their lighting as high as possible


I just threw the rock in the tank and let it cure with heat, good flow, and about 6-8 hrs of lighting a day, so maybe that's why the water-bourn bacteria bloomed? Because I didn't cycle it in the dark first?

Bacteria in the water column could be removed easily by taking few steps.
Add filter floss for few days, lower the photo period of your new system, add good quality activated carbon and over skim, if a UV is available then use it at the rate by manufacturer rating. After few days passes do up to 30% water change. By then you should be looking good and keep up with the activated carbon replacement as it get depleted faster than normal.


I think I am going to try this before I buy a UV sterilizer.... set up some sort of filter floss or micron-water polisher in the display tank and see if that makes a difference. Maybe keep the lights off for 2 or 3 days as well and change the carbon more frequently.

[Buccaneer]

With new rocks that has just been cycled and placed into the main display (if recipes been followed correctly) 1st lighting should be at a slow start instead of a full blast as this will get different bacteria from the cycle to bloom.

if curing rock in any type of tub with no lighting and high temperature and adequate flow grows the type of bacteria that will not fully survive under full lighting and that produces your rock to cycle again in the main display (one of witch bacteria bloom in the water column)



OK Eli ... question for you

I have rock that I used in my old 330G from 10yrs ago that is stored in brute bins on side of my house that is now dead rock but it will have dead organics in it correct?

What would be the best and safest way to cure this rock for use in my new aquarium I am setting up?

cure in the dark in the brute container? if so then how?

or setup in the tank without livestock and short light cycle? if so then how?

I have heard there will be phosphate issues if bleach and vinegar are not used initially to clean them first ... if not bleach/vinegar then what is best?

so many theories so one definitive answer of what is proven to work would be much appreciated

Thanks

PS sorry for the hijack Jon

[Pike]

10 months and your rocks are bare, no coraline algae , nada!. theres no life in those rocks. Something is really wrong. Almost seems like what you have is lack of beneficial bacteria on your rocks thus the milky water. I would get a piece of better live rock with lots of life on it and some sand from a established tank or buy prodibio . It looks like you just put water in it yesterday.

[Myka]

With new rocks that has just been cycled and placed into the main display (if recipes been followed correctly) 1st lighting should be at a slow start instead of a full blast as this will get different bacteria from the cycle to bloom.

if curing rock in any type of tub with no lighting and high temperature and adequate flow grows the type of bacteria that will not fully survive under full lighting and that produces your rock to cycle again in the main display (one of witch bacteria bloom in the water column)

I've never heard of this or experienced this. I did some Googling and couldn't find it mentioned.

[reefwars]

I've never heard of this or experienced this. I did some Googling and couldn't find it mentioned.

but it sure sounded good lol :)

[jon.smolders]

10 months and your rocks are bare, no coraline algae , nada!. theres no life in those rocks. Something is really wrong. Almost seems like what you have is lack of beneficial bacteria on your rocks thus the milky water. I would get a piece of better live rock with lots of life on it and some sand from a established tank or buy prodibio . It looks like you just put water in it yesterday.

I did dose microbacter7 for a while when I first started the tank.

I do have some form of pods living between the glass and my algae magnet (I assume they must be living in the rock as well), and I get those really tiny little starfish looking white bugs on the glass (I forget what they're called!). I also have tiny spots where coraline started to take hold on the rocks and back glass, but I'm pretty sure the reason it stopped growing was because of the low alkalinity.

Anyway, there is some life. Not as much as I would like but its there.

[Masonjames]

but it sure sounded good lol :)

For sure there would be a flux. It'd be silly to think otherwise. Negligible, but there.

[eli@fijireefrock.com]

I just threw the rock in the tank and let it cure with heat, good flow, and about 6-8 hrs of lighting a day, so maybe that's why the water-bourn bacteria bloomed? Because I didn't cycle it in the dark first?

I believe so, as different bacteria start to bloom specific to temperature, oxygen availability and spectrum.


think I am going to try this before I buy a UV sterilizer.... set up some sort of filter floss or micron-water polisher in the display tank and see if that makes a difference. Maybe keep the lights off for 2 or 3 days as well and change the carbon more frequently.

I would do the same, actually I still do it every few months when I stir things around just to be on the safe side.
I use filter floss from walmart the fillings of a pillow (100% poly):biggrin:

[eli@fijireefrock.com]

OK Eli ... question for you

I have rock that I used in my old 330G from 10yrs ago that is stored in brute bins on side of my house that is now dead rock but it will have dead organics in it correct?

What would be the best and safest way to cure this rock for use in my new aquarium I am setting up?

cure in the dark in the brute container? if so then how?

or setup in the tank without livestock and short light cycle? if so then how?

I have heard there will be phosphate issues if bleach and vinegar are not used initially to clean them first ... if not bleach/vinegar then what is best?

so many theories so one definitive answer of what is proven to work would be much appreciated

Thanks

PS sorry for the hijack Jon

Yes you can use the same rock and of course curing 1st is the key.
As long as your old rock hasn't had any chemical added to it that will leach out and create a death trap later on as copper treatment,...
Check this Link (http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=102769) as it explains the steps I personally took to achive what I have in my system.
Acid and bleach use has been tested with few people,I haven't done so myself yet and don't think its harm if done properly.
Below was taken from another threat
A quick note on how Bleach and Acid works on the rock for curing.

We all know the rock is cleaned as much as possible and pressure washed prior to shipping. But proteins is lodged into the rock and needs to be removed with little cost.

Bleach and proteins are 2 different chemical reaction as when added bleach in a water volume and add the rock to it what you will get is that the bleach will react with the amino acids that form the proteins and render it useless,..
Now all that release is in the water line or some still in the rock.

Acid well we all know that acid body of water dissolve Calcium (the very make of our rock) to nothing
When added to the water with the rock that has gotten a simple wash after the Bleach wash,well it will dislodge and remover all cracked and useless proteins into the water line and foam out.A quick wash and your rock is ready for curing.

Curing is always needed to add bacteria and have the rock ready for any saltwater tank,...
Does the Bleach and Acid speed up the process,...I don't know as I haven't tested that theory yet,there is no right answer to that speed of curing as the recipe doesn't fall under on one or 2 items being changed but few points put together; foe exp. water temperature,water movement, oxygen availability, available proteins in the rock and added proteins to that rock,...

Bottom line is if you are planning on using Acid or Bleach I suggest using them as part of the process not one and leave the other out as mentioned above they work perfect as one breaks the proteins and the other help dislodging is out.

[eli@fijireefrock.com]

I've never heard of this or experienced this. I did some Googling and couldn't find it mentioned.

This is actually could be explained in a long and few different steps.
Under scientific research is known fact that different bacteria grows differently under specific conditions.I wish I still have those papers but will looks and see what I can find.
Maybe look for bacteria harvesting and growth under different conditions.
or
Stimulation of ocean bacteria under different conditions.
or
Type of reef Bacteria harvesting sunlight
or
Spectrum analysis for bacteria growth
or
Bacterial protein cells under spectrum conditions
....
Light is one of them it does render some bacteria in a dormant stage and if conditions are met render them useless..

[Skimmin]

So I figured I'll follow up with my last post. Since I last posted my tank started to cloud up a bit again. I have never used a uv lighr before but decided to give it a try. Its been four days and all I can say is WOW. My tank is crystal clear now and everythi g seems to be doing great. Even the algae blooms have receded. I was having to clean the green off my glass every day. Its now been two days and its still nice and clean. I think im going to start running uv as regular maintenance. Maybe for two weeks every six weeks or something like that. What a HUGE difference

[TimT]

One thing about UV sterilizers is that you do need to carefully clean the quartz sleeve every 3 months or so, especially if your dealing with a lot of bacteria. Use rubber gloves when you do as it's not good for them to get skin oils on them.

Cheers,
Tim

[jon.smolders]

I'm glad the UV worked out for you!

I ran a 1 micron sediment filter (the kind you usually put in an RO filter) on a powerhead for a week. I also built a DIY in tank canister filter that attaches to a power head as well and ran filter floss and half a cup of carbon (still currently running). Ran the skimmer as wet as it would go. Also ran a filter sock on the sump. Increased my flow through my sump for more aeration, and to allow the skimmer to possibly process more tank water. Did a three day blackout with no lights.

No change. Still has that hazy look to it.

Fish seem fine. All the other coral frags I have seem to be doing ok, but my blue xenia frag that is just about a month old has in the last couple days almost entirely disappeared. I moved it to another small 20g I set up with a power filter in a last ditch effort to save it.

I think the UV may be the way to go... I don't see any other options.