CLOUDY WATER

Hi, I recently got into the hobby. I got a 75gal tank from a friend and washed it w/ tap water, drained it, and added deionized water. The water seemed cloudy when I put the lights on so I called my LFS and he said that I should run the filter for awhile and not to add a clarifier. I have been running the overflow for several days now and the water is still coudy. there is really any airbubbles or particles that I can see just like a haze. When I look at the tank from the bottom looking up toward the light it seems to be like a thin cloud of smoke. Also I have nothing living in the tank as of yet. Does anyone know what this is and how I can get the water to be crystal clear .

[Scuba]

Do you have something to clean the inside of the glass, it mite be a film that has formed on it. From your post you do not have any substrate in the tank, if you do you may need to put in a carbon filter for a few days to polish up the water.

I dont have substrate in the tank yet. Ill try to clean the inside of the glass when I get home from work but I think it has something to due w/ the water

[Matt Rogers]

That's pretty weird.
Try polishing the water with a bag of carbon or a poly filter, or just some filter floss somewhere.

I agree its weird im kind of worried about it because there is no fish in the tank. I would expect some cloudiness from bacteria if there were fish in the tank but I cant find any info on the web about cloudy water other than bacteria bloom when you add fish. Also, now that I think about it im sure its not the glass because when i open the canopy and look down on the water i still see the cloudiness.

[Matt Rogers]

Well polishing it will probably do it, but did you do any research to see if your tap water is safe for a reef tank?

im going to try a polyfilter today i hope that works thank you matt

[JOER0178]

I was on a web site that said:
"If washing the gravel doesn't solve the problem, the next most likely cause of cloudy water in a newly filled tank is a high level of dissolved constituents such as phosphates, silicates, or heavy metals. *If you test the water, you'll no doubt find the pH is high (alkaline). *In these cases, treating the water with conditioners will often resolve the problem." *
Hope this helps

I hope you are not using gravel in the tank.
A picture would help.
What salt did you use?
Are you adding calcium everyday? Just what are you adding to the tank?
Live rock in the tank?
Do you have a sump or are you using a hang on filter?

[CowboyUp]

Hey Mike-

I had this problem when I first set up my tank also. But I used "tap" water, and I believe you said you used "deionized" water (good choice). I ran some carbon for a couple of weeks, helped some. Then I tried Chemi-pure, worked much better. I also purchased a Magnum 350 canister filter, that thing REALLY polished my water! I don't use the Magnum all of the time, just when the water is a little cloudy (after a water change/sand syphoning), and things are "stirred" up a bit.

CowboyUp [smiley=cowboy.gif]