Cloudy Water after Flourish Excel - HELP!!

[Peng Kang Hill]

Tank Dimensions (LxWxH, specify units): 3 x 1.5 x 1.5 feet

Lighting Intensity(No of Watts) :148W
Number and type of Lighting (FL/PL/MH) : T5 HO 1 x 10,000K + 1 x 6,500K and 2 x 36W PL
Age of light bulbs : 1 months
No. of hours your lights are on : 10 hours

CO2 Injection Rate (bps) : 3 bps
Type of CO2 (DIY/Cylinder) : Cylinder
Method of Injection (e.g. Diffusor/Reactor) : Internal reactor

Liquid fertilisers Used (Product name. E.g. Seachem Flourish) : FloraPride - 25 ml every 4 weeks, Flourish Excel 5 ml every 2 days
Other fertilisers (Product name. E.g. Root Monster) : Basefert Sera Flowderpot

Other additives (Product name. E.g. Seachem Prime) : N.A

Type of Filter (overhead/internal/canister, Product name/model if possible) : 1 x Tetra External canister

When was the filter last washed : 2 months ago
Filter media used : Bioballs, ceramic rings, filter wool,
When was the media last changed : 2 months ago
What was changed : Filter wool
Age of setup (i.e. since initial setup or last major re-do ) : 1 year
Water change frequency : once per week

Amount changed : 20%

Water surface movement (None/gentle/turbulent) : gentle
Circulation (None/gentle/turbulent) : gentle

Tank Temperature : 26 - 28

Chemical Properties (Fill what you can)
-------------------------------------
KH (dKH): ??
GH (dGH): ??
pH : ??
NH4 (ppm): ??
NO2 (ppm): ??
NO3 (ppm): ??
PO4 (ppm): ??
Fe (ppm): ??

Bioload (Number and type of fish and plants)
------------------------------------------
Spiky Moss, Hygrphilia deformis - the rest not sure. Moderately planted.

Describe your problem :
I did some major changes lately.

1. Changed normal 3ft FL to t5 30W x 2. This compliments what I have already which is 36W x 2 PL from Mr Chan.
2. Set up moss wall
3. Hair grass problem - introduced Flourish Excel @ 5ml every 2 days

Now I have cloiudy water for about 2 weeks already. Reduced light 2 days ago to just 39W x 2 T5. Still cloudy with a slight greenish tint.

One good thing is all my hair algae has gone away.

Strangely, I noticed that it gets worse everytime I dose Excel. Should I stop? What is wrong? I am tearing my hair apart!!

Peng Kang Hill

[grey_fox]

Might be just dirt being stirred up, I added Java Ferns to the JF hill and my tank, from clear became cloudy but after a day plus, the water went back to its clear waters. However previously I had this cloudy water issue myself, first it was clear then became cloudier and cloudier. Found out that one of the canisters was really clogged with dirt...

Can't quite comment on the Excel, yet to use it. Since Excel you suspect that Excel is causing it, stop dosing Excel and the monitor again. Maybe those that dose Excel can help further.

[bclee]

Cloudy water with greenish tint = greenwater, a type of algae suspended in water. It is probably not caused by Seachem Excel.

Do a search on the forum on "greenwater", you should find lots of information on it. Treatment includes UV filtering and blackout.

BC

[Peng Kang Hill]

Sorry folks - the greenish tint could be the reflection from the plants. When I took out some water in a transparent container and see through it against a white background, does not seem to be greenish.

[bclee]

Excel is known to cause cloudiness when overdosed. Try cutting down or stop Excel to see if things improve.

BTW, how did you measure 5ml? By the capful as mentioned on the instructions? I have heard feedfack that in fact the capful is more than 5ml. Haven't verify this tough.

BC

[Peng Kang Hill]

Thanks for the advice.

I use a measurement cup. Furthermore, dosed per instruction. Dared not overdose some more.

Just wondering - could the cloudiness be the result of dead hairgrass that got dissolved as a result of Excel dosing?

[PeterGwee]

Why waste money and cause more issues by dosing excel when you are already using gas CO2? Use the gas well and you really don't need to bother with excel.

Regards
Peter Gwee

[dc88]

Likely an overdose of Excel.
Do a search in APD :
http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plants/
A numbers of similiar cases cited cloudy water if overdose. But in the correct dosage (especially in non-CO2 injection) it provides a slow but steady carbon source and some biocides effect to kill algae.
But as Peter said if you already into using gas CO2, consider saving it.

[Peng Kang Hill]

Thanks, all.

So, what do I do now - wait it out? Or should I do water changes, and if so, how much?

PKH

[dc88]

My own "rule of thumb" when anything goes wrong is 40~50% water change to reset and then adjust back the correct fert.

[GaspingGurami]

I had cloudy water when I first started to use Excel. I didn't overdose, but the water was not clear anyway. This incidentally was an established 2 yr old tank that I took off the CO2 gas and replaced with excel. Then after a month, it suddenly cleared! Morning water was still cloudy, by evening the water was crystal clear!

Probably the bacteria needed to work with Excel had developed.