Water changes on 15gal due to bacteria bloom

[Jbr0nc0]

Hello all,
I was just dealing with a bout of cloudy water from what I diagnosed as a bacteria bloom.

I decided to get an in tank uv filter to fix the problem and within a few days I had clear water again. I noticed however my xenia and hammer had closed up, almost to the point of what they looked like when i first got them and dipped them. So I did a full water testing routine, my parameters (away from desk so I don't have the exact numbers) were where I normally keep them however I noticed that my salinity was lower than I like to keep it, around 1.021 rather than the 1.024/25 I try to maintain. My guess is the softies don't like the lower salinity or my water column was too clean now because of the UV filter

So I want to figure out why my salinity had dropped so low and id like to prevent another bloom. I have an ato with rodi installed for about a month. I also do a 33% water change every month. I dose my tank with tropicmarin AFR and Redsea ab+ daily.

I guess my question is,in addition to what I'm currently doing, would it be beneficial to start doing daily or weekly water changes and if so, what percentage should I be changing at?

 

[crazyfishmom]

Hello all,
I was just dealing with a bout of cloudy water from what I diagnosed as a bacteria bloom.

I decided to get an in tank uv filter to fix the problem and within a few days I had clear water again. I noticed however my xenia and hammer had closed up, almost to the point of what they looked like when i first got them and dipped them. So I did a full water testing routine and noticed that my salinity was lower than I like to keep it, around 1.022 rather than the 1.025 I try to maintain. My guess is the softies don't like the lower salinity or my water column was too clean now because of the UV filter

So I want to figure out why my salinity had dropped so low and id luke to prevent another bloom. I have an ato with rodi installed for about a month. I also will do a 33% water change every month. I dose my tank with tropicmarin AFR and Redsea ab+ daily.

I guess my question is,in addition to what I'm currently doing, would it be beneficial to start doing daily or weekly water changes and if so, what percentage should I be changing at?

It sounds like your ATO may be adding too much RODI or like you’re somehow removing saltwater instead of it just evaporating. Smaller water changes in shorter intervals tend to be better than once a month large ones because this provides better stability for your animals. I would consider 10-15% weekly water changes instead.

 

[Jbr0nc0]

It sounds like your ATO may be adding too much RODI or like you’re somehow removing saltwater instead of it just evaporating. Smaller water changes in shorter intervals tend to be better than once a month large ones because this provides better stability for your animals. I would consider 10-15% weekly water changes instead.

I suspected back flow in the ato so I installed a check valve and after a week I can confirm I'm not removing saltwater. I'd say weekly my ato uses 28oz of water, a little less than 1/4 gal.

 

[CO2TLEY]

If it’s not your ATO then it could possibly be the fresh saltwater your doing changes with. What are you testing it with and are you calibrating it? I find the tropic Marin hydrometer to be very accurate

 

[Jbr0nc0]

If it’s not your ATO then it could possibly be the fresh saltwater your doing changes with. What are you testing it with and are you calibrating it? I find the tropic Marin hydrometer to be very accurate

I'm using a box of 5gal pacific salt water from my lfs. I'm not testing g the water itself but I test my tank after a water change. I'm using the fluval sea hydrometer.

I did just order a rodi system and red sea pro coral salt cuz this was my origional suspicion

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

a bacterial bloom is caused by imballance of nutrients to bacteria. Don't do any water changes for this, you have to let it pass it course, water changes will make it last longer.

How old is your tank? Why doing only monthly water changes? I do weekly 5 gallon water changes on my 15 gallon.

Is there any flow in your tank? My 15 gallon has 2 powerheads.

What are the water parameters? Would suggest to list all water parameters, tank age, and pics of the tank would really help

 

[Jbr0nc0]

a bacterial bloom is caused by imballance of nutrients to bacteria. Don't do any water changes for this, you have to let it pass it course, water changes will make it last longer.

How old is your tank? Why doing only monthly water changes? I do weekly 5 gallon water changes on my 15 gallon.

Is there any flow in your tank? My 15 gallon has 2 powerheads.

What are the water parameters? Would suggest to list all water parameters, tank age, and pics of the tank would really help

So I got the uv filter for the bacteria which seemed to work, my monthly water change was 2 weeks after water cleared. I'm more puzled about the salinity drop.

It's a 15gal column tank so I have 1 powerhead that's 320gph flow my hob filter also provides decent flow. I had two power heads but it was too much Tank is about 5 months old.

The only parameters I have off the top of my head are these:
Salinity 1.022
Ph 7.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrites .30 ppm
Calcium 430

 

[SpyC]

Always test the water before you put it in your tank. Sounds like a cut and dry case of the sw you are getting is not the correct salinity.

 

[Jbr0nc0]

This pic is a few days before bloom two weeks ago.

Monthly water changes have been working thus far. But someone just told me at work it's taken you 5 months to realize that they don't work lol