Algae Bloom in Water Column?

[Sdoutreefer]

My tank water has been pretty clear since completing my cycle, and after a 12 gallon WC. Just before sunset, my tank started looking super cloudy, with a white tint. Could this potentially be a small algae bloom within the water column? I’ve read somewhere before that this can happen, but asking if I should be looking somewhere else for this issue? Like I said, it just started this evening, hoping it will be a little better in the morning.

Has anyone had a similar issue?

 

[Dom]

Clean the sponge in your hang on back filter. It sounds like a bacterial bloom.

Also, a UV light will help.

 

[Sdoutreefer]

Clean the sponge in your hang on back filter. It sounds like a bacterial bloom.

Also, a UV light will help.

I’ll clean the sponge in my sump baffle. I don’t have a HOB.

Speaking of that sponge, does it need to be there? It’s sitting in the baffle vertically right before the return pump. Is it necessary?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I’ll clean the sponge in my sump baffle. I don’t have a HOB.

Speaking of that sponge, does it need to be there? It’s sitting in the baffle vertically right before the return pump. Is it necessary?

I was wondering why you had it installed. I would remove that.

 

[Sdoutreefer]

I was wondering why you had it installed. I would remove that.

Should I replace the sponge with anything?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Should I replace the sponge with anything?

no, its a biomedia. So unless you have a need to transfer bacteria to another tank (like a quarantine tank for example) then there is no need for bio media, the rocks are the bio filter so no other media needed.

 

[Dom]

I’ll clean the sponge in my sump baffle. I don’t have a HOB.

Speaking of that sponge, does it need to be there? It’s sitting in the baffle vertically right before the return pump. Is it necessary?

Right before the return pump? It is likely there to keep debris out of the pump. You could remove it, and it wouldn't be the end of the world.

But why not make keeping it clean part of your regular weekly husbandry and preserve the pump by keeping the debris out?