Bacteria bloom/cloudy water will NOT go away

[4FordFamily]

Alright,

So I’ve been battling this for weeks now each time I’m sure I fixed the culprit. Before I say much more, you should know an identical 55 gal qt to the one we are discussing sits 10 feet away with same bio load, feeding, and everything else.

So this started while fish were in copper. I figured it was related, no I didn’t mix any meds it just happened.

I would change 85-95% of the water and it would return in 3-5 days as bad as before. Within 48 hours you could see it returning. I figured it a bad batch of coppersafe, since the tank next to it remained clear. At first I dosed araga milk after water changes for PH as I’ve always done, and some dr tims. I’ve tried one of those products, none of those products, and even drained the HOB filter and emptied the water out of the tank 100% the past two times.

The most recent time I wiped the entire tank with vinegar and soaked all equipment in it and replaced all media including the bio wheels, carbon, and sponge media. It took another day or two to return but it’s coming back. I drained every drop of water out of everything, everything either soaked in vinegar or was cleaned with vinegar over an hour period (all the fish could handle in a bucket).

I’m perplexed! The cloudiness is mostly whitish but has a yellowish hue as water fouls. It smells nasty as it worsens sometimes, like organics. I think it to be bacteria bloom.

I’m lost! I am immensely frustrated— as it worsens the fish start to visibly be shortened of oxygen, and I’ve lost fish due to the recurring issue and my inability to change the water as often as I need to (3-4 days 100%) due to work, kids, and other complications.

What can I dose in here to get rid of this issue? Anyone ever dealt with this?

My other 55 gal qt, 180 DT, Reefer 170, and Reefer Nano don’t have this problem!

 

[Gareth elliott]

Not sure how to solve ive never experienced a bacteria bloom that severe.
Have you checked nitrite levels. At high levels can also impair oxygen availability , this is usually more a freshwater problem as it it requires significantly more nitrite to effect a salt water system the same.

 

[4FordFamily]

With 100% new water my ammonia badge always reads clear so I can’t imagine there’s much, especially in 3-5 days but it’s worth checking!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Vinegar feeds bacteria. Organic carbon source.
Possible it wasn’t rinsed well?

I don’t belive vinegar is that great for sterilization personnly. It’s a mild acid yes. But....

 

[4FordFamily]

Vinegar feeds bacteria. Organic carbon source.
Possible it wasn’t rinsed well?

I don’t belive vinegar is that great for sterilization personnly. It’s a mild acid yes. But....

Well what about the other 12 attempts? Lol.

Yeah I thought of that after I did it. I wiped up all the vinegar remaining with a microfiber, but I definitely thought the same thing when I was done!

 

[TheEngineer]

If it is bacterial perhaps sterilize with peroxide instead of vinegar?

 

[HotRocks]

@4FordFamily and I have experienced this at the same time. My batch in a 40 breeder experienced the same exact conditions once I reached a therapudic level of copper. Last Saturday I did 100% water change to remove copper. Bloom has not returned without copper. So hard to pinpoint the issue. I don't have near the experience, as this was my first QT. Interested to see if anyone else has encountered this. @4FordFamily and I live close to each other and use the same Everything, as far as food, copper, RO systems etc. Only difference is our water source. Two separate municipalities for inbound water.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

12? Lol.
Dunno. Uuhhh.
Trust me I get it. Done it “this way”,
But this time I got different results.

Only thing you can dose is an air stone really. And stop adding bacteria.

I’d dump the carbon and use new.
Not sure the configuration of the HOB, but if you can direct the water to get through the carbon rather than around that would be better. You likely don’t need the carbon that much really.

I will say , I have often wondered what’s left of vinegar when it dries.
My assumption was sugars.

 

[erk]

I ran into a similar issue with my first tank. It was a 29 gal that ran fine for over a year, then one day I get a perpetual bacterial bloom. Same as you described. The fix was taking off my GFO. If I didn't run GFO, the bloom would clear in a day. Turn on GFO and it was back in a couple hours. You didn't say you ran GFO, but maybe it is something similar. A piece of equipment is holding the bacteria strain or feeding the system?

 

[4FordFamily]

12? Lol.
Dunno. Uuhhh.
Trust me I get it. Done it “this way”,
But this time I got different results.

Only thing you can dose is an air stone really. And stop adding bacteria.

I’d dump the carbon and use new.
Not sure the configuration of the HOB, but if you can direct the water to get through the carbon rather than around that would be better. You likely don’t need the carbon that much really.

I will say , I have often wondered what’s left of vinegar when it dries.
My assumption was sugars.

I have an air stone and a powerhead aimed up! That’s what’s crazy whatever this is still strains the fish!

 

[miyags]

A cheap uv took care of mine in about 3 days.

[ATT

 

[Zagreus]

Not sure if this will help you but i am happy to share my personal experience with this issue in the hope it will help you. I had very similar issues before when my tank was younger. I found it was a combination of blooms enhanced by carbon products (NoPox) and too much light for too long a period of time. When I cut my light down and adjusted the spectrum the severe blooms with cloudy water went away.

 

[Flippers4pups]

A cheap uv took care of mine in about 3 days.

[ATT

I was about to say this^. Place a UV on it.

 

[4FordFamily]

I actually have left the light off for a day or two and it barely seems to delay it, maybe it buys me another day. The UV would be interesting, just a another expense but if it fixes the problem I’m open, although it can’t be used on the qt with meds

 

[Smo]

So if I understand what you have been doing...sterilizing the tank and equipment, but then the fish and some of the original water gets dumped back in. If it is bacteria causing the cloudiness isn’t the tank being reinfected each time the fish go in? Maybe swop the fish with the other 55 gal and see if the bloom migrates.
Have not experienced this myself but have read several previous threads where a UV filter solved the problem.

 

[4FordFamily]

So if I understand what you have been doing...sterilizing the tank and equipment, but then the fish and some of the original water gets dumped back in. If it is bacteria causing the cloudiness isn’t the tank being reinfected each time the fish go in? Maybe swop the fish with the other 55 gal and see if the bloom migrates.
Have not experienced this myself but have read several previous threads where a UV filter solved the problem.

No I replaced the water, none of it was returned.

Considering UV but when meds are present it’ll be worthless, that’s my hesitation

 

[lagatbezan]

I'm not an expert, but could it be a bad batch of salt? or maybe an equipment failure like a powerhead or heater releasing something in the tank? just throwing some guesses out there.
Also maybe just rinse all the equipment with a mild bleach solution instead of vinegar next time? just to eliminate that as the cause?

 

[4FordFamily]

I'm not an expert, but could it be a bad batch of salt? or maybe an equipment failure like a powerhead or heater releasing something in the tank? just throwing some guesses out there.
Also maybe just rinse all the equipment with a mild bleach solution instead of vinegar next time? just to eliminate that as the cause?

I’ve gone through two whole 200 gal boxes of salt and the problem still exists. Not a bad idea

 

[Humblefish]

If a UV does clear it, that most likely means it's a bacterial bloom or algae spores in the water.

 

[4FordFamily]

If a UV does clear it, that most likely means it's a bacterial bloom or algae spores in the water.

I feel like it has to be bacteria, it eats up oxygen and smells organic when it takes over, right?