Bacteria bloom?

[leighton.bingham]

Seems like it’s something everyday with this tank. The last one was awesome didn’t have any issues. Maybe it’s time to do an ICP test? But I woke up to a bacterial bloom and what looks like diatoms covering the glass of my tank.


Alk 9.0 dose 10ml RedSea alk
Cal 480 dose 5ml reef pro part a
Mag 1400
Salinity 1.025
Ph 8.2
14 dec 22
Phosphates 0.08 dosed 30lm Noephos
Nitrates 2 dosed 50ml Neonitro

Alk 9.0 dose 10ml RedSea alk
Cal 480 dose 5ml reef pro part a
Mag 1400
Salinity 1.025
Ph 8.2
15 dec 22
Phosphates 0.08 dosed 50lm Noephos
Nitrates 2 dosed 50ml Neonitro

Alk 9.2 dose 10ml RedSea alk
Cal 480 dose 5ml reef pro part a
Mag 1400
Salinity 1.025
Ph 8.2
16 dec 22
Phosphates 0.08 dosed 50lm Noephos
Nitrates 2 dosed 50ml Neonitro
Ammonia 0

everything was tested with RedSea test kits and my tank temps stays between 77.5 and 78.
I have attached picture under blue light and one under white light and the last picture is from a few days ago when the water was clear.

many in-site would be greatly helpful. Not sure how to get rid of it or should I wait it out?

 

[HankstankXXL750]

I’ve been told a 20% water change when a bacterial bloom occurs.

How old is tank?

Any fish, clean up crew?

Did you feed or dose anything new in the last few days?

Any fragrance candles, air fresheners used in the room?

 

[leighton.bingham]

I’ve been told a 20% water change when a bacterial bloom occurs.

How old is tank?

Any fish, clean up crew?

Did you feed or dose anything new in the last few days?

Any fragrance candles, air fresheners used in the room?

The tank is 6 months old. One fish left after having what I think was velvet about a week ago. The only thing new in the tank within the last two weeks is my frag rack. So I'm thinking that it's a Diatom bloom, the algae im scraping off the glass is brown.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

Lots to cover, but let’s start with…

1 if you had velvet or ich, you need to remove the last fish left, and QT and treat for ich/velvet.

2 leave fish out of tank for 45-60 day fallow period to let the parasites die off. If you leave fish, even if he doesn’t look or get sick, he will keep the parasite alive in your DT and when you add fish back they could cause another outbreak.

3 do a minimum 20% water change.

 

[Rmckoy]

Your nitrates are 2ppm and phosphates are 0.08 ?
why are you dosing to lower them ?
I would say these are ideal and not chance bottoming these nutrients to zero .

for a bacterial bloom you want to increase oxygenation as the bacteria will take a
Lot of the oxygen from the water .
reduce feeding the tank and stop dosing anything that could contribute to the production of more bacteria

 

[TokenReefer]

^^ I agree

On a side note, assuming those are 3 days of tracking, on day 3 if you were trying to maintain alk at 9.0 you would skip that day and let it come to 9.0; makes me wonder if you're not dosing according to consumption which shouldn't cause the alk to rise, or testing error..

 

[TokenReefer]

I suppose the bacterial bloom could stunt growth...not sure of the time frame there

 

[vetteguy53081]

Seems like it’s something everyday with this tank. The last one was awesome didn’t have any issues. Maybe it’s time to do an ICP test? But I woke up to a bacterial bloom and what looks like diatoms covering the glass of my tank.


Alk 9.0 dose 10ml RedSea alk
Cal 480 dose 5ml reef pro part a
Mag 1400
Salinity 1.025
Ph 8.2
14 dec 22
Phosphates 0.08 dosed 30lm Noephos
Nitrates 2 dosed 50ml Neonitro

Alk 9.0 dose 10ml RedSea alk
Cal 480 dose 5ml reef pro part a
Mag 1400
Salinity 1.025
Ph 8.2
15 dec 22
Phosphates 0.08 dosed 50lm Noephos
Nitrates 2 dosed 50ml Neonitro

Alk 9.2 dose 10ml RedSea alk
Cal 480 dose 5ml reef pro part a
Mag 1400
Salinity 1.025
Ph 8.2
16 dec 22
Phosphates 0.08 dosed 50lm Noephos
Nitrates 2 dosed 50ml Neonitro
Ammonia 0

everything was tested with RedSea test kits and my tank temps stays between 77.5 and 78.
I have attached picture under blue light and one under white light and the last picture is from a few days ago when the water was clear.

many in-site would be greatly helpful. Not sure how to get rid of it or should I wait it out?

This is not an alk issue but if dosing alk, chart readings for 10 days and you will know both your needs and consumption.
Pics are hard to work with due to lighting but may just be bacterial and the thing you want to focus on is Filtration, not velvet. What filters do you have and is this tank reef ready with overflows?
When a sudden increase in the number of bacterial colonies generates and becomes suspended in the water column, it grows so quickly that it becomes more visible causing the water to become milky and hazy in appearance due to an increase in the nutrients in the water especially nitrates and phosphates and fighting acceptable numbers you have with reducers such as NoPox will trigger such bloom. Leave the no3 and po4 numbers where they are right now and focus on filters doing their job.
You can however add denitrifying bacteria such as Micro Bacter 7 to boost the cultures you now have.
As for velvet, velvet is a flagellate and you can leave tank fishless for 6-8 weeks- no need to go 76 days Unless you choose to do so.
How did you treat for velvet and with what product ?

 

[TokenReefer]

Yeah def not an alk issue; was just making a side note; didn't mean to side-track...

 

[leighton.bingham]

This is not an alk issue but if dosing alk, chart readings for 10 days and you will know both your needs and consumption.
Pics are hard to work with due to lighting but may just be bacterial and the thing you want to focus on is Filtration, not velvet. What filters do you have and is this tank reef ready with overflows?
When a sudden increase in the number of bacterial colonies generates and becomes suspended in the water column, it grows so quickly that it becomes more visible causing the water to become milky and hazy in appearance due to an increase in the nutrients in the water especially nitrates and phosphates and fighting acceptable numbers you have with reducers such as NoPox will trigger such bloom. Leave the no3 and po4 numbers where they are right now and focus on filters doing their job.
You can however add denitrifying bacteria such as Micro Bacter 7 to boost the cultures you now have.
As for velvet, velvet is a flagellate and you can leave tank fishless for 6-8 weeks- no need to go 76 days Unless you choose to do so.
How did you treat for velvet and with what product ?

Thank you, everyone, for your responses. So I have been dosing to increase my Nitrates and Phosphates. Within the last week, I just started trying to get my phosphates up. Because of the Dinos algae issues, I was having. The bloom makes sense now.

My tank is a waterbox 110.4, and I only have red sea reef spec carbon running in the first chamber of the sump and a skimmer. You're saying don't increase the dosing for the PO4 and No3? I do have the last months of parameters if someone wants to view them. I'll get some Mirco bacter 7 and start boosting.

Also, I have treated for velvet yet. I need to get a QT tank set up, and just haven't had time. The one green Chromis is still going strong in there and doesn't seem to have been affected by the velvet. Soon as i get the little guy out of there, ill be leaving it fishless for 6-8 weeks.

I almost forgot. Is it possible that I need to change out the carbon its only 2 months old?

Thanks again, everyone.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you, everyone, for your responses. So I have been dosing to increase my Nitrates and Phosphates. Within the last week, I just started trying to get my phosphates up. Because of the Dinos algae issues, I was having. The bloom makes sense now.

My tank is a waterbox 110.4, and I only have red sea reef spec carbon running in the first chamber of the sump and a skimmer. You're saying don't increase the dosing for the PO4 and No3? I do have the last months of parameters if someone wants to view them. I'll get some Mirco bacter 7 and start boosting.

Also, I have treated for velvet yet. I need to get a QT tank set up, and just haven't had time. The one green Chromis is still going strong in there and doesn't seem to have been affected by the velvet. Soon as i get the little guy out of there, ill be leaving it fishless for 6-8 weeks.

I almost forgot. Is it possible that I need to change out the carbon its only 2 months old?

Thanks again, everyone.

Carbon likely exhausted and for velvet, assure the copper you use treats Oodinum.
Treat with Coppersafe or Copper Power at therapeutic level 2.25-2.5 For a FULL 30 days (do not interrupt this 30 day period) monitored by a reliable Copper Test kit such as Hanna Brand- No API brand. Also monitor Ammonia levels while in quarantine with a reliable test kit and add aeration during treatment using an air stone.
The display tank will have to be kept fishless (FALLOW) for 6-8 weeks to assure the existing parasites go through their life cycle without a host fish and die off
A quarantine tank can be as simple as a starter kit from Walmart which most of the needed essentials.
Run no carbon during treatment

 

[leighton.bingham]

Carbon likely exhausted and for velvet, assure the copper you use treats Oodinum.
Treat with Coppersafe or Copper Power at therapeutic level 2.25-2.5 For a FULL 30 days (do not interrupt this 30 day period) monitored by a reliable Copper Test kit such as Hanna Brand- No API brand. Also monitor Ammonia levels while in quarantine with a reliable test kit and add aeration during treatment using an air stone.
The display tank will have to be kept fishless (FALLOW) for 6-8 weeks to assure the existing parasites go through their life cycle without a host fish and die off
A quarantine tank can be as simple as a starter kit from Walmart which most of the needed essentials.

Thank you for all the knowledge.

 

[leighton.bingham]

bacteria bloom is all but gone this morning, and I didn't do anything different. There is brown dusty algae covering the glass though.