Bacterial bloom, fish gasping

[konatown]

Woke up this morning with a really bad bacterial bloom. All of the fish are gasping. I think the slime clogged the skimmer.

I added an air stone in the sump, and cleaned the skimmer. I added a cheap UV light in the sump also to hopefully help.

It’s been all day and the fish are still gasping, and my yellow is sticking her snoot out of the surface

Anything else I can do? I don’t think anyone has died yet. I don’t know why I keep getting these blooms every few months in a 2 year old tank.

 

[dstockwell]

Can you agitate the surface more

 

[GatorGreg]

What coral foods you using? In my tank I just broke down to build my new one. It was like clockwork. If I fed LPS fauna coral food I got a bacterial bloom. Every single time. I’m using again now in my upgraded tank and it isn’t happening. Strange stuff.

 

[konatown]

Can you agitate the surface more

Good idea, I turned my return pump up, and turned the mp10 and mp40 to 75% to get things moving. It seems the slime gunned up my pipes and the powerheads because a lot of it blew out, so it was probably keeping flow down.

What coral foods you using? In my tank I just broke down to build my new one. It was like clockwork. If I fed LPS fauna coral food I got a bacterial bloom. Every single time. I’m using again now in my upgraded tank and it isn’t happening. Strange stuff.

So I had noticed every time I used reef roids, I get a bloom and I stopped using it. This bloom just happened and I have no idea what could have caused it.
The only thing I feed is nori daily and my own homemade food daily, both of which I’ve been using for months now and hasn’t changed. I just don’t get why I get blooms often in an established tank. I always lose a coral and I’ve lost fish in the past too.

 

[dstockwell]

I use reef roids and it’s only cloudy for a short time

 

[GatorGreg]

Is there a possibility that it has something to do with your homemade foods?

 

[Rick's Reviews]

I use reef roids and it’s only cloudy for a short time

I use reef roids but only in a syringe, small plastic type to target feed.
I'm unsure about casting method, feeding whole aquarium with reef roids.

 

[konatown]

Is there a possibility that it has something to do with your homemade foods?

It’s a pretty simple recipe, squid, clam, mussel, scallop, shrimp, selcon, few other things. Basically a copy of Larry’s. Also I only get the blooms every few months even with daily feedings.

I use reef roids but only in a syringe, small plastic type to target feed.
I'm unsure about casting method, feeding whole aquarium with reef roids.

I used to use a syringe too. And I did less than the recommended dose. Seemed to get a bloom every time. I got rid of the reef roids. Weird that’s it’s still happening again. My last bacterial bloom was exactly 3 months ago, over new years.

 

[konatown]

My yellow tang (Hawaiian and about 5”) just got stuck to the power head. I turned it off and she swam off. What is going on .. I have the skimmer and an air stone running since 10 am, it’s almost 4pm... I don’t know why they’re not getting enough oxygen or what else I can do

 

[biophilia]

Can you move the air stone to the tank short term?

Or otherwise move one of your vortechs up to a few inches below the surface so that there is more surface agitation.

I'd do a large water change (50% or more) as soon as you can and change out activated carbon if you're running any.

 

[biophilia]

Are you carbon dosing with vinegar or vodka? Or adding any additives to the tank that may have an organic carbon source in them? In my experience, that's the only time I've seen bacteria build up to the point that it is clogging return pump lines.

 

[konatown]

Can you move the air stone to the tank short term?

Or otherwise move one of your vortechs up to a few inches below the surface so that there is more surface agitation.

I'd do a large water change (50% or more) as soon as you can and change out activated carbon if you're running any.

I moved one mp close to the surface, had the air stone in the tank but moved to the sump… I just bumped back to the tank and put in front of power head. See photo. Thanks for the tip.
I’ve done water changes during blooms before and doesn’t seem to help since it multiplies so fast..

Are you carbon dosing with vinegar or vodka? Or adding any additives to the tank that may have an organic carbon source in them? In my experience, that's the only time I've seen bacteria build up to the point that it is clogging return pump lines.

It’s weird because I don’t dose anything anymore, other than the reef roids that caused it in the past.
The only thing I can think of, is that I washed my truck on Friday, and had my hand in the Tank to sell somebody a Coral Friday evening. But I’m pretty sure my arm was very well rinsed off, and it was hours later. And my hands are in the tank all the time.

 

[konatown]

Can you move the air stone to the tank short term?

Or otherwise move one of your vortechs up to a few inches below the surface so that there is more surface agitation.

I'd do a large water change (50% or more) as soon as you can and change out activated carbon if you're running any.

 

[bushdoc]

You are right about water changes, they usually cannot keep up with multiplying ,heterotrophic bacteria.
I would move UV sterilizer to DT and if one is not enough, think about getting second or more efficient one.

 

[konatown]

You are right about water changes, they usually cannot keep up with multiplying ,heterotrophic bacteria.
I would move UV sterilizer to DT and if one is not enough, think about getting second or more efficient one.

Thanks. I have the larger 24w green killing machine. I was going to go today to get the aqua ultraviolet 15w but figured I’d start with this.

 

[taricha]

@konatown that last pic is the right move. (in addition to your other actions)

Hopefully the fish recover quickly.

 

[Idech]

A good way to get lots of oxygen is to aim a powerhead at the surface. You need one that you can tilt up and down. Even a cheap one will do.

 

[konatown]

@konatown that last pic is the right move. (in addition to your other actions)

Hopefully the fish recover quickly.

I’ve had quite a few bacterial blooms, I can’t understand why. Every time I get better and better, I get the air stone in quick and I get everybody breathing. I might lose a Coral normally.

This time I did everything, and all of the fish went so downhill so quickly today.

My yellow tang is in a bucket with an air stone with some fresh salt, water, temp and salinity match. I figured the shock will probably kill her, but I saw her already dying. I reached in the tank to grab her. She was moving so slow. Dory is gone, I can’t find her. She might be dead on the rocks. My leopard dress was laying on her side for an hour, I came back and she was gone. Sucks.

A good way to get lots of oxygen is to aim a powerhead at the surface. You need one that you can tilt up and down. Even a cheap one will do.

I have an MP 40 on the high 2 inches under the surface, causing some serious agitation. My return the pump nozzles are pointed up lots of agitation. And I’ve had the air stone on all day plus skimmer. Still don’t know why they can’t breathe.

 

[Idech]

And I’ve had the air stone on all day plus skimmer. Still don’t know why they can’t breathe

I’m sorry if it’s been mentioned before, but have you tested for ammonia ?

 

[konatown]

I’m sorry if it’s been mentioned before, but have you tested for ammonia ?

I did test this afternoon because I saw a large margarita snail on its back yesterday. They usually flip themselves but after a day I flipped it and figured even if it was dead it would be ok in a large tank

But yeah ammonia is 0 with a Red Sea test.