Cloudy Water - Bacteria Bloom?

aquaticlog · Feb 20, 2021

I'm setting up my frag tank, and it is day 20 since it has been up and running.

Using Reef Crystals, used rock from the old tank that was dried out and then was cooking in a brute container for about 3 months, added water, added corals pretty quickly and was dosing Brightwell Microbacter 7, everything was going well until about 5 days ago I started to notice water cloudiness. Now it is getting really bad as you can see from the video below.

Thoughts on what am I doing wrong? Is this a bacteria bloom? And what can be done now to remedy the situation?

tundraguy1106 · Feb 20, 2021

aquaticlog said:
I'm setting up my frag tank, and it is day 20 since it has been up and running.

Using Reef Crystals, used rock from the old tank that was dried out and then was cooking in a brute container for about 3 months, added water, added corals pretty quickly and was dosing Brightwell Microbacter 7, everything was going well until about 5 days ago I started to notice water cloudiness. Now it is getting really bad as you can see from the video below.

Thoughts on what am I doing wrong? Is this a bacteria bloom? And what can be done now to remedy the situation?

Sounds like a bacterial bloom. Does it smell? You can always start running carbon. Is the system cycled already? How did you cycle it?

JCTReefer · Feb 20, 2021

I’ve found most bacterial blooms go away on their own. At least, most the time. Sometimes related to Po4 and silicate levels. High levels of ammonia will cause bacterial blooms also. Good oxygen levels helps. Running a good GAC. Grossly over feeding can cause blooms also. The right size UV will go a long ways to fix blooms. Of course Dmitry you likely already know all this!!! Haha!
Love aquatic log BTW. And your videos!!! Hope you get it figured out!!!

aquaticlog · Feb 21, 2021

tundraguy1106 said:
Sounds like a bacterial bloom. Does it smell? You can always start running carbon. Is the system cycled already? How did you cycle it?

Yes, I sense an odour. I did not cycle it - just added live rock that was curing for a few months in a bucket and then did Microbacter dosing. I guess something went wrong there

aquaticlog · Feb 21, 2021

JCTReefer said:
I’ve found most bacterial blooms go away on their own. At least, most the time. Sometimes related to Po4 and silicate levels. High levels of ammonia will cause bacterial blooms also. Good oxygen levels helps. Running a good GAC. Grossly over feeding can cause blooms also. The right size UV will go a long ways to fix blooms. Of course Dmitry you likely already know all this!!! Haha!
Love aquatic log BTW. And your videos!!! Hope you get it figured out!!!

Thank you! Appreciate your kind words.
I have hooked up a tiny UV on it - let's see if it will make a dent, lowered the light, might add a bit more carbon next. I think it might have something to do with silicon - I noticed long streaks of bacteria forming on silicon in the first couple of weeks.

JCTReefer · Feb 21, 2021

aquaticlog said:
I think it might have something to do with silicon

I have heard of silicone being a possible cause. Crazy!!! Acetic acid or something leaching from the silicone. Who knows. Here’s an interesting thread on a persistent bacterial bloom a person was having. Pretty interesting actually. I didn’t realize so many things could possibly cause a bloom.

Persistent bacterial bloom???

I would run some carbon as Salty suggested and see if it doesn't help. Doesn't have to be a forever thing but it may help.

www.reef2reef.com

aquaticlog · Feb 21, 2021

JCTReefer said:
I have heard of silicone being a possible cause. Crazy!!! Acetic acid or something leaching from the silicone. Who knows. Here’s an interesting thread on a persistent bacterial bloom a person was having. Pretty interesting actually. I didn’t realize so many things could possibly cause a bloom.

Persistent bacterial bloom???

I would run some carbon as Salty suggested and see if it doesn't help. Doesn't have to be a forever thing but it may help.

www.reef2reef.com

Interesting, I wonder if dosing Brightwell Microbacter or Clean would actually help by introducing good bacteria.

JCTReefer · Feb 21, 2021

aquaticlog said:
Interesting, I wonder if dosing Brightwell Microbacter or Clean would actually help by introducing good bacteria.

Man, I’m not sure. The only one I’ve dosed from Brightwell is the Microbacter 7. The only bacterial bloom I’ve ever dealt with was from my wife dumping a years worth of food in my tank. That was a crappy day. 100 percent water change and 2 bottles of Biospira did the trick. Took a few days for it to clear up. My ammonia levels where through the roof. I could literally smell the ammonia. I was royally pssd off. That better never happen again. Especially in my new system!!!! That might be a divorce. Lol!!