Persistent bacterial bloom???

[Brew12]

I don't know. Look up heterotrophic bloom.
I just couldn't understand why everyone jumped to conclusions like burning candles, leaching silicone, and vaping.
When all was said and done, sure sounded like a mini cycle to me.

Not sure why people would have asked about leaching silicone but the burning candles and vaping were to check for causes of a heterotrophic bloom. These blooms have nothing to do with cycling a new tank but are caused by a source of excess organics. Some candles, air fresheners, carpet cleaners and vaping components release alcohol into the air. This alcohol can be the source of the excess organics that cause the heterotrophic bloom. You can think of it as an uncontrolled source of carbon/vodka dosing.