Bacteria Bloom and cloudy water?

[Mmcghee102485]

Been dealing with a slightly cloudy tank in the last week or so. Have done a 20% water changed and made sure to replace carbon. Still not seeing a change. Tank is about 3 months old. Do bacteria blooms last this long? I’ve had one before it only lasted a couple days and cleared up.

 

[Flippers4pups]

What's your water parameters?

If carbon dosing, discontinue it till it passes. Running a UV sterilizer will clear it up quickly.

 

[jda]

Skimmer should take care of it after a few days. Do you have a good skimmer? If GAC is not helping, then I really do not know what to say... could be an algae bloom which will need lights out or a good UV, as suggested above.

 

[Mmcghee102485]

What's your water parameters?

If carbon dosing, discontinue it till it passes. Running a UV sterilizer will clear it up quickly.

Nitrate was 8ppm
Phosphate at 0
When I checked a few days back.

I use BRS premium carbon in a media bag in a filter cup. Should I try pulling it out?

 

[Mmcghee102485]

Skimmer should take care of it after a few days. Do you have a good skimmer? If GAC is not helping, then I really do not know what to say... could be an algae bloom which will need lights out or a good UV, as suggested above.

I have a reef octopus regal 150 skimmer. I did have a nice algae outbreak right before the cloudy water. All over sand and rocks, that has since cleared up and now the cloudy water. I was under the impression algae blooms were a green color in the water and bacteria is more of a whitish cloudy, which mine looks like. Do I have this wrong?

 

[David Esparza]

I had the same problem for the longest in my nano tank it was almost about a month I was hopeless until the green killing machine saved my life and cleared it completely in about 3-4 days it was amazing I really recommend it!! This is my tank right now.

Been dealing with a slightly cloudy tank in the last week or so. Have done a 20% water changed and made sure to replace carbon. Still not seeing a change. Tank is about 3 months old. Do bacteria blooms last this long? I’ve had one before it only lasted a couple days and cleared up.
[/QUOT

 

[Flippers4pups]

Nitrate was 8ppm
Phosphate at 0
When I checked a few days back.

I use BRS premium carbon in a media bag in a filter cup. Should I try pulling it out?

Carbon dosing is vinegar, sugar, vodka...etc.

GAC (granular activated carbon) isn't carbon dosing.

No, leave the GAC in there.

 

[Mmcghee102485]

Carbon dosing is vinegar, sugar, vodka...etc.

GAC (granular activated carbon) isn't carbon dosing.

No, leave the GAC in there.

Ok thank you!

 

[Jonreefer]

Yea I was having a crazy long bacterial bloom in my reefer 350. I did a 40g water change and still didn’t clear. I bought the 9w green killing machine. It says it’s for a much smaller tank but it cleared out the bloom in 24hrs.

 

[Jvalle]

Hi I would leave the carbon. Rinse it out for sediment daily. Have you checked amonia?

 

[Reefnjunkie]

I have a reef octopus regal 150 skimmer. I did have a nice algae outbreak right before the cloudy water. All over sand and rocks, that has since cleared up and now the cloudy water. I was under the impression algae blooms were a green color in the water and bacteria is more of a whitish cloudy, which mine looks like. Do I have this wrong?

You have it correct- bacteria blooms being white.

If you have fish or livestock you may want to look at your PH, I’ve seen bacteria blooms nuke a tank and a really low PH would be an indicator. Nice sized air pump would help if any of that applied

 

[Mmcghee102485]

You have it correct- bacteria blooms being white.

If you have fish or livestock you may want to look at your PH, I’ve seen bacteria blooms nuke a tank and a really low PH would be an indicator. Nice sized air pump would help if any of that applied

I do have live stock, a few fish and lps. My ph is around 8.2 during the day and 8.1-8 at night. I have a o2 scrubber hooked up to my skimmer.

 

[Mmcghee102485]

Yea I was having a crazy long bacterial bloom in my reefer 350. I did a 40g water change and still didn’t clear. I bought the 9w green killing machine. It says it’s for a much smaller tank but it cleared out the bloom in 24hrs.

Exactly the tank I have...

 

[Mmcghee102485]

Yea I was having a crazy long bacterial bloom in my reefer 350. I did a 40g water change and still didn’t clear. I bought the 9w green killing machine. It says it’s for a much smaller tank but it cleared out the bloom in 24hrs.

Do you run it all the time now or just ran it to clear bloom and then removed it?

 

[Jonreefer]

Just ran it for a few days and then took it out until I need it again.

 

[Mmcghee102485]

Yea I was having a crazy long bacterial bloom in my reefer 350. I did a 40g water change and still didn’t clear. I bought the 9w green killing machine. It says it’s for a much smaller tank but it cleared out the bloom in 24hrs.

Went out and bought a green killing machine yesterday morning. They only carried the 24w version. Was crystal clear by this morning. Thanks for the recommendation!!