Bare bottom rookie question

[Colgan10]

Hello I’m going to start off my saying I’ve been in reef keeping for 15 years. Had. 180 gallon sps dominated tank currently have a 300 gallon mixed reef and have just set up a Red Sea xl300 (80 gallon) barebottom tank.

This is my first barebottom I set it up in January with Caribbean Sea rock. I followed BRS hybrid method waited 4 months to cycle added one fish a white tail bristletooth tang. Couple weeks later I added test frags and everything was great started dosing bionic two part to maintain calcium and alk. Also added Microbacter clean. On Monday tank began looking cloudy and figured it was a bacteria bloom from adding Microbacterclean.

I personally i my experience haven’t had issues with bacteria blooms as I have with this barebottom I’ve always used live rock and sand. I placed a uv on the tank today noticed polyp extension was down on most of the frags especially the ORA pocillipora tested water

salt 35 ppm
Calcium 430
Alk 8.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrates 5ppm ans phosphate couldn’t detect

I’m guessing corals are retracted due to bacterial bloom hopefully I’ve will clear up water and corals will recover. I would appreciate advice or help of those with bare bottom experience I’ve read it takes a year for these types of tanks to stabilize. Just want to know is this is common with these types of tanks also was alittle worries I could of been calcium precipitation but had no clue how you know if it’s that or bacteria. Thanks again.

 

[Colgan10]

Might also add I have two mp40s and a Red Sea skimmer on the tank. It running the refugium yet.

 

[DHill6]

I run BB also, but I haven't seen a bloom only gha and other algae. Not a reef without some sort of algae. Don't give up on BB, personally I think it is easier, no sand sinks.

 

[Colgan10]

I run BB also, but I haven't seen a bloom only gha and other algae. Not a reef without some sort of algae. Don't give up on BB, personally I think it is easier, no sand sinks.

Yea I honestly love the way the tank looks and how much flow I can have I think it will be amazing just have noticed the process has been much different from all my other tanks so far. Time will tell really hope the uv gets me back in the right direction.

 

[mitch91175]

Bacteria blooms should subside. Here is the likely cause:

So one of the above is occurring in your tank. Not necessarily a bad thing unless it is continuous.

Maybe try running some activated carbon as well.

 

[Colgan10]

Bacteria blooms should subside. Here is the likely cause:

So one of the above is occurring in your tank. Not necessarily a bad thing unless it is continuous.

Maybe try running some activated carbon as well.

That’s what I don’t understand about this. I am
Currently running activated carbon sorry forgot
To mention that. I only feed NLS and I feed very sparsely also have no other fish but the one. No plants or anything as well? I can only guess the bloom came from adding Microbacter when the tank honestly was fine. I don’t think I will add the Microbacter clean any longer.

 

[naterealbig]

Hello I’m going to start off my saying I’ve been in reef keeping for 15 years. Had. 180 gallon sps dominated tank currently have a 300 gallon mixed reef and have just set up a Red Sea xl300 (80 gallon) barebottom tank.

This is my first barebottom I set it up in January with Caribbean Sea rock. I followed BRS hybrid method waited 4 months to cycle added one fish a white tail bristletooth tang. Couple weeks later I added test frags and everything was great started dosing bionic two part to maintain calcium and alk. Also added Microbacter clean. On Monday tank began looking cloudy and figured it was a bacteria bloom from adding Microbacterclean.

I personally i my experience haven’t had issues with bacteria blooms as I have with this barebottom I’ve always used live rock and sand. I placed a uv on the tank today noticed polyp extension was down on most of the frags especially the ORA pocillipora tested water

salt 35 ppm
Calcium 430
Alk 8.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrates 5ppm ans phosphate couldn’t detect

I’m guessing corals are retracted due to bacterial bloom hopefully I’ve will clear up water and corals will recover. I would appreciate advice or help of those with bare bottom experience I’ve read it takes a year for these types of tanks to stabilize. Just want to know is this is common with these types of tanks also was alittle worries I could of been calcium precipitation but had no clue how you know if it’s that or bacteria. Thanks again.

Yes bacterial blooms are a real thing for new bb tanks (<1 yr). No worries, it's not bugging your coral, although the undetectable phosphate might be....

What test kit are you using?

The UV will have the tank crystal clear in a day or two.

 

[Colgan10]

Yes bacterial blooms are a real thing for new bb tanks (<1 yr). No worries, it's not bugging your coral, although the undetectable phosphate might be....

What test kit are you using?

The UV will have the tank crystal clear in a day or two.

Salifert for phosphate and I have i hard time to be honest with slight differences it prob is alittle above 0. I am prob going to try the Hanna checkers.

 

[Colgan10]

Yes bacterial blooms are a real thing for new bb tanks (<1 yr). No worries, it's not bugging your coral, although the undetectable phosphate might be....

What test kit are you using?

The UV will have the tank crystal clear in a day or two.

Would the bloom effect polyp extension or make them close up not all just notice it more on the pocillopora

 

[naterealbig]

Would the bloom effect polyp extension or make them close up not all just notice it more on the pocillopora

Salifert and Hanna are both great kits. As long as you're above zero, you should be fine.

The bacterial bloom never really bothered my corals, but it does block some light. I wouldn't sweat the Pocillapora for now - likely just adjusting.

If I need some nutrients for my corals right away, I like to add amino acids. This will contribute to your bloom however, so I'd wait to install the UV first.

 

[Colgan10]

 

[mitch91175]

You have the necessary experience to handle a bare bottom tank. It really isn't any different that one with sand other than you can bottom out nutrients quicker so you have to monitor for the low end versus usually with sand the high end.

Just keep parameters stable and not do anything unless necessary.

 

[mitch91175]

No fish = Low Nutrients

 

[Colgan10]

That was tank before the bloom everything was doing great just one frag acting not happy uv has been up and running since 10am so fingers crossed water clears up.

 

[Colgan10]

You have the necessary experience to handle a bare bottom tank. It really isn't any different that one with sand other than you can bottom out nutrients quicker so you have to monitor for the low end versus usually with sand the high end.

Just keep parameters stable and not do anything unless necessary.

Thanks! It’s honestly been fun doing something different to be honest. Yes I feel like monitoring low end of things the Hanna test will help me I’m hard at differentiating between faint color differences on some test kits

 

[mitch91175]

Well you do not want to have undetectable PO4 for long. Could end up with dinos. If you have a fish in there, just make sure it's well feed. You decide what PO4 is acceptable for you, but undetectable is not too good.

 

[mitch91175]

Thanks! It’s honestly been fun doing something different to be honest. Yes I feel like monitoring low end of things the Hanna test will help me I’m hard at differentiating between faint color differences on some test kits

I've used both the Hanna checkers and the Milwaukee and the Milwaukee to me is far superior.

 

[Colgan10]

I've used both the Hanna checkers and the Milwaukee and the Milwaukee to me is far superior.

Good to know thank you!

 

[ZipAdeeZoa]

I also run bare bottom and the day after I added vibrant I had bacterial bloom that cleared up in a few days on its own although subsequent doses of vibrant have not caused this to happen again. I don't have any corals in the tank currently as I wanted to clear the GHA before adding them so can't comment on that part.

 

[Marty's Reef]

Did you get your cloudy water to clear up?