Cloudy Water and biofilm

[Picassoclown]

Hello everyone. I have been battling a biofilm plague since my tank finished cycling 1 month ago today. I have a 215 gallon system and I have these long white films everywhere; weekly water changes of 30 gallons have helped. Yesterday the bio film was so thick on the sand, my vacuum could not pull it out and I had to remove the top layer of sand to get it out. I also cannot seem to get the water clear no matter what I do. I change socks out every 2 days, I do not over feed the fish (only have 2 clowns, 1 helfrichi, and 1 blackcap basslet). I am getting zoa's delivered tomorrow and my water parameters are just fine. 0 ammonia and nitrites, 5-10ppm for nitrate, & 0 phosphate. Protein skimmer is helping out a bit, but is still going through it's "break in" time. I am a bit scared to use activated carbon since I am getting the zoa's in tomorrow and it's still a new system. Can anyone share ideas on how to make the water a bit more clear? Or am I being paranoid and the water will clear up over time as the biofilm starts to die down lol?

 

[Jekyl]

Pics will help. Also it looks like you're using API tests which you should upgrade if getting coral. I agree carbon may help. Are you using RODI water?

 

[Picassoclown]

Hey Jekyl. Here are some pictures. I am using Red Sea and hanna testing equipment. I am also using RODI water. What's going on here? I honestly think it's the biofilm. Some of it comes off the rock with the flow from the tank and gets sucked into the powerheads and get's shredded, which is probably adding to the problem. ***I did the pictures again, the blue light were drowning out ambient light**

 

[Jekyl]

Blues wash out details, but from what I can see it doesn't look like anything to be concerned about. New tanks go through all sorts of changes. I'm guessing it's a bacterial bloom of sorts. Right now all of the microorganisms in your tank are competing. Over time things with stabilize and be what everyone expects. Carbon may help but time cures all. Dosing some bacteria and live phyto might help and won't hurt.

 

[theMeat]

Looks like a bacterial bloom to me too. A Uv light will work, so will just giving it time

 

[Picassoclown]

I uploaded pictures again, please take another look.

 

[Jekyl]

I still don't see anything to be concerned about. Just make sure to give extra surface agitation and keep the skimmer going. Blooms can lower Ph. This in my opinion is just another part of going through the ugly phase, and probably the least stressful and easiest part of it, lol.

 

[Picassoclown]

Thank you everyone. I really appreciate it. This bloom was caused from an overdosing of Fritz live bacteria, I do not want to add anymore lol. I am scared this will make it explode again haha.

 

[Jekyl]

Thank you everyone. I really appreciate it. This bloom was caused from an overdosing of Fritz live bacteria, I do not want to add anymore lol. I am scared this will make it explode again haha.

Something I will do if I ever use dry rock again(I do this now anyway) is dosing live phyto. It will help your tank mature and compete with the algae that's coming.

 

[Picassoclown]

Something I will do if I ever use dry rock again(I do this now anyway) is dosing live phyto. It will help your tank mature and compete with the algae that's coming.

That's interesting. So in my case, besides doing weekly changes and sucking out as much of this film as possible, if I added photo, it would help eliminate this stuff? It would also help the copepod population correct?

 

[Jekyl]

That's interesting. So in my case, besides doing weekly changes and sucking out as much of this film as possible, if I added photo, it would help eliminate this stuff? It would also help the copepod population correct?

Can't speak of the effects vs a bacterial bloom that I think we have in your case. However you have a long way to go before out of the ugly phase. Mine for this tank was at its worst between months 6 to 9. Phyto will feed a pod population, corals and compete with algae.