Also known as bacterial blossom, bacterial bloom is a condition in which a sudden increase in the number of bacterial colonies occurs, specifically bacteria that are suspended in the water column. The bacteria grows so rapidly that collectively they become visible to the naked eye, causing the water to become milky/cloudy/hazy in appearance. This condition most often is seen in a newly started aquarium, but can also occur in a tank in which there is has been an increase in the nutrients in the water, particularly nitrates and phosphates. Excessive feeding of fish without cleaning the debris can also cause a sharp increase in nutrients that results in these blooms
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There are two types of bacteria at work in aquariums:
- Autotrophic Bacteria: Bacteria capable of synthesizing its own food from inorganic substances, using light or chemical energy. The beneficial bacterias are autotrophs.
- Heterotrophic Bacteria: Bacteria that cannot synthesize its own food and is dependent on complex organic substances for nutrition. The heterotrophs in the aquariums mineralize the organic waste (break down the uneaten food, fish waste, dead plant matter, etc. into ammonia).
It is more common that the heterotrophs are seen in bacterial blooms, not the trusted autotroph nitrifiers. It is the heterotrophs which are primarily responsible for creating the "bio-film" (slimy residue found on the tank walls and rocks. As the ammonia production increases due to the increased mineralization, the nitrifiers are slow to catch up and an ammonia spike occurs until the autotrophs reproduce enough to take care of it. Contrary to popular belief, bacterial blooms cause an ammonia spike, not the other way around.
It is unclear whether the autotrophic nitrifiers ever bloom into the water column or if they simply multiply too slowly to cause this effect.
Water changes will play a role as well as filter maintenance.
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