New tank issues…or maybe just normal?

TheLoneSeaMonkey · Aug 10, 2022

Hey everyone. I have a tank that is only about 2 months old. I never got any algae after cycling, but all my numbers looked good so I added fish 2 weeks ago, plus some snails and a couple little hardy coral frags just to test the waters. I did not qt because I figured they all came from the same store and my tank is only a 20 gallon so if anything happened and I had to start over it was no big deal. I lost one of the clownfish in a few days from respiratory failure, but no signs of brook or velvet so I treated with Prazipro on Sunday, took out my chemipure blue and took the cup off my protein skimmer. As soon as I added the prazipro, I started getting millions of little bubbles pumped into the tank and assumed it was just because the cup was off the skimmer, but today I am at 72 hours and added everything back in and did a water change and I still have the bubbles. I also started getting a ton of algae, and I am hoping it is just the uglies, but some of it is kind of long and hairy and has bubbles in it, but everything has bubbles in it right now. Today some green algae started popping up among the yellowish brown algae. The hairy parts that worry me are on the mushroom frag base. There are a couple areas near it on the rocks that look kind of mucous too. The last picture is just one of how many tiny bubbles are all being spewed from my power head right now. I am attaching some pictures here - any ideas? I am never going to skip qt again, I promise

wculver · Aug 10, 2022

The pictures you included are pretty common for a tank that has yet to cycle. The bubbles look pretty intense also, so as they get chopped up in the power heads the bubble can get thick also. You didn't mention any numbers from tests but if they are in line things will get back in line within the next couple of weeks. If it doesn't get better then we'll need more information on your tank statistics to help further.

TheLoneSeaMonkey · Aug 11, 2022

Water parameters are mostly good, I forgot to include that. I have not checked phosphates so they may be high, and my alkalinity was low but I am hoping with the water change today and another Saturday before I do my second Prazipro dose that day will help with both if the phosphates are even an issue. I will just keep an eye on it and hopefully it will clear up. Any the bubbles a common thing with Prazipro? I can’t figure out what is causing them

wculver · Aug 11, 2022

TheLoneSeaMonkey said:
Water parameters are mostly good, I forgot to include that. I have not checked phosphates so they may be high, and my alkalinity was low but I am hoping with the water change today and another Saturday before I do my second Prazipro dose that day will help with both if the phosphates are even an issue. I will just keep an eye on it and hopefully it will clear up. Any the bubbles a common thing with Prazipro? I can’t figure out what is causing them

I'm getting my threads confused and realized this tank is 2 months old. This actually normal for a tank to go through this as things stabilize.

You are going to have to get some testing in place though eventually. For now test the parameters you can and water changes, things will improve.