None stop bacterial bloom 5 weeks long

[b0bburg3r]

Hello I hate to ask for help. After some time I finally realized my fish were breathing heavy from a bacterial bloom. To save the fish I would change the water. Then it would come back. Three fish stores testing my water, with me testing daily I can’t figure it out. Here is a picture before and after of one day not doing any water change. How do I solve this, I have had a UV sterilizer going, stopped feeding for a while, siphon rocks and sand often. Got a way to big protein skimmer that can’t keep up as it over flows with even 1/2 an inch of water. I had to clean slim out of my AIO sump and clean the pumps and tubing. I’m for a loss scared and feeling defeated.

 

[Troylee]

Are you dosing any carbon or bacteria? Like vodka, or microbacter etc?

 

[b0bburg3r]

Are you dosing any carbon or bacteria? Like vodka, or microbacter etc?

Just started MB7 and I did dose hydrogen peroxide for two day after 3 weeks of the usual didn’t seem to help. The peroxide did help the breathing of the fish.

 

[Troylee]

Hmmmm… only time I experienced that is with an over dose of a carbon source.. vodka to be exact lol.. are you running any carbon at all to help break it down? I’m not really sure but I’m sure @Randy Holmes-Farley could possibly help you.

 

[b0bburg3r]

Hmmmm… only time I experienced that is with an over dose of a carbon source.. vodka to be exact lol.. are you running any carbon at all to help break it down? I’m not really sure but I’m sure @Randy Holmes-Farley could possibly help you.

I am but it gets covered in slime with in a day… so I don’t think it’s effective.

 

[sixty_reefer]

What’s your no3 and po4?

 

[b0bburg3r]

no3 = 5 po4 = .07 last tested yesterday
Attached is an ICP result from the 30th

@sixty_reefer

 

[sixty_reefer]

no3 = 5 po4 = .07 last tested yesterday
Attached is an ICP result from the 30th

Have your nutrients been at those values for some time now? I suspect it may not be bacterial

edit: accordingly your icp phosphates are going up, that’s not consistent with a bacterial bloom, have you tested ammonia?

 

[Dan_P]

Sounds frustrating!

The fish breathing difficulty might be related to the bacteria consuming the air in the water. Aerating the water would be something to try. One way to do this is with a skimmer. If it is foaming over, just direct the foam back into the system. As for the excessive foaming in the skimmer, that could just be an incorrect setting. The skimmer can be a method for removing bacteria. Maybe put in some overtime getting that working to help clear the bacteria and aerate the system. And feed the fish

 

[b0bburg3r]

Have your nutrients been at those values for some time now? I suspect it may not be bacterial

edit: accordingly your icp phosphates are going up, that’s not consistent with a bacterial bloom, have you tested ammonia?

Yes they fluctuate a little but I have never seen them high. I have tested ammonia daily with different tests and never got a reading.

 

[b0bburg3r]

Sounds frustrating!

The fish breathing difficulty might be related to the bacteria consuming the air in the water. Aerating the water would be something to try. One way to do this is with a skimmer. If it is foaming over, just direct the foam back into the system. As for the excessive foaming in the skimmer, that could just be an incorrect setting. The skimmer can be a method for removing bacteria. Maybe put in some overtime getting that working to help clear the bacteria and aerate the system. And feed the fish

The bigger problem is with such a thick water there is that the micro bubbles fill the tank in minutes. I have had two protein skimmers and one caught on fire lol (started smoking) neither worked under any adjustments. They didn’t have this problem in clean water I even experimented and added a good amount of selcon to the clean water and after a day it worked fine in the water I made.

 

[Spare time]

Stop dosing mb7. Turn the UV back on. Clean the filter pads or socks daily. If they are easy to rinse out, do it twice daily. I'd also increase surface agitation.

 

[Spare time]

Do you by chance have an air freshener by the tank?

 

[Troylee]

The bigger problem is with such a thick water there is that the micro bubbles fill the tank in minutes. I have had two protein skimmers and one caught on fire lol (started smoking) neither worked under any adjustments. They didn’t have this problem in clean water I even experimented and added a good amount of selcon to the clean water and after a day it worked fine in the water I made.

Wow lol.. never heard a skimmer catching on fire! Was anything sprayed around the tank like Lysol or something that could have contaminated the water?

 

[b0bburg3r]

Do you by chance have an air freshener by the tank?

No I do not but I did add a high end air filter to suck up any VOCs that might be there.

 

[b0bburg3r]

Wow lol.. never heard a skimmer catching on fire! Was anything sprayed around the tank like Lysol or something that could have contaminated the water?

No we don’t use anything like that for that reason.

 

[Reef.]

Stop dosing mb7. Turn the UV back on. Clean the filter pads or socks daily. If they are easy to rinse out, do it twice daily. I'd also increase surface agitation.

This, and stop the water changes unless really necessary.

Your water lvl on the tank looks high too, not sure if that’s important or not but everything needs looking at, lowering it slightly will help with water movement.

You really need to get the surface of the water moving and make sure fresh air is getting into the room.

Check your water change water, the problem could be coming from there.

I wouldn’t be stopping feeding, if the fish are already weak from a lack of oxygen, you don’t want to be starving them too.

Sounds to me you are trying to keep the tank too clean, you want algae as then you know your tank is moving in the right direction, it’s a new tank, adding all those potions and extra large skimmer will not be helpful.

 

[b0bburg3r]

This, and stop the water changes unless really necessary.

Your water lvl on the tank looks high too, not sure if that’s important or not but everything needs looking at, lowering it slightly will help with water movement.

You really need to get the surface of the water moving and make sure fresh air is getting into the room.

Check your water change water, the problem could be coming from there.

I wouldn’t be stopping feeding, if the fish are already weak from a lack of oxygen, you don’t want to be starving them too.

Sounds to me you are trying to keep the tank too clean, you want algae as then you know your tank is moving in the right direction, it’s a new tank, adding all those potions and extra large skimmer will not be helpful.

Thanks that probably the rout I got I just started getting real algae.

 

[TokenReefer]

What skimmer do you have?

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

Stop dosing mb7. Turn the UV back on. Clean the filter pads or socks daily. If they are easy to rinse out, do it twice daily. I'd also increase surface agitation.