Recently bare bottom causing algae bloom

[greetl01]

My tank is about 3 months old. After encountering ich, I decided to go bare bottom while my fish were in quarantine. Immediately after vacuuming the last of it out I got an algae bloom. I’m not really understanding what happened. Since I should have less nutrients after vacuuming out my sand, what could be causing this bloom?

 

[F i s h y]

My tank is about 3 months old. After encountering ich, I decided to go bare bottom while my fish were in quarantine. Immediately after vacuuming the last of it out I got an algae bloom. I’m not really understanding what happened. Since I should have less nutrients after vacuuming out my sand, what could be causing this bloom?

Disturbing the sand can release nutrients into the water. Are you using a quality test kit to test basic nutrients like nitrates and phosphates? If so post your test results. That may help us help you.

 

[Dan_P]

My tank is about 3 months old. After encountering ich, I decided to go bare bottom while my fish were in quarantine. Immediately after vacuuming the last of it out I got an algae bloom. I’m not really understanding what happened. Since I should have less nutrients after vacuuming out my sand, what could be causing this bloom?

What type of algae is blooming?

 

[ScottR]

In a 3 month old tank, I wouldn’t be fast to blame going bare bottom. Like said, could be the release of nutrients from the sand. Also, pics of the algae will help us to see what kind it is. And where are your nutrients at? NO3 and PO4. For example, if your sand released a bunch of nitrates and phosphates into the water, then something like hair algae may have some good food to grow. But if you sucked all the nutrients out, it could be something like dinoflagellates.

 

[greetl01]

In a 3 month old tank, I wouldn’t be fast to blame going bare bottom. Like said, could be the release of nutrients from the sand. Also, pics of the algae will help us to see what kind it is. And where are your nutrients at? NO3 and PO4. For example, if your sand released a bunch of nitrates and phosphates into the water, then something like hair algae may have some good food to grow. But if you sucked all the nutrients out, it could be something like dinoflagellates.

Wow. I meant bacteria bloom smh. I don’t have any algae at all. Just a cloudy tank. I’m not pressed about getting rid of it quickly as I’m quarantining anyways, and I have no coral. I just like to understand how things work.

 

[greetl01]

What type of algae is blooming?

Sorry I meant bacteria bloom

 

[ScottR]

Anytime you disturb the sand, the water will become cloudy. Be it detritus or something else. A bacterial bloom is possible but I wouldn’t worry since you have no livestock in it. Water changes aren’t a bad idea at this point.

 

[greetl01]

Thanks everyone