Stringy bacteria colonies from vinegar dosing...

RacingTiger03 · Jan 12, 2015

Is this a sign I should dial back my dosage? I'm not getting white water that normally would indicate a bacterial bloom, but I did suck most of these white string colonies out with my water change a few days ago, and they're already back huge. I've been dosing pretty stable at 33.5 mls in my 55G since adding my last fish over a month ago. I also recently added a clam and had thought about dialing back the vinegar for that reason. Primarily, is there a way to reduce the colonization of these white bacteria in the main display? As it is I dose into an aquaclear 70 with a rather large bag of carbon in it, and that catches some, but I even get colonies in my skimmer on the other side of the tank!

I'm beginning to think these white strings may be more of a nuisance than the algae they replace, LOL. But then again.. I only have to clean my glass once a week, hah.

kv69 · Jan 12, 2015

Cut your dosage back by half, it should clear up.

Reefing Madness · Jan 12, 2015

Are you still dosing to get Nitrates down? If so, you'll just have to live with it until you come down to maintenance dose levels, then it will stop showing up.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 12, 2015

Bacteria have to grow somewhere, and some people are just unlucky enough to have them visible in the display tank.

RacingTiger03 · Jan 13, 2015

No, my nitrates are pretty much nill. I was originally dosing 26 in this tank, but a new fish had me to bump up to 35 (veracious eater, and I was feeding a little heavy for the new guy). I worked back down to the 32 dose I listed, but I should cut that dose in half?

Unfortunately, I did know going in that may be an issue, and took a few precautions to try to prevent it that didn't work out, lol. I could stop vinegar dosing for a bit suction up all I can and let it clear up, then restart... but that's an awful lot of trouble if cutting the dose in half and cleaning it out of the display might do the same job. I do have a new clam though, and had been thinking of dropping the vinegar back to give it some N/P to take care of as well.