How many cycles?

[Wiseman360]

Hello! Just joined the site to hopefully get some advise from those with more experience. I recently got an additional biocube 29 and started cycling it 3 weeks ago (four weeks this coming wed). The cube cycled and had its spike in ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. The last week I had a brown agle bloom - did a few water changes and it stopped the bloom and this past Friday noticed copeapods on the glass. I did a water change yesterday and today the tank is cloudy. I tested my nitrates and nitirites and they both are 0 ammonia 0 calcium 400ppm ph 8.2 temp 76. Is this a last bloom stage before it clears? I have my clean up crew in and the are working away. Any help is appreciated.

[steventaylor702]

The cloudyness is generally a bacteria bloom it sounds like you tanks is and has been ready to go for a couple of weeks generally after the initial nitrate cycle your good to go

[soulpatch]

yeah you should start adding some CUC and monitor your levels. Get your fish that you want and throw them in the QT for the next few weeks while you monitor your cube.

[Wiseman360]

I added the clean up crew already and they were working away at the brown algae - the brown algae bloom has stopped multiplying (Had to raise the magnesium) however, I cant tell if the stuff making the water cloudy is algae, or pods in the water? is that possible that it is pods? I have my fish in my biocube 14 which has been going for over 2 years, it has just been so long I don't remember the whole cycling process I feel like a noob!! Someone also told me to take some sand from the established tank and put it in the new biocube essentially speeding up the final cycling process?

[soulpatch]

cloudy water would not be pods....

[Wiseman360]

Originally Posted by steventaylor702

The cloudyness is generally a bacteria bloom it sounds like you tanks is and has been ready to go for a couple of weeks generally after the initial nitrate cycle your good to go

what are some potential bacteria blooms that can be happening?

[steventaylor702]

Originally Posted by Wiseman360

what are some potential bacteria blooms that can be happening?

I think your good bud. What filtration do you have running, your cycle is already completed you can toss a few fish in there

[soulpatch]

most cloudy water is an algae bloom or such. Easily handled with water changes, running filter floss, skimming, and running uv if you have one.

I would do a massive water change of around 90% to clear most of it out then transfer the fish. Run some extra carbon and whatnot for a while to aid in clear up.

[Wiseman360]

Originally Posted by steventaylor702

I think your good bud. What filtration do you have running, your cycle is already completed you can toss a few fish in there

What do you mean filtration ? Just the regular chambers in the biocube?

I have a protein skimmer, I also have a UV sterilizer in the old tank but I will be pulling it from my 14 to put into the 29 when I get home (good idea). I will also do a water change tonight to see if this helps as well.

[soulpatch]

I would do a massive water change to remove as much as possible. Your bacteria is all int he rock and such so you would not hinder any of your built up beneficial stuff.

Once you add in the fish and such you should be ok but keep an eye on your levels especially nitrates. If they continue to be high you can look into carbon dosing. I dose no/pox from red sea since I am a heavy feeder and it keeps my nitrates in check.

[steventaylor702]

Do not do a massive water change. You fine just throw some carbon in the rear chamber

[soulpatch]

Originally Posted by steventaylor702

Do not do a massive water change. You fine just throw some carbon in the rear chamber

You make no sense. He has cycled and as such a water change will remove phosphates, nitrates, and the free floating bloom.

Carbon is not an end all and will not do much initially as the bloom will eat most of the nutrients before it ever gets to the filter chambers.

There is no harm what so ever with a water change and a TON of benefits. The ONLY times you should refrain from doing water changes are while you are cycling, dosing to bring up levels, treating with meds, or trying to maintain high levels of a certain parameter to treat something.

[steventaylor702]

Its fine is what I'm saying it will go and at naturally and I wouldn't worry about it

[Wiseman360]

Two conflicting thoughts. I put in a carbon filter into the second chamber and let's see what the morning brings. Mixed my R/o and ready in case I need to do a big change.

[MayoBoy]

Just let it run its course. The bacteria are in there and blooming because there's something for them to feed on. It may be in the water or or it may be in the rocks or sand. If you interrupt it mid bloom, it may start all over again. Like most things in reef keeping, just let it run its course.

You're going to go through cyano and green algae as well. Just step back and evaluate what's causing each one - don't go for the fast cure. With cyano it could be over feeding or not enough circulation. You could dump Chemiclean in to get rid of it but that won't address the underlying cause. Same with green algae. You could boil your rocks or acid wash them and get rid of the algae but it will come back.

There is very little that necessitates huge water changes (short of water contamination, etc.) If something happens, watch it, see what's developing, do water tests to be sure parameters are staying within range and chances are it will work itself out or you can fix it by changing your habits (over feeding, start doing regular 5 or 10 percent water changes)

[Wiseman360]

Originally Posted by MayoBoy

Just let it run its course. The bacteria are in there and blooming because there's something for them to feed on. It may be in the water or or it may be in the rocks or sand. If you interrupt it mid bloom, it may start all over again. Like most things in reef keeping, just let it run its course.

You're going to go through cyano and green algae as well. Just step back and evaluate what's causing each one - don't go for the fast cure. With cyano it could be over feeding or not enough circulation. You could dump Chemiclean in to get rid of it but that won't address the underlying cause. Same with green algae. You could boil your rocks or acid wash them and get rid of the algae but it will come back.

There is very little that necessitates huge water changes (short of water contamination, etc.) If something happens, watch it, see what's developing, do water tests to be sure parameters are staying within range and chances are it will work itself out or you can fix it by changing your habits (over feeding, start doing regular 5 or 10 percent water changes)

I do not think it is cyano but I did see a bit of green algae on one of the "newer" rocks I placed in the tank. In the biocube I put 3 dry rocks in and 2 that have already cycled live rock. The green is on the new rocks and the established 2 are getting new coralline growth on it (the brown algae from last week is slowing turning into coralline on the rocks) I added into my second chamber the charcoal filter, green phosphate pad and fuval nitrate and nitrate reducer. It was somewhat clearer this morning but still cloudy.

[Wiseman360]

Hi all here is a link to my cloudy water

http://youtu.be/_M2DknPWQV8

[MayoBoy]

Doesn't look like much of anything to worry about. What kind of lights do you have and what is your lighting schedule?

[Wiseman360]

I think the carbon helped as there is not many free floating particles. Added my uv sterilizer as well tonight. Will keep u posted thanks again everyone! This algae bloom
Has been a real treat (said no one ever lol)

[GOINGBROKEFAST]

I was going to say carbon would be a good option. Treat that is funny. Algae is never fun.

[Wiseman360]

Carbon filter or uv sterilizer did the trick! Pretty much crystal clear and will do water change tomorrow! So great thanks again