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Unread 04/12/2011, 03:25 PM   #1
steelerfan1
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Bacterial Bloom or Algae Issue

tank has been set up since 2-7-11 with all dry rock.

last 4 days i am looking at the below:

testing water is as follows:
0/0/0 temp 76 ph 7.8-8.2 sg 1.024

tank has just a skunk cleaner and snails in it as well as 1 ball of cheato.

filtration is carbon/ real polyfilter in an ac110.

aeration is an ac110 and 2 tunze 6015's.

i use ro/di water that shows 0 tds, but today i noticed a plasticy smell to my water that is stored in my gray brute container and was wondering if that could be leaching stuff into the water?

opinions?



thanks for any help.


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Unread 04/12/2011, 04:09 PM   #2
artman18944
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i doubt the can is the source of the problem...new tanks will go through these phases....i started my tank in jan and had diatoms followed by a byropsis breakout and then cyano...the byropsis has finally subsided and the cyano is beginning to decrease...stay diligent with your weekly water changes and testing...good luck


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Unread 04/12/2011, 04:45 PM   #3
steelerfan1
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thanks artman.

shrimp and snail don't seem to be sweating it so neither am i, but that brute burnt rubber smell has me a little concerned about putting something into the tankn that could be bad.


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Unread 04/12/2011, 06:47 PM   #4
duncantse
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Probably a bacteria bloom. I have experienced this also and it went away in 1-2 weeks.


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Unread 04/12/2011, 07:25 PM   #5
steelhead77
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This looks like a bacterial bloom. Are you dosing anything: Vodka, MB7, calcium?


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Unread 04/13/2011, 08:19 AM   #6
steelerfan1
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Quote:
Originally Posted by duncantse View Post
Probably a bacteria bloom. I have experienced this also and it went away in 1-2 weeks.
thanks bud.


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Unread 04/13/2011, 08:19 AM   #7
steelerfan1
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Quote:
Originally Posted by steelhead77 View Post
This looks like a bacterial bloom. Are you dosing anything: Vodka, MB7, calcium?
not dosing anything steel


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Unread 05/08/2011, 10:01 AM   #8
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bumping this in hopes to get more opinions.

it has been a month and the last few weeks there was somewhat of a clearup but there was always still a bit of a haze, but as of this morning i am back to what the above pic is.

can a bacterial bloom last for over a month?

i tested water and as of this morning it reads:
sg- 1.024
ph- 8
amm/trite/trate- 0
alk-7
temp- 77

i am not dosing anything and i am running a 4x8 real polyfilter, 1/2 cup seachems carbon, and 1/8 cup rowa-phos.

my diatoms are gone but i still have green and little bit of hair algae.

i do a 3-5 gallon water change weekly and use brightwell's neo marine salt.

i only have a skunk cleaner shrimp and snails and copepods in tank, and i feed 3 formula 2 pellets every other day.

tank has been set up since 2-7 and was cycled with 2 raw cocktail shrimp.

tank started with 0 liverock and 37 pounds of dry BRS fiji rock.

i have no problem waiting for this to play out if that's what i have to do, but i had planned on getting a fish to put into my QT at the end of the month and i don't feel comfortable if this is still gonna keep popping up as i hear if it is a bacterial thing that it sucks up a lot of oxygen.

any input appreciated.

thanks for your time.


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Unread 05/08/2011, 05:43 PM   #9
steelerfan1
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forgot to mention that wen i get home at midnight the tank is crystal clear and by morning all through day it is cloudy.

if it was a major issue wouldn't it be constant?


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Unread 05/08/2011, 07:31 PM   #10
Bnortz
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try cutting the lights off for a few days and cut your lighting down a few hours thereafter


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Unread 05/08/2011, 07:39 PM   #11
steelerfan1
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bnortz View Post
try cutting the lights off for a few days and cut your lighting down a few hours thereafter
what do you think is going on with it bnortz?

thanks for your help.


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Unread 05/08/2011, 08:16 PM   #12
RaeRae
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I think Its just the cycle. What was your phosphates. I would get a turbo snail and let him go to work. The best $3.00 you will spend. Dont be in a hurry. You can cut your lights back as well.


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Unread 05/08/2011, 08:31 PM   #13
steelerfan1
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RaeRae View Post
I think Its just the cycle. What was your phosphates. I would get a turbo snail and let him go to work. The best $3.00 you will spend. Dont be in a hurry. You can cut your lights back as well.
hi raerae,

thanks for your reply.

phos was showing at .25 a while ago but i stopped testing as i have algea therefore know i have phos.

just within last week or so started running a small amount of rowa-phos and will up it gradually to help on phosphates.

wouldn't the cycle be ammonia/trites/trates though and be good once amm and trites are 0?


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Unread 05/09/2011, 11:37 AM   #14
Sk8r
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It's the dry rock start that's letting things run weird. If you could get one small live rock from your lfs, it would start to straighten things out. It's seeding, all right, but not with the desirable bacteria, which needs a bit of help and reinforcement. Also, a dry rock start takes about 8 weeks, but can go 12 or longer. Don't rush it. If the snail's surviving, that's ok, but no more life in there except for bacteria until this irons out. It's starting to do so. But the good bacteria are not in great enough number yet. This is an instance in which bacteria-in-a-bottle might actually be of some help to you.


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Unread 05/09/2011, 12:00 PM   #15
steelerfan1
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sk8r View Post
It's the dry rock start that's letting things run weird. If you could get one small live rock from your lfs, it would start to straighten things out. It's seeding, all right, but not with the desirable bacteria, which needs a bit of help and reinforcement. Also, a dry rock start takes about 8 weeks, but can go 12 or longer. Don't rush it. If the snail's surviving, that's ok, but no more life in there except for bacteria until this irons out. It's starting to do so. But the good bacteria are not in great enough number yet. This is an instance in which bacteria-in-a-bottle might actually be of some help to you.
thanks a bunch for your input sk8r,

my lfs charges 17.99 a pound for liverock and i know their tanks have ich and the live rock i have noticed aptasia and 1 bad type of algae on it therefore i do not want to go that route if at all possible.

if time is all i need with the dry rock i am really fine with waiting and giving it the time it needs.

it has been 3 months and if i need to give it another 3, in the big picture that is nothing.

i just don't want to be waiting and have it not get better.

yes, snails and my skunk cleaner are fine so far as i can tell show no ill effect.

i am wondering how with the raw shrimp that i went from ammonia to nitrite to nitrate within 6 weeks but now this has been going on?

in your opinion, would killing lights do anything or should i just keep light cycle as is?

also, what bacteria in a bottle would be good?

again, i really am good with waiting it out with the dry rock if i know in fact that it will correct itself.

thanks again for your help.


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Unread 05/09/2011, 01:46 PM   #16
Dono
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If your LFS is unreliable for Live Rock, I would turn to your local reef community here on the Reef Central boards and see if anyone can help you out with a few cups of sand or pieces of rock from an established tank.

I dont know about your area, but I know 3 of the Florida clubs I've been apart of, there has always been strong community support for setting up and helping out with new tanks.


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Unread 05/09/2011, 04:06 PM   #17
steelerfan1
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dono View Post
If your LFS is unreliable for Live Rock, I would turn to your local reef community here on the Reef Central boards and see if anyone can help you out with a few cups of sand or pieces of rock from an established tank.

I dont know about your area, but I know 3 of the Florida clubs I've been apart of, there has always been strong community support for setting up and helping out with new tanks.
i know 1 person who may be able to help me out and will look into it. just afraid to introduce bad into my tank.

thanks dono.


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Unread 05/09/2011, 04:39 PM   #18
Sport507
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If you have access to a Diatom filter it will clear that out it within an hour or so.


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Unread 05/09/2011, 05:52 PM   #19
IridescentLily
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I used dry rock as well. We cured the 30 lbs of rock first, for a couple weeks in a plastic tub filled with fresh ro salt water and with a pump and a heater set at 78 degrees.
At 5 days we dumped the water, took it to the driveway and hosed it off and scrubbed with a scrub brush for about ten minutes. Then we put them back in the plastic tub with new salt water made with fresh RO. Then 5 days later we put the rock in the tank.
Then after the 4ppm (4ppm because of the size of my 29g tank) of non surfactant ammonia was added it took about 10-14 days to cycle amm and nitrate to 0.
Is that how you did your rock? The reason i ask is because I haven't had an algae, diatom nor bacterial bloom, and I don't wanna get one.


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Unread 05/09/2011, 05:55 PM   #20
greech
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sk8r View Post
It's the dry rock start that's letting things run weird. If you could get one small live rock from your lfs, it would start to straighten things out. It's seeding, all right, but not with the desirable bacteria, which needs a bit of help and reinforcement. Also, a dry rock start takes about 8 weeks, but can go 12 or longer. Don't rush it. If the snail's surviving, that's ok, but no more life in there except for bacteria until this irons out. It's starting to do so. But the good bacteria are not in great enough number yet. This is an instance in which bacteria-in-a-bottle might actually be of some help to you.
Hey steeler...

I told you


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Unread 05/10/2011, 01:05 PM   #21
steelerfan1
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sport507 View Post
If you have access to a Diatom filter it will clear that out it within an hour or so.
hi sport,

i don't know what that is so i am guessing i don't have access to 1 :-)

if it is only for diatoms, i have hardly any of those left.

thanks for your reply and i will google it


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Unread 05/10/2011, 01:11 PM   #22
steelerfan1
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IridescentLily View Post
I used dry rock as well. We cured the 30 lbs of rock first, for a couple weeks in a plastic tub filled with fresh ro salt water and with a pump and a heater set at 78 degrees.
At 5 days we dumped the water, took it to the driveway and hosed it off and scrubbed with a scrub brush for about ten minutes. Then we put them back in the plastic tub with new salt water made with fresh RO. Then 5 days later we put the rock in the tank.
Then after the 4ppm (4ppm because of the size of my 29g tank) of non surfactant ammonia was added it took about 10-14 days to cycle amm and nitrate to 0.
Is that how you did your rock? The reason i ask is because I haven't had an algae, diatom nor bacterial bloom, and I don't wanna get one.
hi IL,

thanks for your reply.

the only thing i did with my dry fiji was hot water rinse it and let it dry.

i cycled with 2 raw shrimp and i thought all was complete, but apparently i should have done what you had done with curing it a bit more.

i haer with pukani and fiji that there are some phosphate issues and a lot of trapped detrius (sp?) and that is the case as my rock does have a lot of junk in it.

we are replacing carpet in june and i think since i have to drain the tank to move it i am going to put it all in a brute and use a powerhead to go ove all the rock real goos and blow what i can out and then replace with frash salt water in hopes that if it is all the junk coming out of the rock it will help it.

thanks again.


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Unread 05/10/2011, 01:14 PM   #23
steelerfan1
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Quote:
Originally Posted by greech View Post
Hey steeler...

I told you
yes you did bud.

still though if that is what this is for sure, the bacteria just taking a long time to establish, other than me waiting longer is there any harm that can come?

again, i am 1 of the strange birds i guess who have no problem letting it sit and take the time needed be it even another few months if that's what it takes to establish.

i have read several builds where people use only dry rock and haven't seen this issue yet.

thanks again for all your help bud.


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Unread 05/10/2011, 02:25 PM   #24
greech
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I was just messin' with ya!

As you know, I agree with Sk8r in regards to the LR even just a couple of pounds.

You're not strange. You have been trying your best to do what is best for your tank since day 1. Waiting it out can only help (sounds like you have had some clearing already) but if it was me I would want to add some variety to my bacteria bed at some point.


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Unread 05/10/2011, 04:41 PM   #25
steelerfan1
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I was just messin' with ya!

As you know, I agree with Sk8r in regards to the LR even just a couple of pounds.

You're not strange. You have been trying your best to do what is best for your tank since day 1. Waiting it out can only help (sounds like you have had some clearing already) but if it was me I would want to add some variety to my bacteria bed at some point.
we are good bud, you need humor in this life and i am glad to provide it here :-)

i am a stubborn fool in this area with lr, as again, i have read too many horror stories of bad guys coming in and i know other than my LFS ripping me off at 18 bucks a pound that there are some bad critters in there.

there was some clearing but now it has bloomed in full swing again.

to be honest i expected something like this when i had the raw shrimp in there, but didn't expect it so far down since shrimp had been removed a while.

since i am gonna drain tank in start of june due to new carpet going in i am gonna take the time to really powerhead clean the rock and get all the junk out of it and do a big water change.

if that doesnothing by mid june i may have to just suck it up and get a couple pounds of lr from the lfs and then of course since i know their tanks have ich, let the tank sit another 2 months

on the bright side i just got my new aquatic life 4 strip t5's with led nightlights.

of course i dont need them now as i can't see anything anyway cause of the fog :-)


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