Cloudy water, I believe a bacterial bloom, advice?

Art13 · 12/09/2013, 07:08 AM

About two weeks ago I was in the process of catching and moving my fish to the Q/T to be treated, The soda bottle managed to catch one fish all day and i didn't like the ornamental decorations in the tank, so i decided to pull everything, redo the aquascape, still kept the other live rocks that were already in the tank and added two more rocks (i rinsed them first to get the debris off, they were not live rock, but rather the kind that comes in bleached and white, I forget the name). After about a day or two my tank turned nice and cloudy, and has stayed that way for the last two weeks. Nothing in the tank (snails, hermits, starfish, corals) seems to be affected by this so i'm not too worried and figured time would be my friend on this one, but how long can i really expect this to last? I am running a skimmer, carbon, rowaphos, and matrix bio media in a canister. There is nothing measurable for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates. Phosphates should be low as i am no longer getting any real algae growth as far as cyano or the hair algae i had is concerned. I do weekly 10 gallon water changes (tank is 60 gallons) with red sea reef crystals. not that i think it would be related but to throw it out there alk, mag, and calcium are all within their appropriate ranges. Besides length of time this can last, is there anything i should/shouldn't be doing while this is going on? Right now is just normal maintenance of the water changes and also a light feeding of either a couple pellets or a piece of seaweed for the hermits.

Cymonous · 12/09/2013, 08:05 AM

I would do another water change to help clear it up.

cloak · 12/09/2013, 01:40 PM

I would just stick to your normal routine and let nature take it's course. Don't fiddle with the rocks, the filters, etc. Be patient. GL.

Art13 · 12/09/2013, 02:55 PM

Thats my plan on this one, i've just never had one last like this. I was wondering if theres anything else i could do to give it a hand, as i know my one acro is starting to turn a bit brown but still getting growth so i'm not too worried but it does stay on my mind.

Art13 · 12/10/2013, 07:59 AM

Well, i did a 30% water change, and thats about the percentage it cleared up, no other improvements and it hasn't gotten worse that normal for a bacterial bloom?

Art13 · 12/12/2013, 06:53 AM

I've been thinking it might be something else at this point, though i'm not sure if its possible. when the lights on the tank are on, it looks like a cloudy white, but when the lights go out and i turn the regular lamp on in the room, the tank water looks green. whether its a reflection or not, i don't know, but i don't have cyano or hair or any algae blooming in the tank, and running rowaphos through a reactor, is it possible that it could be a plankton bloom? I have no idea if that is even possible, but i do add phytoplankton from time to time to feed the filter feeders in the tank. It's never happened before though when i added it so i'm wondering if that is even a possibility.

BenBradford · 12/12/2013, 03:53 PM

Do another water change... Every time that I have struggled with cloudiness or algae, the number one thing that has worked is water change...

12/09/2013, 07:08 AM	#1
Art13 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: South Jersey Posts: 1,444	Cloudy water, I believe a bacterial bloom, advice? About two weeks ago I was in the process of catching and moving my fish to the Q/T to be treated, The soda bottle managed to catch one fish all day and i didn't like the ornamental decorations in the tank, so i decided to pull everything, redo the aquascape, still kept the other live rocks that were already in the tank and added two more rocks (i rinsed them first to get the debris off, they were not live rock, but rather the kind that comes in bleached and white, I forget the name). After about a day or two my tank turned nice and cloudy, and has stayed that way for the last two weeks. Nothing in the tank (snails, hermits, starfish, corals) seems to be affected by this so i'm not too worried and figured time would be my friend on this one, but how long can i really expect this to last? I am running a skimmer, carbon, rowaphos, and matrix bio media in a canister. There is nothing measurable for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates. Phosphates should be low as i am no longer getting any real algae growth as far as cyano or the hair algae i had is concerned. I do weekly 10 gallon water changes (tank is 60 gallons) with red sea reef crystals. not that i think it would be related but to throw it out there alk, mag, and calcium are all within their appropriate ranges. Besides length of time this can last, is there anything i should/shouldn't be doing while this is going on? Right now is just normal maintenance of the water changes and also a light feeding of either a couple pellets or a piece of seaweed for the hermits.

12/09/2013, 08:05 AM	#2
Cymonous My Clown Attacks Me Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Akron, OH Posts: 2,105	I would do another water change to help clear it up. __________________ 100 Gallon Long with 20L sump 10 Gallon Office Tank Current Tank Info: 2 False Percula Clowns, One Spot Foxface, Diamond Watchman Goby, Yellow Tail Damsel, Engineer Goby

12/12/2013, 03:53 PM	#7
BenBradford Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Atlanta Posts: 53	Do another water change... Every time that I have struggled with cloudiness or algae, the number one thing that has worked is water change... __________________ I can't stop thinking about fish...

12/09/2013, 01:40 PM	#3
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	I would just stick to your normal routine and let nature take it's course. Don't fiddle with the rocks, the filters, etc. Be patient. GL.

12/09/2013, 02:55 PM	#4
Art13 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: South Jersey Posts: 1,444	Thats my plan on this one, i've just never had one last like this. I was wondering if theres anything else i could do to give it a hand, as i know my one acro is starting to turn a bit brown but still getting growth so i'm not too worried but it does stay on my mind.

12/10/2013, 07:59 AM	#5
Art13 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: South Jersey Posts: 1,444	Well, i did a 30% water change, and thats about the percentage it cleared up, no other improvements and it hasn't gotten worse that normal for a bacterial bloom?

12/12/2013, 06:53 AM	#6
Art13 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: South Jersey Posts: 1,444	I've been thinking it might be something else at this point, though i'm not sure if its possible. when the lights on the tank are on, it looks like a cloudy white, but when the lights go out and i turn the regular lamp on in the room, the tank water looks green. whether its a reflection or not, i don't know, but i don't have cyano or hair or any algae blooming in the tank, and running rowaphos through a reactor, is it possible that it could be a plankton bloom? I have no idea if that is even possible, but i do add phytoplankton from time to time to feed the filter feeders in the tank. It's never happened before though when i added it so i'm wondering if that is even a possibility.