# Non stop Bacteria Bloom!?



## Angel079 (Feb 14, 2007)

Ok, so here we go again, my 55g still is giving me grief...While the algae is somewhat under control but not fully gone here's what get's me:

I had bacteria blooms in several tanks that just been set up, so after all the meds and large w/v in the 55g I wasn't too surprised to see one neither (as I safely assumed this tank is pretty much re- cycling). Now this started easily 2 weeks ago and I NEVER seen a bloom last this long. Its still as milky/ cloudy looking as on day one and does not seem to improve the least.

So really are there blooms that last super long or could this be something else? I already googeled my heart out trying to see what else it could be but can't find an answer....:-?

FYI the gravel used was washed about 8 times before I added it and when I filled the tank the first few weeks nothing came off of the gravel neither, so it can't be that neither.


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## Evan (Aug 13, 2009)

when I set up a new tank I use a cycled sponge filter from another tank and by cycled I meen it has been in the tank with other fish for at least 3-4 weeks before I put it in the new tank and then I SLOWLY add fish a few at a time over a period of a week or so tell I am sure the filter is doing it job. as far as your bacteria blooms it can take soom tanks along time to get over it most likely it is happening because there is more bad bacteria than good and the filter cannot handle the load. I would try6 and feed the fish very lightly and to smaller w/c instead of you big one. I have this happen all the time and you just have to go easy till the filter can do it job and build a good bacteria base in it. it could also be what you are using for declorinator. how long has the tank been up? and how did you cycle it.


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## Angel079 (Feb 14, 2007)

Here's some more background on this named tank :lol: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/freshwater-aquariums/algae-taking-over-im-end-my-33664/

There's no "load" for the filter to handle and this bloom's been going on long before fish had been added on the 16th now (added 2 algae eaters & 1 pleco for given reasons).
So its def not a overstock / overfeeding issue, that I can tell ya for sure 

Tanks been TRYING to get established since Nov 1st, declorinator is from Tetra which I always had great success with, also in the other tanks right now (so its not like its gone "bad" of some sort)


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## Mean Harri (Dec 14, 2009)

Sounds like an issue I had once. Admittedly once my tank cleared up I gave up on this hobby as I moved across country and never got back to it. I was cycling a new tank, added some tiger barbs and noticed high ammonia one day. I added ammo-lock and that's all it took. My tank got so cloudy and milky white you couldn't see the fish. It lasted a week before you could see anything inside. When the proverbial smoke cleared all my barbs were dead. The water also smelled very foul.

Perhaps the Tetra dechlorinator is upsetting the balance and killing the good bacteria. idk... Keep us posted


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## Angel079 (Feb 14, 2007)

There's no detectable NO2, NO3, Ammonia levels that's the "funny" part....
If the conditioner was at fault, I'd expect to see the same issue in the other tanks.....this 55g has been making me wanna tear my hair our for weeks now.


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

as a last resort take 85% or more water out and refill it, at the very worst your fishless planted tank will "cycle" again i use the water conditioner u use and dont have any probs. if the water is still cloudy after the large w/c i would ride it out for a month and dont ever test just do your w/c when they are supposed to be and just let nature do its thing, which it can do way better when we interfere as little as possible. just a question are you still using anything to keep the algae undercontrol? maybe that is causing it. i would experiment with another tank and add chems that you have in your 55 to a "test tank" and see what happens. when the water gets cl9oudy you know what the problem is or isnt.


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## Angel079 (Feb 14, 2007)

Hey Mitch!
Yea that's what I thought when I done the 2 large w/c after the meds, that it would help....but nop :roll:
All I'm using now is Nutrafin & Excel and the conditioner....Conditioner & Nutrafin are used in the other tanks too (no clouds there) and the Excel I JUST started and while I'm not using it in the other tanks for "comparison" I'm sure thou that's not causing it since the cloudiness has been there long before Excel.

I think I'm gonna do what you also suggested - Regular pwc and otherwise let it be till after the New Year now and HOPE this tank will EVER clear up fully....I think otherwise I'm really tempted to break it down next year...


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

There are probably several rasons for cloudiness, and unless it is definitely traced to a toxic issue (ammonia...) and assuming it occurs from something you've done (rather than just suddenly out of nowhere) I wouldn't worry about it.

Two weeks ago I cleaned the filter on my 115g. Only yesterday, now 2.5 weeks later, has it finally cleared to what it was prior to the filter cleaning. Fish weren't bothered, so neither was I. I've had this occur every time I clean the filters, sometimes a week, sometimes three weeks.

B.


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## Angel079 (Feb 14, 2007)

It looks a LITTLE better today but still somewhat cloudy... Nop still no readings and nothing I could think of that I done to this tank (others then the meds back in the day and the large w/c then) it all came when the algae came.

I added few more Plants yesterday too (yes the troublesome Pennywort weed too)

I really think its safe to assume by now that in this tank, the combo: Meds&Carbon & 2xlarge w/c totally and completely threw this newly system soooooo outta wack that my best guess really only is now to LET IT BE and see what happens over the next few weeks.

Cause honestly this tank has cost me enough headache & work so far and I done everything to the best of my knowledge and everybody's advises and now its either gotta walk on its own on break down completely.

I'll keep up the ferts, excel & w/c but that is IT lol (anyone think me treating this tank verbally has any impact!?)


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## southamericancichlidguy23 (Oct 22, 2009)

dude i knw wut u mean my tanks is the same im in the same mess u are about to pull my hair out cant see out the side my 55 gal its driving me nuts iv added some aqua safe for cloudyness salt aquarium im done water changes once week nothing will clear it up makes me wanna sell the tank and the fish throw my hands in the air and like she said water is nasty smelling lol its really annoying but wut i cann tell u is my fish arnt suffering there playing in it likes it fun or something lol


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## FrogHerder (Dec 18, 2009)

Angel079 said:


> It looks a LITTLE better today but still somewhat cloudy... Nop still no readings and nothing I could think of that I done to this tank (others then the meds back in the day and the large w/c then) it all came when the algae came.
> 
> I added few more Plants yesterday too (yes the troublesome Pennywort weed too)
> 
> ...


Hi Angel,

I think a good deal of your knowledge, so maybe you've considered this and have reasons for not doing it. Some petsmarts sell a 9W UV sterilizer under the name of "green killing machine". They come with a powerhead and are not terribly expensive. We put one in the 20 gal a couple days after starting it up, and also now have one in the 40 gal rescue job. Knocks out blooms very quickly.


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## Angel079 (Feb 14, 2007)

UV's help well against algae and prevent certain sicknesses.
Bacteria Bloom is a common occurrence on new st ups - Or set ups like mine that cycle twice for any given reason. Now I know first hand this can look ugly for a while but killing it off is not the solution to a stable system, neither is too many or too lil w/c; gotta hit that golden middle.


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## SteveWhite (Mar 1, 2010)

I had re-occurring bloom issues 

Possible reasons
+2watts/gallon lighting
aquascaping
new plants with algae
over feeding.. maybe 

...and in the end solved them with a UV filter... within 1 day much better, 3 days perfect. Months later.. still perfect.

I have a simple setup so ended up using the green killing machine, the bigger 24w version for like $60 to do my 55gal tank. Best thing i ever bought, besides the filter.

Steve


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## Angel079 (Feb 14, 2007)

LOL hey Steve welcome tot he Forum! I actually got it cleared up a long time ago; but with patience not with chem's nor high tech, I pref the natural approaches


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