H&Wnano Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 So for the second week in a row now we have extremely cloudy water. All of our parameters test fine except for Nitrates which are high. We are guessing the problem is bacterial blooms feeding off of the algae from the nitrate surge....? Any thoughts? Our filtration (in 24 gals) is 40 lbs live sand, 33 lbs live rock (cured over 5 years), and then the stock black filter block and activated carbon. We just cleaned out the filter (every week) and did a 20% instead of a 10% water change. Hopefully it clears up by tonight. Link to comment
ZachReefs Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 So for the second week in a row now we have extremely cloudy water. All of our parameters test fine except for Nitrates which are high. We are guessing the problem is bacterial blooms feeding off of the algae from the nitrate surge....? Any thoughts? Our filtration (in 24 gals) is 40 lbs live sand, 33 lbs live rock (cured over 5 years), and then the stock black filter block and activated carbon. We just cleaned out the filter (every week) and did a 20% instead of a 10% water change. Hopefully it clears up by tonight. If you have a diatom filter, it would clean that cloudy water right up. I'm sure you know this already, but thats my suggestion. I'm impatient sometimes though.... Link to comment
H&Wnano Posted January 29, 2009 Author Share Posted January 29, 2009 If you have a diatom filter, it would clean that cloudy water right up. I'm sure you know this already, but thats my suggestion. I'm impatient sometimes though.... we don't want to get so gadgety for a small tank. we will be hooking up a chiller because our summer temps will get hot, but we weren't planning on anything else mechanical. what we are hoping is that there is a way to get it to clear up "naturally". Link to comment
tmaxton Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Chemipure is the cure all !!!! Link to comment
bdare Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 You haven't added vinegar, surgar or anything out of the ordinary have you? Missing any snails? Link to comment
H&Wnano Posted January 29, 2009 Author Share Posted January 29, 2009 You haven't added vinegar, surgar or anything out of the ordinary have you? Missing any snails? ummm....no.... haven't done anything except increase the amount of activated carbon and water changes every couple of days and all snails are accounted for Link to comment
bdare Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Just wondering because many people add vinegar to kalk which can cause a bacteria bloom. The same is true for sugar or vodka... People add these for carbon sources. How old is your tank? Link to comment
ZachReefs Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Just wondering because many people add vinegar to kalk which can cause a bacteria bloom. The same is true for sugar or vodka... People add these for carbon sources. How old is your tank? What a waste of vodka! Seriously though, I had no idea people did this.... I think the best cure is water changes and time, as suggested by Rocket.... +1 Link to comment
H&Wnano Posted February 2, 2009 Author Share Posted February 2, 2009 wow yeah, i've never heard of doing that. the bacterial bloom has gone away! it had to have just been from the initial bloom of algae which comes with the beginning cycle of the tank - since ours is now somewhere close to 2 months old.... Link to comment
dsoz Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Filter floss changed every day helps clear up bacterial blooms. Adding carbon (sugar, vodka, vinegar) helps give bacteria food to grow... growing bacteria take up nitrates and phosphate... multiplying bacteria create bloom... filter traps bacterial bloom... Filter is cleaned and bacteria is washed out... Tank has less nitrate and phosphate now. Happy tank. Usually this is done with larger tanks where 10% weekly water changes start hurting the pocketbook. Then again, you have to start adding trace minerals into the tank, and some of those are expensive too. dsoz Link to comment
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