Clouded By Bacteria?

[Dr. Zoos]

so 3 weeks into my cycle using old dead rock and I can't see 12" through my tank. And the water is alive!!!! I thought I was having a micro bubble issue from my skimmer. Then it's getting worse as days pass. Last night I unplugged my skimmer out of frustration and put an ac300 on with sponges to try and clear the water.....it's worse. So I shut the pumps all off the micro bubbles are alive I swear. And other things barely visible moving in the water column. I added this bio jump start fluid from big als to add bacteria two weeks ago and some last week as directed.

Please what do I do? Massive water change? No light? Wait it out?
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78.3*

 

[Dr. Zoos]

Boom!!!!!
Found it Looks like I may have been right finally Lol
Bacteria Bloom
The primary reason most marine aquariums get cloudy tank water is because the heterotrophic bacteria are blooming. A rapid bacteria growth will make the water a white color. This is a common occurrence when a marine tank is first set up. The nutrient cycle is still being established and a balance of the heterotrophic organic reducing bacteria and autotrophic nitrite reducing bacteria have not been fully established yet. Heterotrophic bacteria feed on organic matter or detritus including fish poop, dead fish, decaying algae, dead phytoplankton and dead bacteria. Given organic matter and oxygen, the heterotrophic bacteria produce ammonia. Autotrophic bacteria feed on ammonia and produce nitrite. Heterotrophic bacteria rapidly reproduce, doubling every 20 minutes in ideal conditions. Autotrophic bacteria reproduce more slowly, doubling every 12-20 hours. In a new system the abundant organics in the water allow the heterotrophic bacteria to rapidly bloom. In an established tank an influx of organics such as overfeeding and clogged filters can provide the organics to feed a heterotrophic bacteria bloom. In the event of a bloom the bacteria will rapidly consume the oxygen potentially suffocating and killing fish. The aquarist should ensure very good oxygenation with skimmer operation and surface agitation with pumps, and remove the excess organic matter. Then allow the bloom to cycle through and it will clear up on its own. Water changes have no effect because the heterotrophic bacteria reproduce so quickly. Performing a good aquarium service by cleaning filters and vacuuming detritus in a water change will help remove the organic matter. Adding additional water flow, clean up crew and suspension feeders will help to maintain lower detritus in the aquarium.

 

[thehvacman]

I have always run carbon on every tank I've had, and ive never had an issue with water clarity even during a cycle. Try running carbon it should clear up. What are you using as an ammonia source for the cycle?

 

[AdInfinitum]

You're just cycling...probably no livestock to worry about...turn the skimmer back on...(all that bacteria growth will require tons of oxygen and you don't want it going anoxic) and the skimmer will remove the remains as generations of bacteria die off.....just let it be and the bloom will pass and it will all sort itself out....generally speaking with marine systems, doing more causes issues.....doing less let's things find their own stable balance....

 

[Dr Bluethumb]

Maybe its the rocks leaching out organics.

 

[thehvacman]

The die off from old rock is not the same as detritus. If there is no livestock producing waste, feeding bacteria for the cycle, don't you need to dose ammonia? Bacteria could be just dieing off because there is no food. I have never used bacteria in a bottle before, but aren't they ment to be used when stocking a new tank, to limit ammonia spikes and shorten the cycle time?

 

[AdInfinitum]

The die off from old rock is not the same as detritus. If there is no livestock producing waste, feeding bacteria for the cycle, don't you need to dose ammonia? Bacteria could be just dieing off because there is no food. I have never used bacteria in a bottle before, but aren't they ment to be used when stocking a new tank, to limit ammonia spikes and shorten the cycle time?

Yes...how are you cycling the tank fishless with ammonia additions or adding frozen food to the tank daily or???

 

[vdubz]

When I fishless cycled my tank I dosed ammonia. I had a week or 2 when my water got cloudy. It eventually cleared up as the cycle progressed. No messing around. Just skimmer on and the occasional dose of vinegar for carbon. Lights off till week 4 I believe

 

[Dr. Zoos]

So I've only added frozen food a few times. And not much. Maybe not enough then? I figured that the rock had enough old tank crud and death in it that it would be helping.

 

[vdubz]

I started with cleaned rock , so I can't speak for starting a cycle with rock that had dead matter on it.

 

[AdInfinitum]

Old dead matter won't provide food energy to drive the cycle other than from some die off. Most of the useable energy would have been long since consumed in a live system...you need to start adding ammonia or at least some fresh food to get the cycle going back in the right direction...I had assumed that you were already feeding the cycle.

 

[AdInfinitum]

Honestly..IME...I have started literally dozens of systems large and small over the years and as long as I started with good chunk of rock and a handful of substrate from my old established system I have just added the first fish immediately as well and have never seen any measurable cycle...no detectable ammonia...no detectable nitrites...

The handful of substrate and an old established rock have enough nitrogen processing bacteria to take care of one fishes waste easily and as long as you give it a week between fish additions for the bacteria bed to adapt...you are good to go. If anyone has actual experience to the contrary with a properly seeded system I would like to hear about it...

Of course you will still experience all of the usual new tank blooms as the system and newer rock populates and establishes balance.

 

[Dr. Zoos]

I had thought I was going on the right way. Seen diatom bloom about the 2 week mark and now that is all gone but was replaced with this current bac bloom.
THis is the first time I've used all old dead rock as well.

 

[AdInfinitum]

Diatoms are independent of other aspects of the cycle as they are extremely adaptable to a variety of conditions (diatom blooms occur a few weeks into spring in most FW ponds for example)...their bloom is strictly based on the presence of free silicates from new (or freshly cleaned/agitated) rock and sand and doesn't really indicate much about the progression of other aspects of a new tanks cycle.

 

[shamous113]

I did a fish-less cycle on my current tank, I picked up old country ammonia from home hardware, i used 1/2 old dead rock and 1/2 "cooked rock" and added seachem stability as per the instructions. my cycle took a bit longer then i expected but it worked well, I believe my cycle stalled due too a heater dying and my tank temp doping. the attached pdf was passed on to me when i started my fish less cycle and I believe it originated from @yveterinarian.

 

[Dr. Zoos]

Thanks for helping my stupidity everyone

 

[yveterinarian]

Never fear asking questions. It is how we all learn. The bacteria bloom will sort itself out as they stabilize but as the tank is cycling you must make sure you get an ammonia spike and later on a nitrite spike when you are testing. If you don't you haven't finished the cycle. Once the ammonia spike happens and goes back down to zero, the nitrites should start spiking as the second half of your cycle. Keep feeding the tank while this is happening or all that wonderful bacteria dies off and you are back to square one. If you used food to start your cycle add a bit more food to keep it going. The tank has finished cycling when you don't have an ammonia or nitrite reading when your food is rotting down. Myself, I always prefer using ammonia as the food source so I don't have to wait for the food to rot in there and I know exactly how much ammonia I have added and how quickly the tank clears it. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask. We are always glad to help.

 

[Dr. Zoos]

Never fear asking questions. It is how we all learn. The bacteria bloom will sort itself out as they stabilize but as the tank is cycling you must make sure you get an ammonia spike and later on a nitrite spike when you are testing. If you don't you haven't finished the cycle. Once the ammonia spike happens and goes back down to zero, the nitrites should start spiking as the second half of your cycle. Keep feeding the tank while this is happening or all that wonderful bacteria dies off and you are back to square one. If you used food to start your cycle add a bit more food to keep it going. The tank has finished cycling when you don't have an ammonia or nitrite reading when your food is rotting down. Myself, I always prefer using ammonia as the food source so I don't have to wait for the food to rot in there and I know exactly how much ammonia I have added and how quickly the tank clears it. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask. We are always glad to help.

Thanks. I'm going to follow along the link that was passed on that you had shared befor. Sucks now feeling like I've wasted 3 weeks of Staring at rock and water and no closer to fish or coral. Ugh

 

[yveterinarian]

Those weeks may not be wasted as you have been building up some beneficial bacteria. Your tank may be in the middle of the cycle and it may not take too long to finish it. Take heart, all is not lost.