POSSIBLE ALGAE BLOOM?

[happyadd]

Hey;

Last weekend I did a 20% water change as normal and cleaned the filter (in tank water) for the first time.

By monday my water had gone slightly misty. SO I did another 20% and tested the water. The readings were

amm:0.10
nitrite: 0.05
Ph: 7.0-8.0

The Ph was the biggest worry, as it is usually a steady 6.50...strange one.

I just assumed that my tank was doing a mini cycle due to the filter being cleaned.

However, last night it was cloudy again, water checked fine so I did another 20% change. The algae growth seems to have increased. When I touched my plants this brown "dust" came off them. This instantly made the water cloudy.

Today I have turned my timer off so the lights will stay off all day. Is this a normal thing to happen, is it algae or just waste? If so whats the best way to clean plants, I have a oto but he wont clean the needle leaved plants, only the swords etc.

 

[andywg]

How long has the tank been going?

A small bacterial bloom that will make the water cloudy isn't extremely uncommon. I would think that the appearance of both Ammonia and Nitrite indicates a mini-cycle.

 

[happyadd]

Over 8 weeks now; I did a fishless cycle which ended aroung 4 weeks ago..I though it was a mini cycle too, but whay the brown "dust" stuff? what is it?

 

[Dubby]

What sort of substrate do you have? It could be fine particles that have been disturbed by the water change? It could also be the particles in the filter which have now been let loose.