Bacteria Bloom - Question (Update)

[Jaybird]

Hello all,
I'm currently experiencing a bacteria bloom in a new 10G aquarium. As most support advice goes, I'm just going to wait it out and let the tank cycle properly on it's own.

My question is.... while I'm waiting this out and the tank slowly starts to evaporate water, what type of water should I be "topping it off" with?
I understand adding regular tap water with a conditioner is only going to feed the bacteria more so I have held off on adding any water so far.

Is distilled or ionized water ok to use? or something else?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you may have.

Regards.

 

[Essjay]

Any form of pure water is OK to use - distilled, deionised, reverse osmosis, even rain water if there's no pollution where you live (including crop spraying not just industrial)

 

[Jaybird]

Thank you Essjay, I will try one of those then.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Welcome to TFF

How will adding dechlored tap water "feed the bacteria" more?

 

[Jaybird]

Hi Slaphppy7,

I was just following the advice from KaveMan... in his article about bloom he states...

"How To Fix Bacterial Bloom​

The good news is the solution to getting rid of these Cloud Causing Bacteria during a new tank bacterial bloom is simple. Do nothing! That’s right, no water changes, no additives, no chemicals needed.

Water changes are actually going to make the Cloud Causing Bacteria left over in your tank reproduce even faster when you add in new nutrient rich water again and the bacterial bloom will just return. You’ll just be resetting the bloom every time.


With time as your tank cycles, your beneficial bacteria, which is the nitrifying bacteria we do want in excess, will eventually grow and starve the cloudy water causing bacteria away. Problem solved!"


I have tried adding tap water with conditioner and the bloom seems to persist so I was thinking that maybe I was "feeding" it more than I was helping to get rid of it. This is why I was asking if I should be using a different type of water to top it up. Maybe I wasn't patient enough with the regular conditioned tap water? I dunno, just wondering what type of water to replace what is evaporating during the bloom?

Regards.

 

[Essjay]

I missed that part of your first post
The only way dechlorinators help bacterial blooms is by removing chlorine and allowing bloom bacteria in the water to multiply. The bloom bacteria will die off but it is impossible to say how long as every tank is different.

Once there are fish in the tank if water evaporates so that topping up is necessary between weekly water changes that should be done with 'pure' water. This is because the water evaporates but everything dissolved in the water remains in the tank. Adding more tap water adds more dissolved stuff and over time this can mean the tank water gets harder.
During fishless cycling, that doesn't matter as we do a very large water change when the cycle has finished which resets the tank water back to the same a tap water.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Hi Slaphppy7,

I was just following the advice from KaveMan... in his article about bloom he states...

"How To Fix Bacterial Bloom​

The good news is the solution to getting rid of these Cloud Causing Bacteria during a new tank bacterial bloom is simple. Do nothing! That’s right, no water changes, no additives, no chemicals needed.

Water changes are actually going to make the Cloud Causing Bacteria left over in your tank reproduce even faster when you add in new nutrient rich water again and the bacterial bloom will just return. You’ll just be resetting the bloom every time.


With time as your tank cycles, your beneficial bacteria, which is the nitrifying bacteria we do want in excess, will eventually grow and starve the cloudy water causing bacteria away. Problem solved!"


I have tried adding tap water with conditioner and the bloom seems to persist so I was thinking that maybe I was "feeding" it more than I was helping to get rid of it. This is why I was asking if I should be using a different type of water to top it up. Maybe I wasn't patient enough with the regular conditioned tap water? I dunno, just wondering what type of water to replace what is evaporating during the bloom?

Regards.

Tap water isn't "nutrient rich", not sure what he meant by that...it contains trace minerals, yes, but nothing that would support the BB colony growing faster.

At any rate, good advice from @Essjay above...is there a lid on the tank?

 

[Rocky998]

I agree with everyone else, but I am surprised no one has mentioned that you DO have to do things for a cycle and you cant just let it sit for a few days... You have to add 3ppm worth of ammonia to the tank and have the bacteria be able to rid of all ammonia AND nitrites in 24 hours... This process usually takes somewhere imbetween 3-6 weeks... Here are the instructions for cycling with ammonia: https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycle-your-tank-a-complete-guide-for-beginners.475055/

 

[Jaybird]

Thanks Essjay & Slaphpp7,

Yes, I do have a lid but it's open at the back to accommodate an HoB Aquaclear 20 filter. Running an air stone inside as well for oxygen. Not exposed to sunlight and I'm keeping the tank light "on time" to only and hour or two a day.

My tank currently has 2 Danios and 2 Cory's

I guess no harm no foul in using distilled "pure" water then. I'll top it up with that and hopefully the bloom will run it's course.

I appreciate all the advice!

 

[Rocky998]

I agree with everyone else, but I am surprised no one has mentioned that you DO have to do things for a cycle and you cant just let it sit for a few days... You have to add 3ppm worth of ammonia to the tank and have the bacteria be able to rid of all ammonia AND nitrites in 24 hours... This process usually takes somewhere imbetween 3-6 weeks... Here are the instructions for cycling with ammonia: https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycle-your-tank-a-complete-guide-for-beginners.475055/

You can also cycle your tank by heavily planting it with fast growers

 

[Jaybird]

Thank you Rocky, I'll look into that as well!

 

[Slaphppy7]

Thanks Essjay & Slaphpp7,

Yes, I do have a lid but it's open at the back to accommodate an HoB Aquaclear 20 filter. Running an air stone inside as well for oxygen. Not exposed to sunlight and I'm keeping the tank light "on time" to only and hour or two a day.

My tank currently has 2 Danios and 2 Cory's

I guess no harm no foul in using distilled "pure" water then. I'll top it up with that and hopefully the bloom will run it's course.

I appreciate all the advice!

Ahh, so you are doing a fish-in cycle...be sure to read up on it in the link @Rocky998 provided above

 

[Rocky998]

Thank you Rocky, I'll look into that as well!

Anytime!

 

[DoubleDutch]

Tap water isn't "nutrient rich", not sure what he meant by that...it contains trace minerals, yes, but nothing that would support the BB colony growing faster.

At any rate, good advice from @Essjay above...is there a lid on the tank?

Bacterial Bloom is caused by different (heterotrophic) bacteria than the BB Matt.
These heterotrophic bacteria feed on exact the trace minerals you're mentioning.
So adding pure water means the food runs out faster and the bloom disappears faster.

 

[Jaybird]

Thanks DoubleDutch!

A lot of articles on this issue state to just let the bloom run it's course for as long as it takes. But some also say not to add any new water during this time. I get the reason why, but over the span of a few weeks you'll eventually have to had something! (my tank is only 10g so evaporation happens fairly quick). This is what I was getting at... what type of water to use to refill?

I took Essjay's advice and topped up my tank with distilled water... hopefully this will help with the "starving" process.

I appreciate everyone's response thus far on this! Very good information.