Bacterial Bloom?

[Frank77]

So, for those who've seen my other posts, I've had this tank for a little over three weeks now.
 
Just today, the water is getting a little cloudy, I am careful to not over feed.
 
I did a 30% water change yesterday, using some water conditioner.
 
My friend who gave me the tank said it may happen, and there is not much to do about it, just wait it out.
 
I've seen some water clarifiers available. Are they useful, or even recommended?
 
20 Gallon
6 Male Guppies
2 Long Fin Albino Plecos
5 Ghost Shrimp

 

[driger8642]

Water Clarifiers do work as to clear up the water, but it will not resolve the cause of the cloudyness and the cloudyness will return in a day or two depending on the cause. I say just wait it out, check water levels to see any irregularities, check the bio bag in your filter and clean any excess food or dirt (DO NOT clean in tap water as it will kill all the good bacteria). What I do is during a water change, I clean the bio bag in the bucket I take the water out.
 
Edit: I recently started with this hobby as well so I do ask other experts to correct me if I'm wrong, I just relayed the information I came across while researching. Good luck

 

[NickAu]

 
I've seen some water clarifiers available. Are they useful, or even recommended?

I wouldn't add any of that stuff to my tank.
 

 
My friend who gave me the tank said it may happen, and there is not much to do about it, just wait it out.

IMO your friend is right.

 

[Frank77]

OK, I'll leave it be.
 
How long until I should get worried?
 
I will be getting some more water testing strips tomorrow. I had a few, she left me, and all parameters were within normal range, as of two days ago. Though, it didn't have a test for ammonia.

 

[NickAu]

 
I will be getting some more water testing strips tomorrow.

Test strips are not that accurate.
 
Try this.

API Freshwater Master Test Kit - The Tech Den

 

[Frank77]

Will do, I found it on my LFS website, it should be in stock at the store.
 
Thanks!

 

[Gruntle]

Give it a week and see what happens. It's most likely a bacteria bloom and will resolve itself. It's extremely common.

 

[Goggy]

It could also be a Algae Bloom, if it is an algae bloom you can change 25% of the tankwater then turn of the lights completely for 3-4 days

 

[Frank77]

I don't believe it's an algae bloom.....it's just sort of a white haze.
 
The tank gets no natural light, and so far I don't see any algae at all in the tank.
 
But thanks for the input.
 
EDIT: I looked into it, and the algae wafers I feed my Plecos are inert apparently, so they shouldn't cause algae growth, on their own.

 

[Ltygress]

The only problem I have with "bacterial bloom" is that you said the tank was given to you. Was it already stocked with heater, filter, and even fish? Was the tank in use when you got it, or had it been sitting in storage for awhile and dried out?

Because if you got fish, tank, gravel and filter all together, then the cycle SHOULD be complete and it shouldn't get cloudy again.

 

[Frank77]

She brought the tank, clean and dry.
 
She put in some used gravel and a few decorations. I added the water, using a conditioner....just the normal stuff to take care of the chlorine.
 
The guppies and plecos were added next...with the water they came in from her other tank.
 
The filter (Aqua Clear 50) was used, and from a healthy tank.
 
It was fine until this started the other day. It doesn't seem any worse today, so hopefully it's on the mend.

 

[Ltygress]

So everything was used and stgill damp except the glass tank itself? Yeah there should have been a bacterial bloom like that. Maybe a SMALL spike, but not any bad cloudiness.

 

[Frank77]

I don't know how to gauge a small bloom from a large one, it's just a light haze.
 
I bought some Nutrafin Cycle Biological Supplement, and have treated it for two days now. Just to be sure there is enough of the good bacteria in there, incase I messed up somewhere.
 
All the fish look healthy, active and feeding quite well.
 
I kind of feel bad for all the male guppies, desperately chasing each other, hoping to find a mate,lol.

 

[Bubble.Guppy]

 
I kind of feel bad for all the male guppies, desperately chasing each other, hoping to find a mate,lol.

Hey, its 2015, things have changed

 

[Frank77]

LOL....indeed!
 
I am not one to judge.