Bacterial bloom

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Natalie Griffin

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Hi all.
I have an established tank of 1 year. Last month it suddenly developed a bacterial bloom. Tank is 150L with 9 fish. 5 golden barns, I Mollie, 1 angel, 1 shark and a pleco so I don't think it's overcrowding. I have tried everything I can think of. I removed all gravel. Took out several plants. ( only 2 real left plus 2 artificial). Installed an extra filter. Added an oxygenated. 10% daily water change. Added filter boosters . Tried crystal clear and just today ordered purigen. I'm at my wits end ! Please help
 
Hi and welcome to the forum :)

Can you describe the bacterial bloom?

If the water is cloudy green it is an algal bloom.
If the water is a cloudy milky colour it is bacteria.

Bacterial blooms in aquariums are normally caused by too much rotting organic matter (usually uneaten fish food) and a filter that is not working correctly.

The easiest way to deal with it is by doing a 75% water change and gravel cleaning the substrate every day for 2 weeks.

---------------------------
How do you clean the filter?

Filters should be cleaned at least once a month and every 2 weeks is better. If you have a power filter, wash the filter materials (media) in a bucket of tank water. When they are clean, put the media in the aquarium and wash the filter case and impellor under the tap. When it's clean, reassemble the filter and get it going again.
 
Hi all.
I have an established tank of 1 year. Last month it suddenly developed a bacterial bloom. Tank is 150L with 9 fish. 5 golden barns, I Mollie, 1 angel, 1 shark and a pleco so I don't think it's overcrowding. I have tried everything I can think of. I removed all gravel. Took out several plants. ( only 2 real left plus 2 artificial). Installed an extra filter. Added an oxygenated. 10% daily water change. Added filter boosters . Tried crystal clear and just today ordered purigen. I'm at my wits end ! Please help
Hi and welcome to the forum :)

Can you describe the bacterial bloom?

If the water is cloudy green it is an algal bloom.
If the water is a cloudy milky colour it is bacteria.

Bacterial blooms in aquariums are normally caused by too much rotting organic matter (usually uneaten fish food) and a filter that is not working correctly.

The easiest way to deal with it is by doing a 75% water change and gravel cleaning the substrate every day for 2 weeks.

---------------------------
How do you clean the filter?

Filters should be cleaned at least once a month and every 2 weeks is better. If you have a power filter, wash the filter materials (media) in a bucket of tank water. When they are clean, put the media in the aquarium and wash the filter case and impellor under the tap. When it's clean, reassemble the filter and get it going again.
Thx for your reply. It has a green colour. Should I remove all plants till water is clear ? And will bloom come back if I return the plants or should I get new ones ? Thx for advice on filter. I regularly swish inserts in bucket water and replace every 6 weeks but I have never taken filter apart. I'll do this today and also gravel hoovering daily
 
You should never replace filter materials unless they start to fall apart. The filter materials develop colonies of beneficial bacteria that keep the water clean. If you replace the materials, you get rid of the good bacteria and then you can get ammonia and nitrite in the water.

If you have filter pads with carbon (black granules), you can cut the pad open and tip the carbon out and throw the carbon away. Then squeeze the pad in a bucket of tank water and re-use it.

Some internal power filters have a round/ cylindrical sponge with a hole through the centre. These sponges fit on the intake strainer of most external power filters.

You can also get sponges for other brands of filters and use a pair of scissors to cut them to fit in your filter. I use AquaClear filter sponges but there are plenty of other brands too.

--------------------------
If the water is green cloudy then you have an algal bloom in the tank. This is caused by too many nutrients and or too much light in the tank.

You can reduce the light by an hour or so each day and see if that helps.
You can do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate each day for a week and it might help.
You can add live plants and they will use the light and nutrients and should help.

If you remove the live plants, the problem will get worse.

Floating plants like Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta) are good for reducing light and using up nutrients.
 
You should never replace filter materials unless they start to fall apart. The filter materials develop colonies of beneficial bacteria that keep the water clean. If you replace the materials, you get rid of the good bacteria and then you can get ammonia and nitrite in the water.

If you have filter pads with carbon (black granules), you can cut the pad open and tip the carbon out and throw the carbon away. Then squeeze the pad in a bucket of tank water and re-use it.

Some internal power filters have a round/ cylindrical sponge with a hole through the centre. These sponges fit on the intake strainer of most external power filters.

You can also get sponges for other brands of filters and use a pair of scissors to cut them to fit in your filter. I use AquaClear filter sponges but there are plenty of other brands too.

--------------------------
If the water is green cloudy then you have an algal bloom in the tank. This is caused by too many nutrients and or too much light in the tank.

You can reduce the light by an hour or so each day and see if that helps.
You can do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate each day for a week and it might help.
You can add live plants and they will use the light and nutrients and should help.

If you remove the live plants, the problem will get worse.

Floating plants like Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta) are good for reducing light and using up nutrients.
Thank you so much. I will follow your advice and let you know how I get on.
 

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