Cloudy Water

[julielynn47]

I am setting up a 10 gallon tank for a Betta.  I have  had it up and running now for about 3 weeks I guess.  I finally got some plants that I hope will grow.  My question is this, why would the water be cloudy right now?  It was clear.  I have no fish in it. I have not added ammonia to it to start a cycle.    Not sure what would cause cloudy water under these circumstances.
 
I am just curious I guess. Can you have a bacterial bloom even when you have no livestock in the tank?

 

[Akasha72]

hmm I'm not sure if you can get a bacterial bloom when there's effectively no bacteria?? Common sense would say no but some bacteria could have come in on the plants maybe ... does it look like you've dropped a little bit of milk into the tank?

 

[julielynn47]

Yep, it is even more cloudy now.   I just never thought that a bloom could happen without fish or shrimp or something in it.

 

[StevenF]

 
 
Yep, it is even more cloudy now.   I just never thought that a bloom could happen without fish or shrimp or something in it.

You can get a bloom even if you have no animals or plants in the aquarium.  All you need is sufficient nutrients in the water for the bacteria to grow.  If you have hard water there is a very good chance your water had everything the bacteria needed.  The plants may have also had some nitrogen fertilizer in there pots or in the water.   In contrast if you used very soft water you are unlikely to get a bloom and the tank may not cycle.
 
Note in my opinion you should cycle without plants and then once the tank has cycled add the plants.  Assuming sufficient nutrients the plants may consume much of the ammonia you add leaving little for the bacteria.

 

[julielynn47]

So is this probably the start of a cycle that I didn't anticipate or make happen then?  I guess I could somehow take advantage of that?  But the plants are in there and I think I am going to leave them in there.   I thought you could cycle a tank with plants in it.  Does it somehow hurt the plants?

 

[Akasha72]

it's certainly a bacteria bloom then. What are your plans for cycling? Are you planning on adding ammonia and doing a fishless cycle?

 

[julielynn47]

That was my plan.  I have never done one before.  My 55 gallon took forever to cycle, I thought I was going to pull my hair out. LOL   I had to stay on top of it because I had fish in it and I was doing 2 or 3 water changes a day toward the end of it. Worrying about the fish etc. I don't want to have to worry like that this time around.  I would rather let the ammonia spike and not have to worry about water changes all the time.
 
I am planning on getting some ammonia today and learning this whole fishless cycle thing. Even though I have plants it will have to be a lot less stress just knowing there are no fish in there to die if I goof up.

 

[Akasha72]

you mention a 55 gallon - is this an established tank? If so you could seed the new filter from the established filter. If you are planning on just keeping a single betta if you are careful you could be looking at an instant cycle by taking some media from an established filter. If you plan on doing this, be careful to keep an eye on the ammonia and nitrite readings for a week or so but it's do-able. 
 
I seeded a filter for a pair of angels just by adding the sponges to a bucket and emptying the dirty water and gunk from the bottom of one of my external canisters and letting them sit for a few days - going to the bucket each day and squeezing the sponges in the bucket to help the bacteria really get into the sponges. I also ran an air stone in the bucket. Within a week this tank was fully cycled and ready for the angels. I kept an eye on ammonia and nitrite for about 10 days but I saw no spikes at all and the angels bred the following week

 

[Essjay]

So is this probably the start of a cycle that I didn't anticipate or make happen then?

 The bacteria that cause the bloom are not the ones we want to grow. Bloom bacteria feed on organic compounds in the tank, and these could be anything like plasticiser leaching out of anything plastic, chemicals in the corner sealant etc. The filter bacteria we want to grow use nitrogenous compounds as food.
 
There is a full explanation here http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/246850-bacterial-blooms-explained/

 

[julielynn47]

This bacteria bloom did not start until I changed the water and added the new plants.  So I don't know what kind of bloom it is.  But I couldn't find any pure ammonia so I guess that is out.
 
The 55 gallon is established. I have had it since 2007 and it is good to go.  A few days ago I took the biological media out of the filter in the 10 gallon and put it in the filter housing of the 55 gallon. I was hoping that in about a month I could get the Betta and then move the media back to the 10 gallon, along with some bio cube rings I have had in the 55 gallon filter for years.  Then I hope that will pretty instantly cycle the 10 gallon.
 
That is the plan anyway.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

I found some pure ammonia at the Dollar Tree around here. And it was only a dollar! Lol. If you still wanted to find some.

 

[julielynn47]

I will check there. I might need it.  Thanks!

 

[Ninjouzata]

Another place you can check for ammonia is Ace Hardware Hope you can find some.

 

[julielynn47]

Okay, so this is going to be a silly silly silly question for all you more knowledgeable about this than I am.  I have, as I have said before, no idea how this bacterial bloom I have in the 10 gallon even started. I set it up and added plants and bamm! There it was.  So what I am wondering is this, since it will be Friday before I get the Dr. Tim's ammonia stuff in the mail, if this bacteria bloom dies off due to lack of ammonia, which it looks like it is indeed doing, how do I start another one up?   I have honestly never gave it any thought.  
 
I cycled my 55 gallon years and years ago with fish in the tank. I knew nothing about fishless cycling. I don't know how the bacteria come to be in that tank, but I do know that it took months to get it cycled. I was almost to the point of throwing my hands up in the air and walking away. LOL  
 
So, I guess what I want to know, is how can I start a bacterial bloom if this one dies out, so hopefully it does not take months to cycle this tank?

 

[fluttermoth]

As essjay pointed out above, the bacteria that cause blooms in the water are not the same ones that we grow in a cycle.

Bacteria and bacterial spores are everywhere; in the air, in the water (although chlorine keeps them from multiplying, they're still there) on plants and rocks; they'll be around. Cycling is more about cultivating a healthy colony from the few bacteria that arrive, rather than trying to 'catch' the right kind.