Bacterial Blooms Explained

[backtotropical]

BTT, I would probably say that the biofilms are "primarily" the result of the heterotrophs. The biofilms are probably the result of a mix of a number of species that span the whole range of both the heterotrophs and on into the chemolithic autotrophs.

Absolutly correct WD. thanks for pointing out my oversight. Now amended.

 

[backtotropical]

Thinking about target audience here, the vast majority of bacteria blooms that we see are in new tanks, the topic assumes a reasonable knowledge of the cycling process which beginners often don't have. So perhaps a caveat at the top saying you need to understand the cycling process first, if you don't then here's a link.....

If someone's just got a new tank, put some fish in and the waters gone cloudy 2 days later chances are they'll be asking about that rather than about cycling, yes we usually pick up if it's a cycling tank and get the info to them that way but because the two are so often linked i think it would be worthwhile practically linking the topics.

Good comment MW. I totally agree. I have amended the article to include a link.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

good stuff

 

[rabbut]

Any chance you could put an underlined title over the prevention section? Just makes things easier to find and quote later After that, good for a pin IMO

All the best
Rabbut

 

[backtotropical]

Any chance you could put an underlined title over the prevention section? Just makes things easier to find and quote later After that, good for a pin IMO

All the best
Rabbut

I have now split up the article into easily manageable sections to make it as user-friendly as possible.

Cheers

BTT

 

[waterdrop]

Yup, just read it again and still liking it

 

[backtotropical]

Yup, just read it again and still liking it

Thanks. I'm hoping it can be pinned soon. Any progress on this RDD1952?

Cheers

BTT

 

[kcharley]

BTT,

Thanks for bringing this back up front. I was just about to go looking for this as I am fighting what I think is a bacterial bloom in a cycling aquarium. I made signigicant process by adding more floss to my hob filter and maybe by adding some plants. The floss I pirated from another filter which has been cycled. The water is a lot clearer now. However, I now have biofilm sprouting on the root I added. Right now I'm boiling the root as I recall reading that some believe it helps. So the question I have is "How do I deal with a bloom in a cycling tank?" Thanks in advance for any help you can give me. This is my wife's aquarium so I really want it to look nice for her.

Greg

 

[erk628]

Very informative write up! I to motion it to get pinned!

 

[backtotropical]

BTT,

Thanks for bringing this back up front. I was just about to go looking for this as I am fighting what I think is a bacterial bloom in a cycling aquarium. I made signigicant process by adding more floss to my hob filter and maybe by adding some plants. The floss I pirated from another filter which has been cycled. The water is a lot clearer now. However, I now have biofilm sprouting on the root I added. Right now I'm boiling the root as I recall reading that some believe it helps. So the question I have is "How do I deal with a bloom in a cycling tank?" Thanks in advance for any help you can give me. This is my wife's aquarium so I really want it to look nice for her.

Greg

Hi Greg,

If you read the article, it suggests remedies for a bacterial bloom, mainly being an increase in substrate vaccuming (and removal of detritus from any other place where it may accumulate), ensure any uneaten food, dead fish and dead plants are removed, increase aeration, and a bit of patience.

Most blooms will disperse in a matter of days without any action being necassary.

I would suggest that your filter floss and plants probably didn't really contribute to the clearing of the bloom, and was probably a coincidence. Your bloom is probably clearing of its own accord.

If the floss did help considerably, you probably don't have a bloom. It is probably silt from your substrate. Relatively harmless, but makes the water cloudy. Is the substrate new?

What you refer to as "biofilm" is probably a fungal growth and is quite common on bogwood in aquariums. Again harmless, and will probably disappear on its own (I too have heard that boiling the wood helps, but i've never tried it).

Hope that helps.

BTT

 

[jumblepod]

Reading that reminds me of being back in biology lessons Nice work m8

 

[kcharley]

Hi Greg,

If you read the article, it suggests remedies for a bacterial bloom, mainly being an increase in substrate vaccuming (and removal of detritus from any other place where it may accumulate), ensure any uneaten food, dead fish and dead plants are removed, increase aeration, and a bit of patience.

Most blooms will disperse in a matter of days without any action being necassary.

I would suggest that your filter floss and plants probably didn't really contribute to the clearing of the bloom, and was probably a coincidence. Your bloom is probably clearing of its own accord.

If the floss did help considerably, you probably don't have a bloom. It is probably silt from your substrate. Relatively harmless, but makes the water cloudy. Is the substrate new?

What you refer to as "biofilm" is probably a fungal growth and is quite common on bogwood in aquariums. Again harmless, and will probably disappear on its own (I too have heard that boiling the wood helps, but i've never tried it).

Hope that helps.

BTT

Hi BTT,

Sorry to take so long to get back, holidays and visiting relatives.

Thank you for the reply.

The cloudiness is now cleared. I'm guessing it was a bloom because it started when there was no gravel in the tank. I was cycling the tank in the garage and the water had been clear for 10 days or so when I noticed a little cloudiness that progressed to heavy cloudiness in 36 hours. At that point I drained the tank, wiped it down and moved it inside. Perhaps it was substrate dust but it had been clear a couple of days after adding the substrate before the cloudiness came back.

As it is a "new" tank, I was trying to ask how to clear a bloom where there is no organic waste in tank other than the ammonia added for cycling.

It is academic now as it is clear.

Boiling the wood seems to have cured whatever its problem was. You are probably right that it was a fungus.

Thanks again and thank you for a well written article. As I remembered it when the cloudiness appeared, I didn't worry. I just tried something different and was about to go looking for this thread when it came back to front.

Greg

 

[Brette]

I think this should be pinned too. I'm getting bacterial blooms and I don't know why. The tank is not new, it's clean, the water readings are all 0... total mystery. Starting to wonder if it's my bogwood rotting or something. I'm ready to tear my hair out. I keep losing fish to this.

 

[grasshopper_green]

I just got a bloom after doing a water change. I stirred up the gravel, fluffed up the mossballs, etc. and I'm convinced that this disturbance triggered the bloom. How common is this? Is there anything else about doing a water change that could contribute to a bacterial bloom?

 

[rdd1952]

BTT, I have to apologize. I had some things going on when we first talked about pinning it and I never got back around to doing it but I have taken care of it now.