Weird cloudy layer in Guppy Tanks

[madisonfortyway]

What’s really hurting is that my guppy fry that we’re just born were in that tank. 40 plus. I’m only seeing three of four now. I’ve never had this problem before. I’ve had the same group of fish for more then a year now with different tank setups.. I’ve never seen this!

 

[madisonfortyway]

@kwi Can you explain what a bloom is exactly? I have an idea but really like to learn more when it comes to my babies.

 

[The Lumpfish Guy]

an you explain what a bloom is exactly?

So If you have excess nutrients within the water from something, it can used a rapid increase in a microorganism, often bacteria or fungi.
These often grow so quickly that they will outcompete everything for resources.
It happens on a large scale in the Oceans and lakes too where you get massive runoff of fertilisers from the land
Edit:
Often this causes "dead zones" as the first things to be used up are dissolved gasses where you see all the oxygen depleted

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

It looks like a bloom that isn't spreading through the tank. is it below the heater, and the filter intake?
I've wondered about thermoclines forming in aquarium, and this sort of says it's possible.

A thermocline is where water at 2 different temperatures stays seperate and doesn't mix, I have swam through them, warm surface water, a cold layer, then warm water below that, and they are also known to trap sound and mess up sonar systems.
And if it is a bloom it will deoxygenate the water.

How long has the tank been running?
Try moving the filter intake and airstone into the layer. Is the airstine running? And is your filter outlet disturbing the water surface?

So If you have excess nutrients within the water from something, it can used a rapid increase in a microorganism, often bacteria or fungi.
These often grow so quickly that they will outcompete everything for resources.
It happens on a large scale in the Oceans and lakes too where you get massive runoff of fertilisers from the land

I'm really glad you two brainy, boffin types are here
I only truly grasp about every third word, but I'm still impressed by the knowledge, and glad I can tag you guys into stuff like this and that you'll know what's going on and how to help!

 

[madisonfortyway]

I'm really glad you two brainy, boffin types are here
I only truly grasp about every third word, but I'm still impressed by the knowledge, and glad I can tag you guys into stuff like this and that you'll know what's going on and how to help!

Yes This was super helpful. I’m super sad about the big loss of fish but now that I have an idea about what’s going on I can rest easy. I’ll be starting everything back up and waiting on the water to clear!

 

[kwi]

Quite common in newly set up tanks as there is suddenly excess food for the bacteria etc.

Water changes and gravel cleaning can help, I ignored mine as I was doing a fishless cycle.
What about your water parameters?

 

[The Lumpfish Guy]

Yes This was super helpful. I’m super sad about the big loss of fish but now that I have an idea about what’s going on I can rest easy. I’ll be starting everything back up and waiting on the water to clear!

I wonder if it is the gravel leaching something, maybe try keeping it out for the time being?

bacteria etc.

I am leaning maybe towards fungi, still looks like the stuff you can get on some woods some times.
Either way still annoying

 

[madisonfortyway]

Quite common in newly set up tanks as there is suddenly excess food for the bacteria etc.

Water changes and gravel cleaning can help, I ignored mine as I was doing a fishless cycle.
What about your water parameters?

Everything is normal. In my 10 gallon with the adults I had the same issue.. With some worse results. A lot of my adults seemed to be bleeding internally? When I tested the water everything was normal. Unfortunately those died as well. I removed the substrate and EVERYTHING and now have them in the tank alone. There’s no cloudiness whatsoever but a lot of them still have the red marks all over them. I separated the babies in the first place for this reason.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Yes This was super helpful. I’m super sad about the big loss of fish but now that I have an idea about what’s going on I can rest easy. I’ll be starting everything back up and waiting on the water to clear!

I am very sorry for your losses

For the future, when setting up a grow out tank, it would be better to do a seeded cycle before transferring the fry to the new set up. You want a good amount of nitrifying bacteria in the filter and the tank, ready to handle the ammonia the growing fry produce, before the fry are added to the tank. You can transfer some substrate from your established tank, some used media from the filter, added to the new filter is even better.

Added after updated posts: What were your water test results? You've said normal, but in numbers?

 

[madisonfortyway]

I wonder if it is the gravel leaching something, maybe try keeping it out for the time being?


I am leaning maybe towards fungi, still looks like the stuff you can get on some woods some times.
Either way still annoying

Very annoying. And scary I haven’t had this many fish die EVER.

 

[kwi]

I am leaning maybe towards fungi,

I'm reading a new tank set up hench leaning to bacteria, plus fungi usually grow in/on organic matter.

But I'll agree on the annoying.

 

[kwi]

Yes numbers help, and how long has each tank been running?

 

[The Lumpfish Guy]

n my 10 gallon with the adults I had the same issue..

also what came from the 10 gal? into the new setup, if anything

 

[madisonfortyway]

I am very sorry for your losses

For the future, when setting up a grow out tank, it would be better to do a seeded cycle before transferring the fry to the new set up. You want a good amount of nitrifying bacteria in the filter and the tank, ready to handle the ammonia the growing fry produce, before the fry are added to the tank. You can transfer some substrate from your established tank, some used media from the filter, added to the new filter is even better.

Added after updated posts: What were your water test results? You've said normal, but in numbers?

The temp is 76 degrees
pH 7.5
hardness around 10 if i remember correctly

 

[madisonfortyway]

Yes numbers help, and how long has each tank been running?

The 10 gallon was running for about 2 weeks when I noticed the issue. I originally had all my guppies in a 30 gallon tub outside in my sun room.
They’d been there for the past year but since it’s getting colder out, I didn’t want to depend on the heater to keep them warm. So I brought them in.
The 5 gallon was set up yesterday evening.