Question about something growing in my aquarium

[squidz]

I have a 10g currently going through a fishless cycle and I have a question for the experienced.

My tank has been running for less than a week and I have experienced a bacterial bloom that clouded the tank and it has just cleared, but since it has cleared I have white algae like strands growing from my gravel substrate. It is predominantly in quiet flow areas, like the furthest points from my filter and where protected by decorations. Again, since I don't have any fish, I'm not too concerned and am going to wait till it goes away and my cycle to properly finish before getting fish, but I am wondering what would be growing in my tank. I'll try to get some pictures soon, but hopefully my description can help.

My current tank params are as follows;
28°C
pH 7.8
and i'm currently keeping my ammo at ~4ppm with no nitrites or nitrates showing yet.

Thanks
Dave

 

[phoenixkiller]

I have a 10g currently going through a fishless cycle and I have a question for the experienced.

My tank has been running for less than a week and I have experienced a bacterial bloom that clouded the tank and it has just cleared, but since it has cleared I have white algae like strands growing from my gravel substrate. It is predominantly in quiet flow areas, like the furthest points from my filter and where protected by decorations. Again, since I don't have any fish, I'm not too concerned and am going to wait till it goes away and my cycle to properly finish before getting fish, but I am wondering what would be growing in my tank. I'll try to get some pictures soon, but hopefully my description can help.

My current tank params are as follows;
28°C
pH 7.8
and i'm currently keeping my ammo at ~4ppm with no nitrites or nitrates showing yet.

Thanks
Dave

Do you have any pics? That would help.

 

[stingrays4]

Hi it could be just a kind of fungus growing on something? What are you using to add the ammonia to the tank?

 

[squidz]

Yeah, I know pics will help a great deal, and I'll get them asap. I am just using standard no-additive household ammonia, not much for labeling though.

 

[stingrays4]

Hi OK. I was just wondering as if you had put in some prawn like some people do this can turn white with fungus? If not i would simply keep an eye on it and see how it reacts as the tank 'cycles'

 

[phoenixkiller]

Hi OK. I was just wondering as if you had put in some prawn like some people do this can turn white with fungus? If not i would simply keep an eye on it and see how it reacts as the tank 'cycles'

Yeah, I would say wait until it does something else...

 

[squidz]

Some Pictures

Here are a couple pictures that best capture what's growing. Hopefully somebody can help me out here.

Thanks

 

[Lotsofbabies]

Here are a couple pictures that best capture what's growing. Hopefully somebody can help me out here.

Thanks

Are the "growths" only on the gravel?

What prep did you do before starting the cycle?

 

[squidz]

The stuff seems to be only growing from the gravel. When I got the tank, it was a bare tank with the filter (no media), and about 2 gallons of tank water from the person who gave it to me.

I bought a hood, heater, sponge media, gravel and the rocks. I rinsed everything off, I though, quite well. Put it all together and it's been running for about a week now.

Again, the water went very cloudy after a day or two, which I concluded from forums that it was a bacterial bloom. That has since cleared, and then this stuff started to grow.

Again, my latest tests show no change in pH or ammonia with my nitrites and nitrates remaining at zero.

 

[phoenixkiller]

The stuff seems to be only growing from the gravel. When I got the tank, it was a bare tank with the filter (no media), and about 2 gallons of tank water from the person who gave it to me.

I bought a hood, heater, sponge media, gravel and the rocks. I rinsed everything off, I though, quite well. Put it all together and it's been running for about a week now.

Again, the water went very cloudy after a day or two, which I concluded from forums that it was a bacterial bloom. That has since cleared, and then this stuff started to grow.

Again, my latest tests show no change in pH or ammonia with my nitrites and nitrates remaining at zero.

Maybe you should boil the gravel in dechlorinated water. And do a big water change w/gravel vacuum. No clue what it is.

 

[Lotsofbabies]

Maybe you should boil the gravel in dechlorinated water. And do a big water change w/gravel vacuum. No clue what it is.

I heard by a local pet store employee that before ANYthing gets placed in a tank you have to boil it for at least 10 minutes, as with shipping, packing, etc. it isn't really suitable for an aquarium immediately after buying it. Thus I would also recommend that you boil the gravel and see what happens.

It really does look like a fungus. So maybe safe than sorry.

Let us know what happens.

 

[Coursair]

I would just gravel vac those areas into a clean bucket. Re-rinse the substrate that gets vacuumed out. Put back in. I've never had to boil substrate. ?

 

[aqua_chem]

If it was cheap gravel, like petco brand or sonething like that, I would definitely boil it. There might have been some sort of a coating or something on the gravel to help preserve it thats feeding the fungus. I've had petco gravel make my tank super foamy before, so I don't trust it anymore.

 

[Lotsofbabies]

If it was cheap gravel, like petco brand or sonething like that, I would definitely boil it. There might have been some sort of a coating or something on the gravel to help preserve it thats feeding the fungus. I've had petco gravel make my tank super foamy before, so I don't trust it anymore.

Yip, with the economy like it is, everyone is trying to cut costs...

Forunately there are ways around cheap produce like boiling!

 

[Lotsofbabies]

I've had to boil two batches for two different takns before due to cloudy and funny coloured water.

It's worth a try.

Let us know how it goes.

 

[phoenixkiller]

I've had to boil two batches for two different takns before due to cloudy and funny coloured water.

It's worth a try.

Let us know how it goes.

Yeah, keep us updated!

 

[stingrays4]

Hi i personally would see how it goes whilst you are still cycling
It should disappear once the tank starts to 'cycle' if not then you may have to take more drastic measures.