loganj
Aquarium Advice Addict
I am getting my but kicked by an apparent bacterial bloom in a FW 55g tank. The tank has been up and running for several years with an Emp 400 filter. It has 2 gouramis, 2 large rosy barbs, 3 giant danios, and a pleco. This tank has been the definition of stable for as long as I've been taking care of it. Water always crystal clear, no algae, pH rock steady, nitrates about 10 at water change time. A couple of weeks ago, I serviced the tank as usual. The people called the next day and said it was all cloudy. I went that day to check on it and it looks like someone poured a gallon milk in there! Instant diagnosis-bacterial bloom, ugly but it'll go away in a few days. Not! I tried a large water change, new filter carts, and refilled the media containers with Black Diamond AC. Got worse. They added some Pro Clear to the tank which, of course, did nothing. I tried some potassium permangante...that made it look like pink milk...no better. I thought about trying an antibiotic, but really didn't want to do that. Today, I put "big daddy" on there...a 57 watt UV sterilizer and changed the carts and AC again. If this doesn't do it, I'm at a total loss. I've never had a tank that kept a bacterial bloom going for this long. All the fish are fine and water parameters, as of today, are as follows:
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 5
pH = 6.8
Temp = 76* F
Anyone got any ideas? I really don't want to tear this tank down and sterilize the whole thing if I can get out of it. The tank is serviced every two weeks with about a 20% water change, gravel vacuumed, and new filter carts about once a month.
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 5
pH = 6.8
Temp = 76* F
Anyone got any ideas? I really don't want to tear this tank down and sterilize the whole thing if I can get out of it. The tank is serviced every two weeks with about a 20% water change, gravel vacuumed, and new filter carts about once a month.