bacterial bloom?

[haleybeth30]

Yesterday, my 4 yr old dumped an entire very large container of food in my daughters 15g. we took the fish out and saw no other option but to clean the rest of the tank out replacing with new water with prime, beside the small amount the fish were in. I hope the filter media remained wet while we were cleaning and I cleaned out just the filter with tap water. The water today is so cloudy we can't see the fish.. What should I do now?
Thanks!

 

[Kristian Tombs]

Yesterday, my 4 yr old dumped an entire very large container of food in my daughters 15g. we took the fish out and saw no other option but to clean the rest of the tank out replacing with new water with prime, beside the small amount the fish were in. I hope the filter media remained wet while we were cleaning and I cleaned out just the filter with tap water. The water today is so cloudy we can't see the fish.. What should I do now?
Thanks!

Never rinse your media with tap water because it kills the bacteria always rinse media with tank water or tap water that has had a dechlorinator added

 

[haleybeth30]

I didn't rinse the media, just the filter. I was worried it might have dried out in the hour or so it took me to clean the tank. I finally got smart and stuck the media cartridge in with the fish when I cleaned the filter out, it was totally gunked up. These fish were in a 10g when this started. When cleaning it the tank was set down in tub on a marble (part of her substrate) and the bottom cracked, sheesh, so then I had to clean out my 15g I luckily had and that's what took so long...

 

[Kristian Tombs]

But did you wash the filter in tap water. Because if you did u have introduced chlorine into your tank. Big mistake!

 

[haleybeth30]

the tank is treated with prime.. I don't think chlorine is the problem. The problem is I had to rinse the gravel and all and now thete's some sort of mini cycle.. just wondering what I can do now

 

[Kristian Tombs]

the tank is treated with prime.. I don't think chlorine is the problem. The problem is I had to rinse the gravel and all and now thete's some sort of mini cycle.. just wondering what I can do now

Bets thing to do in most tank situations is too let it run out and do its thing I had a bacteria bloom last week but the next day it was gone

 

[jwh0818]

But did you wash the filter in tap water. Because if you did u have introduced chlorine into your tank. Big mistake!

Not necessarily. If they did and they used prime again then there is no chlorine/ chloramine. Yes cleaning the filter pad under tap water is bad but they do have bio media as well from what I read.

Op. Next time this happens, try and siphone some water into something and put all media in the water. Filter pads and media. It is the safest way to save your beneficial bacteria. Then do as you did and empty all the tank water and add frwsh dechlorinated water and replace all media

 

[Kristian Tombs]

Not necessarily. If they did and they used prime again then there is no chlorine/ chloramine. Yes cleaning the filter pad under tap water is bad but they do have bio media as well from what I read.

Op. Next time this happens, try and siphone some water into something and put all media in the water. Filter pads and media. It is the safest way to save your beneficial bacteria. Then do as you did and empty all the tank water and add frwsh dechlorinated water and replace all media

I agree

 

[haleybeth30]

Not necessarily. If they did and they used prime again then there is no chlorine/ chloramine. Yes cleaning the filter pad under tap water is bad but they do have bio media as well from what I read.

Op. Next time this happens, try and siphone some water into something and put all media in the water. Filter pads and media. It is the safest way to save your beneficial bacteria. Then do as you did and empty all the tank water and add frwsh dechlorinated water and replace all media

thanks, yes, that's the mistake I made was not ensuring the cartridge stayed wet until later on once I got to cleaning the filter.. I assumed there was still water in it. But once I went to clean it was only water at the very bottom of filter.. anything I can do now to help? the fish seem to be ok, what I can see of them anyway

 

[jwh0818]

thanks, yes, that's the mistake I made was not ensuring the cartridge stayed wet until later on once I got to cleaning the filter.. anything I can do now to help? the fish seem to be ok, what I can see of them anyway

Just make sure you test your water daily at least for a week. If you see major spikes the. Do a 50% water change

 

[haleybeth30]

Just make sure you test your water daily at least for a week. If you see major spikes the. Do a 50% water change

okay, will check it after work

 

[mrvincent]

White or green water ?

If you want to see if it's a bacterial bloom, put some of your water in a white bucket, then look if there's a little green tint, or if it look more grey/white.

If it's a bacterial bloom (grey/white), then watch ammonia to be sure there's no rise, there's chance you get a spike if not already done. If you get an ammonia spike, do a 50%WC (this should reduce ammonia by 50%).

This week my water became so couldy we can't find fish, and I was sure it was bacterial bloom because the grey coloration the light was giving... After I have put aquarium water in a white bucket, this way I understood it was algea bloom.

If you have an airstone and an airpump, it can be the time to put it in water. Thoses bacterias are big oxygen consumers, and ammonia burn the gills of the fishs and make them suffocating because oxygen is less absorbed by them. An airstone can accelerate or maybe help the developpement of your cycle. By increasing surface agitation with airstone, you will result to have more oxygen available for those unlucky fishs.

If you don't have airstone and airpump, don't run to the LFS except if your fish are gasping at surface.

Some products can help to restore your nitrogen cycle... Some people say they work, some other say it doesn't work. In my opinion, I cycled a tank in 9 days with "Nutrafin Cycle" and a betta, it worked pretty well.

 

[haleybeth30]

omg ammonia was 4ppm!! nitrite almost as bad. I did a 50% wc. I have nitrifying bacteria in bottle should I use it? one brand is biozyme other bramd is microbe lift special blend but I don't see a dosage of that for this situation...

 

[mrvincent]

omg ammonia was 4ppm!! nitrite almost as bad. I did a 50% wc. I have nitrifying bacteria in bottle should I use it? one brand is biozyme other bramd is microbe lift special blend but I don't see a dosage of that for this situation...

Make another 50%WC tomorrow, so you'll be at 1 total ammonia ppm instead of 2.

What's your PH and temperature actually ? It will give an idea of the toxicity of your total ammonia (NH3+NH4).

I would suggest you add some "Nutrafin Cycle" or any other product that help BB (benificial bacterias) to establish.

I would recommand to keep your 4 yr old away from this aquarium, and any other aquarium until he understand how to not drop a food container in an aquarium !

 

[mrvincent]

I have nitrifying bacteria in bottle should I use it? one brand is biozyme other bramd is microbe lift special blend but I don't see a dosage of that for this situation...

Yeah, mix that in your aquarium... Put a little some on your bio's media, it should help. In my opinion, just put a capfull of each nutrifying bacterias you have.

Make sure when you do a water change to dechlorine your water before you put it in the tank. If you're using a water hose, then stop filter while you water change and don't run it until you have put dechorinator into the tank.

I'm not sure, but before wasting bacterias in the waer column, I will wait that your ammonia and nitrites drops a bit by diluate them in 50% water change.
Do 50%WC each day until you get something <.5-1ppm total ammonia and <4-5ppm nitrites. When you get thoses results, add a lot of bacterias in water column and into filter bio media after a water change.

Note that doing a fish-in cycle is hard, mainly if you have lot of fish already. You cycle seem to be a bit establish, because you have nitrites. It's like if 50% of your filter bio media nutrifying bacteria's died.

What are your fishes ? Do you know your actual PH (and GH/KH if available) ?

 

[octanejunkie]

Got a picture?

 

[mrvincent]

Why are you asking people to delete post?

Was asking a moderator to delete my post

 

[haleybeth30]

The water much clearer now. I've been changing half daily and maube bb has had time to catch up w ammonia spike the food created.. ?

 

[mrvincent]

At now what are your readings on ammonia/nitrites? PH also if you have it

 

[haleybeth30]

ammonia between 1 and 2, and nitrite closer to 2 =( will do another water change after work ph 7.8