Scum on the top, milky water below

[jan4scuba]

Help!

I have a 10 gallon heavily planted Nano that has been up for 6 days trying to cycle fishless. Have CO2 and a power head filter, and 2 Eheim LED's . I am also using Nutrafin Cycle and was using Flourish as a fertilizer. I woke up yesterday to a tank that had gone from crystal clear to milky white and a layer of white scum on the top that breaks up in clumps when I tried to net it out.

I did a 90% water change, took out all the dead plant matter (I overplanted), and replanted only the healthy plants. My readings are
Ammonia:5
PH 7
Nitrates 0
Nitrates 0

Just added another power head to see if that helps any, After reading up on this I'm guessing it's a bacterial bloom. So should I just wait it out or be more proactive?

Keep using Cycle?
Keep CO2 and lights on?
Use fertilizer or not?
Add fish food or wait until the good bacteria arrive by themselves?
Add more Ammonia?

Everyone seems to have a different opinion. Is there a consensus on what to do? I appreciate any help from the veterans out there.

Thanks
Jan

 

[Mebbid]

Keep using Cycle?
Keep CO2 and lights on?
Use fertilizer or not?
Add fish food or wait until the good bacteria arrive by themselves?
Add more Ammonia?

[/QUOTE]

1 - Cycle - If you already have it you might as well use it. Don't go out and spend money on more though.

2 - Yep

3 - Might as well. Bacteria like it too.

4 - Skip the food, just leave it be.

5 - Not until your ammonia starts dropping.

It sounds like a mix of a bacterial bloom causing the cloudiness and a protein film on the surface giving it that coating. Could you post a pic of what you're talking about with the surface scum though?

 

[jan4scuba]

Hi Mebbib,

Did another 30% water change. Also added 2nd filter. Used cycle and fert.
Also cleared out more dead plants.
And tank is now clear this morning. No milkiness and no scum. . Here's what it looks like this morning.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[reign]

If you have it on the surface, try lowering the water level so the water hits the surface and add purigen to your filter. Worked for me. Just nutrient build up.