Dry Rock and long-term bacterial bloom

[spit.fire]

Dosing vodka would probably make it worse, do you run your skimmer 24/7

[gobytron]

Cyanobacteria?

Try putting a pump blowing along the surface of your display to better oxygenate your water.

[gobytron]

This might be a really dumb question, and I see now it's not cyanobacteria.

But how do you know what you are seeing is indeed a bacterial bloom rather than something else clouding your water?

[jon.smolders]

No its not cyano... its just a white haze in the water column. Yes, I skim 24/7... fairly wet too but it doesn't seem to have an effect on the bacteria. I have two powerheads near the surface giving me good surface agitation. I'm pretty sure its bacterial because of the low pH and alkalinity. I am open to other suggestions however. Bad bucket of salt? I use Reef Crystals and just opened a fresh bucket and have some water mixing for a 30% water change. Maybe the last bucket was bad? Could magnesium or calcium precipitate out into the water and cloud it for months?

Here's a pic from the side

[Koleswrath]

Don't think it would be calcium precipitating unless your dosing cal/alk,etc. - precipitation is usually due to an excess of calcium and lack of magnesium but your salt should be balanced.

I dose vinegar and the bacteria is noticeable in mats that collect close to the dosing inlet and in my reactor. All in very stringy mats but nothing in the water column that shows as cloudiness. Dosing vinegar and Kalk will definitely help the alk and ph issue and might help to get the bacteria in your sump instead of the water column ( if that's what the haze is).

[Masonjames]

I really am not sure if you would be experiencing a bacterial bloom for a constant 10 months. The bacteria responsible for such water born blooms cannot synthesize there own food and are completely dependant on complex organics. I highly doubt with your two fish you are imputing enough organics to promote a bloom never mind sustain one without a needed nutrient quickly becoming limiting.

[Myka]

What do you add to the tank? Supplements? Fish food? Corals Food? Additives?

Have you been using one bucket of salt this whole time?

[jon.smolders]

Originally Posted by Myka

What do you add to the tank? Supplements? Fish food? Corals Food? Additives?

Have you been using one bucket of salt this whole time?

Yes, for most of the time I only used one bucket of salt. I finished it off when I did the 100% water change in December. I don't add anything to the tank, other than playing with the alk/calcium in the last two weeks. Fish are new too... added them just before Christmas so feeding is not the issue because I have had this problem for months prior.

I just did a 20g water change yesterday afternoon and I am running some mechanical filtration too so we'll see how it looks when I get home...

[jon.smolders]

Originally Posted by Masonjames

I really am not sure if you would be experiencing a bacterial bloom for a constant 10 months. The bacteria responsible for such water born blooms cannot synthesize there own food and are completely dependant on complex organics. I highly doubt with your two fish you are imputing enough organics to promote a bloom never mind sustain one without a needed nutrient quickly becoming limiting.

That's why I was suspecting the dry rock as being the issue. I did not do an acid bath before putting them in the tank, so all the organics in the rock could be feeding the bacteria...