Im15 Fusion
- Thread starter MichaelB
- Start date
MichaelB
Supporting Member
I believe it's bacteria, it showed up when I ran zero lights, after 3 weeks of running the tank.
So I decided to run a experiment, I rigged up my biocube uv sterilizer to see if it makes a difference. I broke up all the stringy stuff with a turkey baster so it's mostly in the water column.
Will let the uv run a while and see if it makes any kinda difference. If bacteria I think it should have a some type of effect if i'm not mistaken.
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newfly
Supporting Member
Good write-up on R2R.
www.reef2reef.com
What is a Bacterial Bloom?
There are 2 types of bacteria at work in our tanks:-
Autotrophic Bacteria - Bacteria capable of synthesizing its own food from inorganic substances, using light or chemical energy. Our beneficial filter bacteria are autotrophs.
Heterotrophic Bacteria - Bacteria that cannot synthesize its own food and is dependent on complex organic substances for nutrition. The heterotrophs in our aquariums mineralise the organic waste (break down the uneaten food, fish waste, dead plant matter etc into ammonia).
Contrary to popular belief, it is commonly the heterotrophs which are seen in our bacterial blooms, not our trusted autotroph nitrifiers.
It is the heterotrophs which are primarily responsible for creating the "bio-film" (slimy residue found on the tank walls and ornaments) which builds up in our aquariums.
The heterotrophs are generally bigger than the autotrophs and therefore don't attach themselves to surfaces with the same ease. They also reproduce much more quickly. Heterotrophs can reproduce in around 15 - 20 minutes, whereas autotrophs can take up to 24 hours to reproduce.
In a newly set-up aquarium, the heterotrophs get to work quicker than the autotrophs, causing the 'cycling bloom' we so often see. Blooms are almost certainly heterotrophic if they are caused by a build up of organic waste in the substrate, which most, if not all, are.
Bacterial blooms are common in tanks with apparently no organics present (for example, where all that is in the tank is water and ammonia for a fishless cycle). This is caused by the dechlorination of the water suddenly enabling the water to support bacterial populations. The heterotrophs immediately get to work on the organics in the water itself. The severity of the bloom and even whether a bloom happens at all is dependant upon the level of organics contained in the water supply.
Our autotroph nitrifiers are strictly aerobic (require oxygen), but the heterotrophs can be facultative anaerobic (they can switch between aerobic and anaerobic function depending on their environment). Therefore the heterotrophs in the substrate will be in their anaerobic state and breaking down the organic waste into ammonia, but if they bloom up into the water column, they will switch to their aerobic form and will start to convert the ammonia back to nitrite, although very inefficiently. The heterotrophs are around 1,000,000 times less efficient at ammonia oxidisation than our beneficial autotrophs as the heterotrophs are not true nitrifiers.
The Effects of a Bacterial Bloom
Most of the bacteria in the aquarium are aerobic as it is a oxygen dominated environment, and these bacteria require lots of oxygen. When the heterotrophic bacteria bloom into the water column and switch to their aerobic state, this is a big drain on the oxygen content of the water. Oxygen depravation is the only risk to the fish which i am aware of during a bacterial bloom, as the heterotrophs themselves are harmless to fish, so good advice is to increase aeration!
To help you to understand why bacterial blooms occur, overfeeding ,dead fish or dead plant matter will cause a rise in the reproduction of the heterotrophs in order to break down the organic waste, they re-produce too quickly to be able to attach themselves to a surface and this causes a bacterial bloom. As the ammonia production increases due to the increased mineralisation, the nitrifiers are slow to catch up (as i said above) and so you see an ammonia spike until the autotrophs reproduce enough to take care of it. Contrary to popular belief, bacterial blooms cause an ammonia spike, not the other way around.
It is unclear whether the autotrophic nitrifiers ever bloom into the water column or if they simply multiply too slowly to cause this effect.
Treatment and Prevention of Bacterial Blooms
A thorough gravel vac will certainly help the situation, as will trying not to overfeed. Also, increase aeration as I noted above. Water changes will probably not clear the cloudiness as when you remove the free-floating heterotrophic bacteria, the others will reproduce more to compensate. Given the reproduction rate of the heterotrophs, it would require a 50% water change every 15 - 20 minutes just to stop the bloom getting worse, and even more if you want to make any progress towards clearing the bloom.
However, water changes won't exacerbate the situation as it will be heterotrophs (which are producing ammonia) which are removed from the water column via the water change. A water change will remove virtually no nitrifying autotrophic bacteria from the tank at all as 99% of the nitrifiers are housed in the filter, not in the water column. Water changes are not essential in clearing bacterial blooms, as left alone, they will usually dissipate within a matter of days.
Reducing the amount of organic waste in your tank is the ultimate solution to treating a bacterial bloom, and avoiding a build up of organic waste in the tank is the best way to prevent a bloom. The best way to do this is to maintain a regular aquarium husbandry routine involving water changes and substrate vaccuuming.
As I said above, blooms are common in tanks with apparently no organic waste present, most commonly when only water and ammonia are in the tank for a fishless cycle. In this case, there are few easy ways to remove the organics from the water, and so my best suggestion is to sit it out and wait. Water changes with purified water would help as it would dilute the concentration of organics in the water. Reverse Osmosis water would be ideal in this situation, however i would suggest that patience is the cheaper and more environmentally friendly option.
A bloom in an established tank indicates that there is a problem which has allowed a build-up of organic waste, usually in the substrate. This can be caused by excess dead plant matter, over-feeding which leaves food lying around the tank, or leaving dead fish in the tank. None of these are desirable in an aquarium and a bloom in your established tank will certainly indicate one or more of these causes present in the tank. If you experience a bloom in an established tank, improve your husbandry.
What triggers a bacterial bloom?
Been seeing a few threads lately on cloudy water and bacterial blooms being the cause, but what is actually triggering the bacteria to bloom? Could it be changes in weather and air temp, having Windows in the house open, having the heat come on? I have also had 3-4 days where my water seems to...
www.reef2reef.com
What is a Bacterial Bloom?
There are 2 types of bacteria at work in our tanks:-
Autotrophic Bacteria - Bacteria capable of synthesizing its own food from inorganic substances, using light or chemical energy. Our beneficial filter bacteria are autotrophs.
Heterotrophic Bacteria - Bacteria that cannot synthesize its own food and is dependent on complex organic substances for nutrition. The heterotrophs in our aquariums mineralise the organic waste (break down the uneaten food, fish waste, dead plant matter etc into ammonia).
Contrary to popular belief, it is commonly the heterotrophs which are seen in our bacterial blooms, not our trusted autotroph nitrifiers.
It is the heterotrophs which are primarily responsible for creating the "bio-film" (slimy residue found on the tank walls and ornaments) which builds up in our aquariums.
The heterotrophs are generally bigger than the autotrophs and therefore don't attach themselves to surfaces with the same ease. They also reproduce much more quickly. Heterotrophs can reproduce in around 15 - 20 minutes, whereas autotrophs can take up to 24 hours to reproduce.
In a newly set-up aquarium, the heterotrophs get to work quicker than the autotrophs, causing the 'cycling bloom' we so often see. Blooms are almost certainly heterotrophic if they are caused by a build up of organic waste in the substrate, which most, if not all, are.
Bacterial blooms are common in tanks with apparently no organics present (for example, where all that is in the tank is water and ammonia for a fishless cycle). This is caused by the dechlorination of the water suddenly enabling the water to support bacterial populations. The heterotrophs immediately get to work on the organics in the water itself. The severity of the bloom and even whether a bloom happens at all is dependant upon the level of organics contained in the water supply.
Our autotroph nitrifiers are strictly aerobic (require oxygen), but the heterotrophs can be facultative anaerobic (they can switch between aerobic and anaerobic function depending on their environment). Therefore the heterotrophs in the substrate will be in their anaerobic state and breaking down the organic waste into ammonia, but if they bloom up into the water column, they will switch to their aerobic form and will start to convert the ammonia back to nitrite, although very inefficiently. The heterotrophs are around 1,000,000 times less efficient at ammonia oxidisation than our beneficial autotrophs as the heterotrophs are not true nitrifiers.
The Effects of a Bacterial Bloom
Most of the bacteria in the aquarium are aerobic as it is a oxygen dominated environment, and these bacteria require lots of oxygen. When the heterotrophic bacteria bloom into the water column and switch to their aerobic state, this is a big drain on the oxygen content of the water. Oxygen depravation is the only risk to the fish which i am aware of during a bacterial bloom, as the heterotrophs themselves are harmless to fish, so good advice is to increase aeration!
To help you to understand why bacterial blooms occur, overfeeding ,dead fish or dead plant matter will cause a rise in the reproduction of the heterotrophs in order to break down the organic waste, they re-produce too quickly to be able to attach themselves to a surface and this causes a bacterial bloom. As the ammonia production increases due to the increased mineralisation, the nitrifiers are slow to catch up (as i said above) and so you see an ammonia spike until the autotrophs reproduce enough to take care of it. Contrary to popular belief, bacterial blooms cause an ammonia spike, not the other way around.
It is unclear whether the autotrophic nitrifiers ever bloom into the water column or if they simply multiply too slowly to cause this effect.
Treatment and Prevention of Bacterial Blooms
A thorough gravel vac will certainly help the situation, as will trying not to overfeed. Also, increase aeration as I noted above. Water changes will probably not clear the cloudiness as when you remove the free-floating heterotrophic bacteria, the others will reproduce more to compensate. Given the reproduction rate of the heterotrophs, it would require a 50% water change every 15 - 20 minutes just to stop the bloom getting worse, and even more if you want to make any progress towards clearing the bloom.
However, water changes won't exacerbate the situation as it will be heterotrophs (which are producing ammonia) which are removed from the water column via the water change. A water change will remove virtually no nitrifying autotrophic bacteria from the tank at all as 99% of the nitrifiers are housed in the filter, not in the water column. Water changes are not essential in clearing bacterial blooms, as left alone, they will usually dissipate within a matter of days.
Reducing the amount of organic waste in your tank is the ultimate solution to treating a bacterial bloom, and avoiding a build up of organic waste in the tank is the best way to prevent a bloom. The best way to do this is to maintain a regular aquarium husbandry routine involving water changes and substrate vaccuuming.
As I said above, blooms are common in tanks with apparently no organic waste present, most commonly when only water and ammonia are in the tank for a fishless cycle. In this case, there are few easy ways to remove the organics from the water, and so my best suggestion is to sit it out and wait. Water changes with purified water would help as it would dilute the concentration of organics in the water. Reverse Osmosis water would be ideal in this situation, however i would suggest that patience is the cheaper and more environmentally friendly option.
A bloom in an established tank indicates that there is a problem which has allowed a build-up of organic waste, usually in the substrate. This can be caused by excess dead plant matter, over-feeding which leaves food lying around the tank, or leaving dead fish in the tank. None of these are desirable in an aquarium and a bloom in your established tank will certainly indicate one or more of these causes present in the tank. If you experience a bloom in an established tank, improve your husbandry.
MichaelB
Supporting Member
Very informative. I will over all take it slow give time to see what uv does, and probably add 1-2 trochus snails, a hermit, and maybe 1-2 Nassarius Snail for sand bed. If they do ok, Ill add more in a day or two.Good write-up on R2R.
What triggers a bacterial bloom?
Been seeing a few threads lately on cloudy water and bacterial blooms being the cause, but what is actually triggering the bacteria to bloom? Could it be changes in weather and air temp, having Windows in the house open, having the heat come on? I have also had 3-4 days where my water seems to...
What is a Bacterial Bloom?
There are 2 types of bacteria at work in our tanks:-
Autotrophic Bacteria - Bacteria capable of synthesizing its own food from inorganic substances, using light or chemical energy. Our beneficial filter bacteria are autotrophs.
Heterotrophic Bacteria - Bacteria that cannot synthesize its own food and is dependent on complex organic substances for nutrition. The heterotrophs in our aquariums mineralise the organic waste (break down the uneaten food, fish waste, dead plant matter etc into ammonia).
Contrary to popular belief, it is commonly the heterotrophs which are seen in our bacterial blooms, not our trusted autotroph nitrifiers.
It is the heterotrophs which are primarily responsible for creating the "bio-film" (slimy residue found on the tank walls and ornaments) which builds up in our aquariums.
The heterotrophs are generally bigger than the autotrophs and therefore don't attach themselves to surfaces with the same ease. They also reproduce much more quickly. Heterotrophs can reproduce in around 15 - 20 minutes, whereas autotrophs can take up to 24 hours to reproduce.
In a newly set-up aquarium, the heterotrophs get to work quicker than the autotrophs, causing the 'cycling bloom' we so often see. Blooms are almost certainly heterotrophic if they are caused by a build up of organic waste in the substrate, which most, if not all, are.
Bacterial blooms are common in tanks with apparently no organics present (for example, where all that is in the tank is water and ammonia for a fishless cycle). This is caused by the dechlorination of the water suddenly enabling the water to support bacterial populations. The heterotrophs immediately get to work on the organics in the water itself. The severity of the bloom and even whether a bloom happens at all is dependant upon the level of organics contained in the water supply.
Our autotroph nitrifiers are strictly aerobic (require oxygen), but the heterotrophs can be facultative anaerobic (they can switch between aerobic and anaerobic function depending on their environment). Therefore the heterotrophs in the substrate will be in their anaerobic state and breaking down the organic waste into ammonia, but if they bloom up into the water column, they will switch to their aerobic form and will start to convert the ammonia back to nitrite, although very inefficiently. The heterotrophs are around 1,000,000 times less efficient at ammonia oxidisation than our beneficial autotrophs as the heterotrophs are not true nitrifiers.
The Effects of a Bacterial Bloom
Most of the bacteria in the aquarium are aerobic as it is a oxygen dominated environment, and these bacteria require lots of oxygen. When the heterotrophic bacteria bloom into the water column and switch to their aerobic state, this is a big drain on the oxygen content of the water. Oxygen depravation is the only risk to the fish which i am aware of during a bacterial bloom, as the heterotrophs themselves are harmless to fish, so good advice is to increase aeration!
To help you to understand why bacterial blooms occur, overfeeding ,dead fish or dead plant matter will cause a rise in the reproduction of the heterotrophs in order to break down the organic waste, they re-produce too quickly to be able to attach themselves to a surface and this causes a bacterial bloom. As the ammonia production increases due to the increased mineralisation, the nitrifiers are slow to catch up (as i said above) and so you see an ammonia spike until the autotrophs reproduce enough to take care of it. Contrary to popular belief, bacterial blooms cause an ammonia spike, not the other way around.
It is unclear whether the autotrophic nitrifiers ever bloom into the water column or if they simply multiply too slowly to cause this effect.
Treatment and Prevention of Bacterial Blooms
A thorough gravel vac will certainly help the situation, as will trying not to overfeed. Also, increase aeration as I noted above. Water changes will probably not clear the cloudiness as when you remove the free-floating heterotrophic bacteria, the others will reproduce more to compensate. Given the reproduction rate of the heterotrophs, it would require a 50% water change every 15 - 20 minutes just to stop the bloom getting worse, and even more if you want to make any progress towards clearing the bloom.
However, water changes won't exacerbate the situation as it will be heterotrophs (which are producing ammonia) which are removed from the water column via the water change. A water change will remove virtually no nitrifying autotrophic bacteria from the tank at all as 99% of the nitrifiers are housed in the filter, not in the water column. Water changes are not essential in clearing bacterial blooms, as left alone, they will usually dissipate within a matter of days.
Reducing the amount of organic waste in your tank is the ultimate solution to treating a bacterial bloom, and avoiding a build up of organic waste in the tank is the best way to prevent a bloom. The best way to do this is to maintain a regular aquarium husbandry routine involving water changes and substrate vaccuuming.
As I said above, blooms are common in tanks with apparently no organic waste present, most commonly when only water and ammonia are in the tank for a fishless cycle. In this case, there are few easy ways to remove the organics from the water, and so my best suggestion is to sit it out and wait. Water changes with purified water would help as it would dilute the concentration of organics in the water. Reverse Osmosis water would be ideal in this situation, however i would suggest that patience is the cheaper and more environmentally friendly option.
A bloom in an established tank indicates that there is a problem which has allowed a build-up of organic waste, usually in the substrate. This can be caused by excess dead plant matter, over-feeding which leaves food lying around the tank, or leaving dead fish in the tank. None of these are desirable in an aquarium and a bloom in your established tank will certainly indicate one or more of these causes present in the tank. If you experience a bloom in an established tank, improve your husbandry.
MichaelB
Supporting Member
So I ran the uv for roughly 24 hours.
after running the uv I'm happy to report bacteria bloom is 100% defeated. I also added a larger 4in tile plate covered with zoas and mushroomsto the tank (got it from frag swap thanks to finnadict) So i'm confident it's loaded with lots good bacteria for a even faster jump start.
My thinking is adding the dr tims according to the post bacteria bloom happened cause I left the tank empty so long that there was no ammonia source.
The turbo snail and 4 hermits have been all over that tank and looking healthly. I've been dropping tdo pellets in the tank, and I added a small pinch of flakes today as well.
after running the uv I'm happy to report bacteria bloom is 100% defeated. I also added a larger 4in tile plate covered with zoas and mushroomsto the tank (got it from frag swap thanks to finnadict) So i'm confident it's loaded with lots good bacteria for a even faster jump start.
My thinking is adding the dr tims according to the post bacteria bloom happened cause I left the tank empty so long that there was no ammonia source.
The turbo snail and 4 hermits have been all over that tank and looking healthly. I've been dropping tdo pellets in the tank, and I added a small pinch of flakes today as well.
Good write up indeed
MichaelB
Supporting Member
So after a few days of no issues and positive testing. I've added a pair of black ice clowns, I recently picked up from another member. I've been testing and believe the cycle is over back down to zero ammonia. I've been watching this tank like a hawk. I know it’s not to a point where I can begin to relax. However everything is looking good for now.
My longer term plans are currently
split between moving these clownfish to my 32 biocube or leaving only them in the im15 and getting a pair of golden lighting maroons for the 32biocube. Regardless of the outcome my larger maroons currently in the 32gallon will move to the larger 65gallon once its running and fully stable. They are of a size they definitely need more space.
I've added two smaller toadstool frags to this tank, and a hollywood stunner chalice transfered from my 32 that was at risk of stinging the sps.
My next plan for this tank will most likely be addessing the filter sock. Not sure If I will just get a nano protein skimmer or swap the filtersock for one of the intank media towers to run filter pads, chemipure, and carbon.
My longer term plans are currently
split between moving these clownfish to my 32 biocube or leaving only them in the im15 and getting a pair of golden lighting maroons for the 32biocube. Regardless of the outcome my larger maroons currently in the 32gallon will move to the larger 65gallon once its running and fully stable. They are of a size they definitely need more space.
I've added two smaller toadstool frags to this tank, and a hollywood stunner chalice transfered from my 32 that was at risk of stinging the sps.
My next plan for this tank will most likely be addessing the filter sock. Not sure If I will just get a nano protein skimmer or swap the filtersock for one of the intank media towers to run filter pads, chemipure, and carbon.
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MichaelB
Supporting Member
So as of this morning this tank is broken down and loaded up to be traded for another biocube 32 (my current main tank)
Last image before breaking it down.
My old biocube29 I set up again to be coral quarantine -zoa/mushroom grow out. It's now also playing host and temporary holding tank for coral, rock, and fish from the im15.
(This isn’t my picture) however it's the tank i'm trading this im15 set up for.
I'm somehow very attached to biocube 32s even having a new to me 65 gallon tank in the cycling process I find myself unable to stop calling my biocube32 the main tank.
So in my mind I plan to run the exact same light modifications, media towers and skimer as in my 32. I'm Going for a twin tank layout more or less directly across from each other. I'm Debating Going after a nem/ zoa grow out in the new 32.
I removed all the zoanthids except the exospheres from my other biocube. I wouldn't want those spreading in the tank beyond their frag plates especially having crushed coral substrate.
Last image before breaking it down.
My old biocube29 I set up again to be coral quarantine -zoa/mushroom grow out. It's now also playing host and temporary holding tank for coral, rock, and fish from the im15.
(This isn’t my picture) however it's the tank i'm trading this im15 set up for.
I'm somehow very attached to biocube 32s even having a new to me 65 gallon tank in the cycling process I find myself unable to stop calling my biocube32 the main tank.
So in my mind I plan to run the exact same light modifications, media towers and skimer as in my 32. I'm Going for a twin tank layout more or less directly across from each other. I'm Debating Going after a nem/ zoa grow out in the new 32.
I removed all the zoanthids except the exospheres from my other biocube. I wouldn't want those spreading in the tank beyond their frag plates especially having crushed coral substrate.
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