bacteria bloom of the gods!!

[Shinte305]

3 weeks in fighting a bacteria bloom. lights off didn't affect it, obviously it's bacteria... but had to try. It's a huge snot and stringy bacteria bloom and it's affecting all my equipment my carbon filter gets clogged in 4 days my return pump needs to be opened and cleaned every week. This thing is unreal.

I've cleaned and cleaned over and over again and it just builds itself back over night. Idk what's left to do its been 3 weeks!!!

I just bought a bottle of Dr tims. And I used half dosage last night as it said to do via instructions for first time use. This morning it's still there no difference but I'm going to continue full treatment. Has anyone experienced this and how did they deal with it????
60 gallon tank 30 gallon sump
0 ammo 0 nitrite 2ppm nitrate 0 phosphate I have almost 0 algae in tank.
450 calcium 10 alk 1370 mag

The pic is of my sump when I removed filter sock...

[sculpin2]

Dr. Tim's, water changes, and time were what worked for me. Make sure you are not providing either an intentional or unintentional carbon source, as that is why you likely have the bloom. I believe that the water changes helped to remove the carbon source and the Dr. Tim's added competition. Nothing else seemed to help.

Good luck!

[PIPSTER]

I had over 3 weeks of cloudy water...finally got a UV sterilizer and it cleared it up within a week better than it ever was since I first put water in the tank. :fish1:

[Shinte305]

Carbón affects bacteria bloom?? I have a carbon reactor on. I read that carbon should help remove it since it removes organic waste in the water which feeds the bacteria....maybe I'm wrong idk lol

[slief]

Carbón affects bacteria bloom?? I have a carbon reactor on. I read that carbon should help remove it since it removes organic waste in the water which feeds the bacteria....maybe I'm wrong idk lol

He said "carbon source".. That isn't activated carbon but instead a term used for things used to feed bacteria like vodka and other things commonly used for denitrification.

[Shinte305]

ohh alright. ive only been in the hobby for like 8 months so im pretty new. a lot I have not heard of.my overflow box is getting jammed with snot every 3-4 days for the past 3 weeks almost a month now. I just don't know what to do. im patient but holy hell lol this is crazy this bacteria is none stop and it comes back stronger each time I clean it. the first half dosage of Dr tims didn't phase the bacteria in anyway...... im preparing to do a nice 25% water change instead of my usual 15% to see what happens

[Buzz1329]

Wish I had some some constructive advice to share -- never used a UV filter but seems like those who have are able to clear bacteria blooms -- but I have to say that the title of your thread is in my top ten titles of all time.

Good Luck,

Mike

[Harse Designs]

lights

[Shinte305]

Lights isnt it. This bacteria is growing like crazy in my sump and there is no lights at all down there. I have a cheato chamber but havnt gotten any cheato yet so the lights in the sump are always off.
Its 1 month and 10 days and the bacteria bloom is getting worse. Practically everything gets clogged every 3 days and my corals barely open. The water is cloudy always now. Im not giving up yet....... But my god what the hell is this crap. All parameters are perfect still. Salinity is 1.026. I see zero algae. Just this damn stringy white and slimy snot everywhere......... Dr tims waste away is havng zero affect. I out a full dosage 3 days ago and nada..... Not worse not better......

[Shinte305]

I literally take out over a gallon of slime every 3 days. What on earth is feeding this stuff....

[Chuckd76]

I literally take out over a gallon of slime every 3 days. What on earth is feeding this stuff....

I just went through a week long bacterial bloom. In my case the source was a dead fish stuck under my rockwork that my crabs and snails couldn't get to.
Have you lost any livestock lately?

[JTJreef]

I think a carbon source can even come from aerosols and air fresheners. Higher than normal temperature can also aid bacteria blooms. I used Febreze and had the same trouble. Lots of water changes and chemiclean helped

[pisanoal]

I am also fighting a huge bacterial bloom. Not quite of this magnitude, but pretty close. Snot everywhere in dt and sump. I'm emptying my skimmer cup every 4-6 hours when I'm home. I'm also running filter socks and blowing slime off my rockwork, then emptying the sock. I have also sucked some up with a baster and filtered it through a sock. I have a uv with the output going upstream of the skimmer so anything it kills gets skimmed out. All of this is making pretty good headway. I stopped running carbon as it just gets clogged up within a few hours.

All that being said, I know what caused mine. Initial cause was me trying to increase my nitrates to 2-3ppm with sodium nitrate. I screwed up my math (embarassing being an engineer) and added 10x what I should have to my ato. Before I knew it, my nitrates were 100ppm. I have been doing water changes to bring them down and also started carbon dosing to help in between. I've got them down to 25 now, but overdosed vodka. A couple morals... Bacteria need nutrients and a carbon source. Take one out of the chain and they will not be able to multiply as fast. You should be looking for both a nutrient source and a carbon source. Cut your feeding back, and make sure you aren't adding any vinegar via a top off with kalk or something like that.

Oh...the other moral is double check your math on dosing...:)

[rholguin]

I have dealt with this bacteria in my current tank. The only way I got rid of it was using Refresh and Waste Away from Dr Tims. I used this protocol. Hope it helps.

[Shinte305]

I'm going to try the refresh plus waste away per those instructions.... at over a month of this bacteria snot bloom I'll try anything I'm very annoyed at this point lol.so much work to take everything apart...... every 3 days to rinse and put back.... my skimmer cup gets full in about 6 hours........ ever since this bacteria bloom.odd

[moondoggy4]

I had a break out in two tanks,it got real bad I used Dr Tims Waste Away and a lot of equipment cleaning.

[Nrupaw]

never had a bacteria bloom on my end before. what exactly does it lead to?

[Chuckd76]

never had a bacteria bloom on my end before. what exactly does it lead to?
Low oxygen levels that could kill fish and a snotty looking tank.