bacterial bloom?

[wulfie]

I have a 2.5 gallon betta mini bow tank with 3 very small guppies in it, I know, everyone is gonna say that it's overstocked, but my question is, judging by the image, am I going through a bacterial bloom? I have a Marina i25 filter in it, the water level is low enough that the waterfall makes just the smallest splash to help oxygenate the water and I have a hydor heater and my floating thermometer is reading right in the middle of the green section. If this is a bacterial bloom, what's the best thing to do (besides eliminating one of my guppies)? I've been doing partial water changes almost every day and have my water tested at my LPS, they said that the nitrates are a bit high but that everything else was fine. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

[Ethan]

I've had that happen before iin the past......yes that is bacteria. It should smell if it is.

The only thing I can suggest is getting new gravel since it really doesn't come out, and a complete water change ;)

And also clean your put a new cartridge in your filter ;)

[wulfie]

why change the gravel and filter? doesn't that just remove the beneficial bacterial and start the cycle all over again?

[Boredomb]

I would not do a water change that will make it worse! What do you have in that tank besides the guppies? Any plants? Also how long as this tank been running like this? Is it a new tank or an established tank? Also have a read on this article Byron wrote about Bacteria Blooms in the 3rd part. http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/f...quarium-74891/

[wulfie]

I've been doing partial water changes almost daily with poland spring water. My last partial water change was this morning and it got cloudy again really quick. All I have in there are my guppies, going to my LPS tomorrow with a water sample to check my levels and also get a live plant to hopefully help keep my nitrates in check since last time I had my water checked they said that they were a bit high. I'm going to leave the tank as it is now, with a bit of a splash from my filter to increase aeration and will do a partial water change with conditioned tap water next week, hopefully all works out for the best, the tank has been running like it is for 6 days, it didn't get cloudy until the 2nd or 3rd day of having fish in it

[Boredomb]

Has it been cycled? You say you have high nitrates what about Ammonia and nitrites? It does sound like you need to consider removing the fish as you have to many in that size tank. Which might be the cause of the bacteria bloom in the first place. 2.5 gallons is pretty small and Im not even sure I would put a Betta in there let alone 3 guppies. The high nitrates are more then likely coming from waste from the fish and is :more then the tank bacteria (if the tank is established) can handle. When you do water changes are you vacuumung the gravel?

[Olympia]

The best course of action during such a bacterial bloom is to just wait it out.
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[wulfie]

Originally Posted by Boredomb

Has it been cycled? You say you have high nitrates what about Ammonia and nitrites? It does sound like you need to consider removing the fish as you have to many in that size tank. Which might be the cause of the bacteria bloom in the first place. 2.5 gallons is pretty small and Im not even sure I would put a Betta in there let alone 3 guppies. The high nitrates are more then likely coming from waste from the fish and is :more then the tank bacteria (if the tank is established) can handle. When you do water changes are you vacuumung the gravel?

No, the tank hasn't been cycled, it ran for 5 days with nothing in it and was crystal clear and got cloudy 2 days after adding my guppies. I don't have a gravel vacuum yet, going to get one tomorrow, I've been using a clean piece of garden hose to siphon out some of the water when I do my partial water changes

[Boredomb]

Well at this point I would keep doing water changes since you have fish in there until the tank is cycled. The water may stay cloudy but it won't hurt the fish. When you do get the vacuum make sure to hit the gravel really well. Once your tank is cycled then do a water and clean the gravel and wait out the bacteria bloom.

[Ethan]

haha I say just listen to my advice :D I don't know much about guppies ,but my sister has one and it died in a week because a bacterial bloom started to develop ;)

And yes that would start the cycle again ,but is well worth it imo