My puffers tank has turned cloudy/foggy...what gives?
I did a 40% water change lastnight and nothin changed this AM
No ammona/nitrite
7.8 PH
1.002 salt
Chompers seems to be doing just fine and I didn't see anything goin on with the water. Filters are clean as can be.
Is this a bacteria outbreak that I need to be concerned with?
I looked in the library and didn't see anything that jumped out at me- so any link or information would be appreciated. It is a puffer tank- so I gotta be careful on adding chemicals.
Foggy/cloudy water?
Foggy/cloudy water?
Chris
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manutius
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1316
- Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 3:49 pm
- My Puffers: RIP Clooney the Mbu :(
- Location: Southend essex, UK
- Contact:
It is more than likely a bacteria bloom, if it looks milky then thats what it is. If its a another coulour this could be an algae bloom or at the outside possibility dust from the gravel if the puffer has been burrowing exessively.
If its bateria check your filter is still running properly and in time it should sort itself out. If its algae the obviuos cause is light and too much feeding. If its gravel dust you could add filter wool to you filter to polish the water
If its bateria check your filter is still running properly and in time it should sort itself out. If its algae the obviuos cause is light and too much feeding. If its gravel dust you could add filter wool to you filter to polish the water
first problem- I'm colorblind, so dept of color is tough.manutius wrote:It is more than likely a bacteria bloom, if it looks milky then thats what it is. If its a another coulour this could be an algae bloom or at the outside possibility dust from the gravel if the puffer has been burrowing exessively.
If its bateria check your filter is still running properly and in time it should sort itself out. If its algae the obviuos cause is light and too much feeding. If its gravel dust you could add filter wool to you filter to polish the water
however-
No change in lighting, although it is about time to change the bulbs.
Substrate hasn't been stirred and he doesn't mess up much when he dives in. I don't think that's it.
I checked both filters lastnight and both were performing perfectly. And more clean than I expected them to be. About once a month I rinse off the cartridge and replace it so it stays fairly clean- replace every 6ish months.
So I'm going to assume from your list- it's a bacteria bloom and I need to wait. The obvious next question- how long should I expect the haze? And what could have created that issue?
The only thing I can think of is a bacteria on a crawfish? (only thing introduced to the tank lately)?
Other thoughts or articles?
Chris
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Boxermom
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 2182
- Joined: Sun Mar 12, 2006 8:34 pm
- Location: Wisconsin
- Contact:
I had an outbreak of cloudy water in one of my tanks. Well, it was my hubbys' actually. Lasted 4 months, including through a complete breakdown and scrub. One day we came home and the water was crystal clear. As long as the parameters are good, don't worry about it, it will clear up on its own.
Tina
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
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manutius
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1316
- Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 3:49 pm
- My Puffers: RIP Clooney the Mbu :(
- Location: Southend essex, UK
- Contact:
Its actually the bacteria that normally live in your filter that have gone crazy and are now free floating in the water so not from anything you have added. It can take a long time to clear but it will clear. Keep feeding well regulated and remove any uneaten if you don't already and keep the water changes going.
A girl on my other forum went through it a while back and it took a month or so to clear
From this
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a227/ ... dytank.jpg
to this in a month
http://www.fishkeepingforum.co.uk/forum ... C_0009.JPG
A girl on my other forum went through it a while back and it took a month or so to clear
From this
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a227/ ... dytank.jpg
to this in a month
http://www.fishkeepingforum.co.uk/forum ... C_0009.JPG
It could be a problem if the bacterial bloom collapses.
Read the article inthe library by RTR.
It will explain alot better than I could here. Keep your mechanical filters as clean as possible and that means at least every day check. Keep the oxygen levels up.
Read the article inthe library by RTR.
It will explain alot better than I could here. Keep your mechanical filters as clean as possible and that means at least every day check. Keep the oxygen levels up.
Some call it a product of a mis-spent youth, I call it Rock n Roll ! 
-
Boxermom
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 2182
- Joined: Sun Mar 12, 2006 8:34 pm
- Location: Wisconsin
- Contact:
Others have recently had the problem and it didn't last nearly as long. I think it was because we were messing with it, trying to get it cleared up. Even used a clarifier that wiped out most of the residents. 
Don't do that.
Don't do that.Tina
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
Puffers: Auriglobus silus x1, Tetraodon travancoricus x1, Tetraodon turgidus x1, Tetraodon miurus x1, Tetraodon nigroviridis x2, Tetraodon baileyi x2, Tetraodon lineatus x1, Tetraodon palembangensis x1
Yea, the fish guys that got ahold of me early in my fish keeping career pounded me with "never add chemicals if you don't have to"- so I'm always real cautious before doing anything- this this post.Boxermom wrote:Even used a clarifier that wiped out most of the residents.
Rocker...I didn't see an article- but I'll go look by author and see if I spot it then.
Thanks!
Chris
Copied from RTR's article found in the library.
Are blooms (cloudy or green water) dangerous? Like so many other things, it all depends. Many years ago this was more dangerous that it is now, because we know more and our equipment is so much better than it was then. There are several possible dangers. The worst case is a catastrophic crash of the bloom. This is mass death of the bacterium or alga, which has multiplied to such great numbers. Collapse of the bloom causes a massive increase in the oxygen demand on the system- saprophytes will multiply rapidly to eat the dead bugs, (algae or bacteria) and the oxidation (either direct or saprophyte-mediated) of all that bacterial/algal mass can exhaust the tank oxygen down to levels insufficient to support the fish. This is less of a problem than it used to be, due to improvements in our filter and circulation technologies. Collapse can be triggered by exhaustion of any critical nutrient that previously was present in excess, or by intervention by the hobbyist (meds, etc.). If a bloom collapses, be prepared to increase the oxygenation of the system, and be neurotic about cleaning your mechanical filters (do NOT disturb the biofilter), twice daily rinsing is not excessive. If you have access to diatom filtration, a HOT Magnum with micron filter, even a Quick-Filter and powerhead, this is the time to crank it up, and keep it rinsed or recharged even more often than the routine mechanicals. Getting this biomass out of the system before it is digested and broken down means a lower nutrient load therefore reduced chance or recurrence of the bacterial or algal bloom (commonly by another species which can best use the resulting new nutrient mixture).
There can be some danger from a bacterial bloom by direct competition for oxygen by the bugs against the fish, but this is uncommon. Some bacteria and algae may release toxins into the water directly or after death, but this too is relatively uncommon. I do not normally use carbon filtration, but I would do so if I had a significant bloom in process, just as cheap insurance against toxicity.
Water changes during a bloom are not especially helpful in most cases. They can replenish vital minerals that could be becoming limiting factors in the density of the bloom, so sometimes make the bloom worse instead of helping. Bacterial and free-floating algal generation times are very short. Repeated population doubling measured in minutes can cloud a tank with amazing speed. Frequently rinsed mechanical filtration is of much more help, and micron filtration is usually a larger help, even if the bloom has not crashed. Removing the nutrients in excess, even in the form of the bacteria or algae mass itself, is a benefit. Getting excess nutrients out of the system, out of the water, is the goal here.
Are blooms (cloudy or green water) dangerous? Like so many other things, it all depends. Many years ago this was more dangerous that it is now, because we know more and our equipment is so much better than it was then. There are several possible dangers. The worst case is a catastrophic crash of the bloom. This is mass death of the bacterium or alga, which has multiplied to such great numbers. Collapse of the bloom causes a massive increase in the oxygen demand on the system- saprophytes will multiply rapidly to eat the dead bugs, (algae or bacteria) and the oxidation (either direct or saprophyte-mediated) of all that bacterial/algal mass can exhaust the tank oxygen down to levels insufficient to support the fish. This is less of a problem than it used to be, due to improvements in our filter and circulation technologies. Collapse can be triggered by exhaustion of any critical nutrient that previously was present in excess, or by intervention by the hobbyist (meds, etc.). If a bloom collapses, be prepared to increase the oxygenation of the system, and be neurotic about cleaning your mechanical filters (do NOT disturb the biofilter), twice daily rinsing is not excessive. If you have access to diatom filtration, a HOT Magnum with micron filter, even a Quick-Filter and powerhead, this is the time to crank it up, and keep it rinsed or recharged even more often than the routine mechanicals. Getting this biomass out of the system before it is digested and broken down means a lower nutrient load therefore reduced chance or recurrence of the bacterial or algal bloom (commonly by another species which can best use the resulting new nutrient mixture).
There can be some danger from a bacterial bloom by direct competition for oxygen by the bugs against the fish, but this is uncommon. Some bacteria and algae may release toxins into the water directly or after death, but this too is relatively uncommon. I do not normally use carbon filtration, but I would do so if I had a significant bloom in process, just as cheap insurance against toxicity.
Water changes during a bloom are not especially helpful in most cases. They can replenish vital minerals that could be becoming limiting factors in the density of the bloom, so sometimes make the bloom worse instead of helping. Bacterial and free-floating algal generation times are very short. Repeated population doubling measured in minutes can cloud a tank with amazing speed. Frequently rinsed mechanical filtration is of much more help, and micron filtration is usually a larger help, even if the bloom has not crashed. Removing the nutrients in excess, even in the form of the bacteria or algae mass itself, is a benefit. Getting excess nutrients out of the system, out of the water, is the goal here.
Some call it a product of a mis-spent youth, I call it Rock n Roll ! 
oh man is it BAD!!! I can't see more than 10 into the tank. Makes finding chompers real hard! Water has been just fine, filters have been clean, chompers doesn't show any signs of stress...in fact, I think he likes it...
So it's just ugly with no real penalty...let's hope. I'll snap a picture tonight. YUK!!
So it's just ugly with no real penalty...let's hope. I'll snap a picture tonight. YUK!!
Chris
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andy198712
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 10:32 pm
- Location: Cornwall, UK
well...I may have done wrong...and I'm sure I'll hear about it if I did BUT:
I went to the lfs where I bought Chompers and have been keeping him in the loop on what's going on. He said to go ahead and use the algae gone stuff. I expressed my concerns for Chompers and he said they have done it many times with no problems...I might lose the shrimp that are in there- but that was ok as they're too big for chompers to eat and I can't seem to catch them anyway...so I bought it. Got home and dropped the appropriate number of drops into the tank and turned off the light...
30 minutes later my mother arrived to say hello and I turned on the light to show her how bad it was...but it was crystal clear!! WOW!!!
I didn't have to do drops on sunday and it was still clear as a bell this morning. Chompers has looked just fine and he ate a couple shrimp as soon as I put them in his tank lastnight- so I'm gunna have to say, that was a wise decision.
Thoughts?
I went to the lfs where I bought Chompers and have been keeping him in the loop on what's going on. He said to go ahead and use the algae gone stuff. I expressed my concerns for Chompers and he said they have done it many times with no problems...I might lose the shrimp that are in there- but that was ok as they're too big for chompers to eat and I can't seem to catch them anyway...so I bought it. Got home and dropped the appropriate number of drops into the tank and turned off the light...
30 minutes later my mother arrived to say hello and I turned on the light to show her how bad it was...but it was crystal clear!! WOW!!!
I didn't have to do drops on sunday and it was still clear as a bell this morning. Chompers has looked just fine and he ate a couple shrimp as soon as I put them in his tank lastnight- so I'm gunna have to say, that was a wise decision.
Thoughts?
Chris