How do you deal with bacterial blooms in a large system?

[sharis100]

Looking for recommendations dealing with bacterial bloom. Fish and soft corals are doing fine. Oxygenation is fine thanks to the massively oversized Lifereef skimmer. Just cannot stand the cloudiness . New pipes and new system equals a lot of bacteria.....

 

[Shawn]

Two options really. 1) wait it out. Let nature take its course. Or 2) get a uv sterilizer. Honestly, I’d wait.

 

[york1]

Its new system. Time or a large UV. Its always tough to put up with the uglies of a new system

 

[bhodges82]

I've been running uv for years, can't live without it now.

 

[CJD18]

UV

 

[sharis100]

I have a large UV, just haven’t plumbed it in yet. Keep thinking the water will clear up. But it doesn’t . I guess this is what happens when you add 50 feet of pvc to a new system..... major cases of uglies...... ((((

 

[bzb]

I dealt with it in the QT, but wifey was very disturbed that I allowed the fish to stay in “gross water.”

I don’t know how much time actually needs to go by to clear up completely, but the QT never did. I did a ~60% water change to remove most of the remaining copper, and the water was still milky.

 

[CJD18]

Water parameters all normal? Have you did anything diff? or add anything new to routine or chemicals/additives??

 

[ZapataInc]

Water parameters all normal? Have you did anything diff? or add anything new to routine or chemicals/additives??

Its a brand new system.

 

[jcook54]

How long had it been cloudy? I've never had a bacterial bloom not resolve on it's own but they've never lasted much beyond a week if memory serves...

 

[CJD18]

Its a brand new system.

High nutrient lvls? something is feeding it?

 

[Adam]

The only times I've had full blown blooms is in QT, usually shortly after treating with Prazi.

I agree with getting the UV online. I even got a small 9w "green killing machine" to use in my QT to keep the bloom from happening there.

 

[sharis100]

How long had it been cloudy? I've never had a bacterial bloom not resolve on it's own but they've never lasted much beyond a week if memory serves...

Been a couple of weeks

 

[sharis100]

So, UV hooked up. How many hours a day should I run and any particular times?
My research suggest 6 hours a day during the day and off at night. Thoughts/suggestions?

 

[Adam]

So, UV hooked up. How many hours a day should I run and any particular times?
My research suggest 6 hours a day during the day and off at night. Thoughts/suggestions?

I'd run it 24/7 till the water is cleared up. I ran mine at night for 12hrs. The heat load is lower then. The only time I cut the period shorter is when I'd feed phyto at lights out. Then I'd put it and the skimmer I a 4hr delay.

 

[sharis100]

Thank you @anit77 !

 

[jbartell123]

I have never had a problem with cloudy water, but it might be due to an algae bloom. My biggest bacteria problem was with cyano, and I added 50W LED Actinic light to my 75 gallon tank, and added an additional carbon bio-pellet reactor, and the bacteria disappeared in about 2 weeks. It seems to have been the light, since the surfaces that received the most blue light were cleared first. But before and after Nitrates never exceeded 20 ppm, and phospates were low.