Cycling Trouble

Optimist

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 14, 2006
573
2
0
33
Connecticut
About four weeks ago, I emptied everything out of my 120 gallon tank to paint the back. After that, I filled up the tank and began cycling. I ran my XP3with the old media and The first week it was perfectly clear. After two weeks, I performed a small water change and added my first fish. A couple days later, my tank broke out into a MASSIVE bacterial bloom. It was milk white and I couldn't see the back at all. A thick sort of foam had formed at the surface, and there was a noticable smell. Upon looking at a certain angle, I could see millions of little white dots swirling around. I figured a bacteria bloom was only normal a couple weeks into cycling. About a week later, the bloom cleared and my tank was crystal clear again. After a couple of days, my tank started getting cloudy again, but not as much as the first time. I did a water change and it cleared up within hours. Now, a day later, my tank is fairly cloudy again. This morning it was clear. There is a faint white coating on the sides of the tank and little white specs on the glass. Please, can someone tell me if I am doing anything wrong, or is this normal. I have been cycling for about 4 weeks, adding doses of beneficial bacteria every couple of days. I just want my tank to clear up, and stay clean.
 

Optimist

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 14, 2006
573
2
0
33
Connecticut
Something is really wrong. I don't know if its just the water. It seems as if I am doing everything right, but everything is going wrong. I just came home from school to find my 7" synodontis eupterus, and my 9" striped raphael DEAD. That makes three fish this week (my cobra pike died a couple days ago). All of the fish I planned to add to my final stock are dead. They showed no signs of illness: swimming around in the morning, dead in the afternoon. I'm not going to lie, I'm on the verge of tears. I have no idea how I can replace my raphael. I will never find another like him. After hitting this low point in the hobby, I have decided not to quit, but to find out what the problem is before I start replacing my fish. I do not have any recent readings, test kit is lost. I tested about a couple days ago and everything was fine. Please, I just want my tank clean and healthy. I will be ordering a UV sterilizer and Aquaclear 110 to help. I have been adding Beneficial Bacteria, but it doesn't seem to help. I'm desperate for some help. Sorry guys, but its awefully hard to be an Optimsit today.
 

AnDr3w

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 8, 2006
1,704
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Davie, FL
Im sorry to hear that, but I know what your going thru. I bought my 75g tank, and put my new Eheim up along with another cycled filter on it and put in my TSN (the reason I bought the 75) and my pbass and a baby albino channel cat (acc). So by the 2nd day, everything was still ok. 3rd day. Largest bacteria bloom in any tank ever. All of the fish died, the algae took all of the oxygen way, no fish left. Did a 100% water change. Another week in, another bloom. Did some research, and bought API Algae Destroyer Advanced. Best product ever. So buy that, add it, and add no more fish.

I didnt do this, but you can put straight ammonia in your water and do a fishless cycle.

Or you can do a feeder cycle (I did this) with rosy reds.

So what I learned at of this is to just wait for the important fish to go in until you have ammonia and nitrite ZERO!!! Not .25 or .1 or anything. 0Z0E0R0O0.

And buy algae destroyer advanced. GL and sorry about your fish.
 

Dr Joe

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 8, 2006
10,664
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Sixty Miles South of Tampa Florida
Sorry for your losses, but you've taken the right attitude...find out what's wrong...fix it...and move on.

Take a water sample to two lfs's and have the water tested, then compare reading (and get your own test kit). If the chemistry is off, figure out why and fix it (sounds simple doesn't it). If the chemistry & temp. is within spec.'s and your sure the oxygen level is good, I would say there are contaminants in the tank poisoning the fish. You will have to drain the tank and clean it thoroughly with lots of rinsing.

Power didn't go out to the system while you were gone did it?

Keep us posted.

You'll get thru this, I've been there many times (and no, it doesn't get easier).

Dr Joe

.
 

Optimist

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 14, 2006
573
2
0
33
Connecticut
Thanks for all your support. I found an really old Ammonia indicator. When I put some drops in a tube of my tank water, it turned yellowish. Doesn't that mean ammonia is at 0? I will be getting a new test kit soon. What kind do you recommend? And as for the white spots on the glass, this has happened before. They are almost like little feathers, and they sway with the current. What about the faint white coating on the sides of the tank? This seems pretty regular, but do I have to scrub it off every couple of days?
 

Dr Joe

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 8, 2006
10,664
9
0
71
Sixty Miles South of Tampa Florida
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ewurm

Aimara
MFK Member
Jan 27, 2006
28,476
74
132
14
*
Optimist;835098; said:
Something is really wrong. I don't know if its just the water. It seems as if I am doing everything right, but everything is going wrong. I just came home from school to find my 7" synodontis eupterus, and my 9" striped raphael DEAD. That makes three fish this week (my cobra pike died a couple days ago). All of the fish I planned to add to my final stock are dead. They showed no signs of illness: swimming around in the morning, dead in the afternoon. I'm not going to lie, I'm on the verge of tears. I have no idea how I can replace my raphael. I will never find another like him. After hitting this low point in the hobby, I have decided not to quit, but to find out what the problem is before I start replacing my fish. I do not have any recent readings, test kit is lost. I tested about a couple days ago and everything was fine. Please, I just want my tank clean and healthy. I will be ordering a UV sterilizer and Aquaclear 110 to help. I have been adding Beneficial Bacteria, but it doesn't seem to help. I'm desperate for some help. Sorry guys, but its awefully hard to be an Optimsit today.
Two things: First is that as a monster fish keeper, water testing is critical. You spent all that money, and for another $25 you will know what is going on with ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph, kH, and gH. Second is that you shouldn't cycle the tank if possible. Use old filters that are established, or at least the media. You don't actually cycle the tank, you cycle the filter. If the tank was running previously all you needed to do was to keep the cycled filter in a container running with tankwater, perform your maintenace, and then put it on the tank again when the tank was full.
 

Optimist

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 14, 2006
573
2
0
33
Connecticut
I would think after four weeks, the bacteria would already be established in the filter. Then why all these bacterial blooms? This is how its gone since I put the water in the tank: First Week: Clear. Next Day: Giant Bacterial bloom. Week Later: Clear. Day Later: Bacterial Bloom. Day Later: Clear. 2 Days Later: Bacterial bloom, white specs on glass, faint white coating on sides of tank. I have been doing a small water change every week, but there is no evidence that that is what's causing the blooms.
 
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