Secret for crystal clear water
- Thread starter Tropical Joe
- Start date
This sounds like a bacterial bloom to me. I'm not sure what waste heterotrophic are feeding on. Urine (which is virtually all the waste that fish produce) is ~ 2% carbon from a molecular weight. (Urea is ~2.9% percent of the urine, the other 97.1% being hydrogen, oxygen, chloride, sodium, and potassium. And urea is almost exclusively hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen, with only one out of the 8 atoms being carbon.)
And fish waste on the other hand contains no carbon at all according to this study:
http://papercranemarketing.com/AquacultureCentre/files/research-publications/Chemical Composition of Trout Manure.PDF
Most of the carbon is in the food.
Grain is 45% carbon. Proteins are made up of amino acids and all amino acids require carbon.
Carbohydrates and lipids (fats) are chemical structures made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Heterotrphic bacteria would seem to prefer fish food (protein, grains, lipids, carbs) not urine as a food source.
If excess waste---which means urine or manure---is the cause of bacterial blooms, then it seems everyone with nigh ammonia should have a bacterial bloom.
Over feeding, so it's thought, is the main cause of a bacterial bloom in an established tank.
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http://www.aps.uoguelph.ca/aquacent...ecal Waste Chemical Composition (Jun2007).pdf
Here is a second study that seemed to find a lot of carbon in the fish waste. Go figure. Overall however, fish feces is a very small part of fish waste, so carbon sources in a tank should primarily be food, not manure.
Here is a second study that seemed to find a lot of carbon in the fish waste. Go figure. Overall however, fish feces is a very small part of fish waste, so carbon sources in a tank should primarily be food, not manure.
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Have gotten the same results (quick cycling) from tetra safe start and its cheap 12 bucks on amazon.
Sounds like a bacterial bloom
Any advanced hobbyists wants to chime in? Anyone? Bueller? LOL
Chain stores hate him! Hobbiests want to be him! Click to find out his secrets!
Yes it probably was a bacteria bloom, that was related to the cycle. However, the point being the water never cleared up on its own. Anyway, I was just letting you all MFK members know ACUREL F worked for me and may work for others. Its made from all natural extracts and will not harm your fish. Try some if your tank is not crystal clear. You may be surprised. Its fairly inexpensive.
If your tank stays cloudy due to bacteria, there's some sort of underlying issue that needs to be addressed. You shouldn't have to rely on store bought products to have a clear tank, because you're not resolving the real issue. Clarity doesn't equate to healthy. Also, just because a product is all natural doesn't necessarily make it safe.
My tanks are all crazy overstocked, I don't use carbon or chemicals, and I feed like a mad man, yet the water in my tanks is invisible. Wanna know my secret? Proper filtration, large water changes, and an appropriately sized UV sterilizer.
If you're relying on chemicals for water clarity/quality, you're putting a bandage on a bullet wound. Find the route of your problem instead of masking the side effects.
If you're relying on chemicals for water clarity/quality, you're putting a bandage on a bullet wound. Find the route of your problem instead of masking the side effects.
