Bacteria bloom help

[birdman1979]

xCryOx you obviously have not dealt with this problem. It is very frustrating and occurs in mature tanks as well.

Aquatard. I deal with this problem on and off with no apparent reason for the blooms. It doesn't really affect the health of my corals and grows regardless of lighting conditions. Since it appears to be bacterial and inhabit the water column, I am going to try a powerful UV sterilizer. Will keep you posted.

 

[LISound]

Try some cheap instant ocean salt.
I have gotten contaminated salt buckets before. Only once, but terrible algae blooms. Noticed with the next bucket, my problems went away within a few weeks. Night and day difference.
Worth a try if you are looking to try something else.

 

[TheAquatard]

Thanks for the comments, I actually have another similar thread in a different section. I've come to the conclusion that my algae problems/ bacteria problems are caused by my rocks. I've replaced literally everything else. Those rocks were sitting in nasty saltwater made with tap for over a year, I'm sure it's leaching alot. I'm not too sure what to do at this point. I think I'd enjoy the peice of mind of getting some dry rock and starting from there.

My current rock has no life on it anymore, I've stopped feeding the tank and algae continues to grow, black skimmate. There's no other source.

 

[Everyones Hero]

If you really want your rock cleaned of everything you can strip it of everything.

Get a tub & soak all of the rock in a Tap Water:Bleach solution mixed at 10:1 for 24 hours. That will kill any organic material on the rocks.

After 24 hours rinse the rock & tub with RODI water. Put all of the rock back into the tub & fill it with RODI water. Slowly add muriatic acid to the tub. Let it start to foam/bubble, give it 30 minutes, add some more, until you get to about a 10:1 RODI to muriatic acid solution. This strips off the top layer of the rock, removing any phosphates or other material that has been absorbed into the rock over the years.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1914426&highlight=rock+reincarnation

My tank is taking a little longer to cycle- but I don't have to worry about anymore bubble algae or any other pests that were on the rock, nor do I have to worry about the phosphates or other materials my rock had absorbed over the last 3 or 4 years.