I've been battling what I figure is a massive ongoing bacterial issue for several months now. I've never experienced anything like this. Since probably some time in January, I have had less than crystal clear water. Some days it is down right foggy. Like a cloudy bacterial bloom. The tank also generates a ton of bacterial slime. So much that mesh filter socks clog up in a day. I can't run carbon or GFO in my reactors because the sponges clog up so quick and limit the flow so much that they are not effective. The bacteria slime grows on the rocks on the tank and on every surface in the sump.
Considering that I have a minimal amount of rock (100% BRS pukani dry rock) in the aquarium, I had thought that there might not be sufficient surface area for bacteria growth. I've been interested in advancements in carbon dosing and biopellets, so I thought that I'd give them a shot as can be seen in my last post. I thought that maybe the pellet reactor would help with the bacteria issue by giving it a proper home in the reactor, but after nearly 2 months of having the pellets running, I've seen no improvement in the slime.
Let me be clear that the problem existed for months before I added the reactor and I have no indication that the reactor is causing any part of the problem, but it doesn't seem to be helping so far either. I have gotten the littlest bit of brown cyano growth since I added the reactor though. Not much at all. Just spots here and there around the base of some rocks. I first noticed it weeks ago and while it remains, it has not gotten worse. Hardly any algae growth other than that. The littlest bit of diatoms or brown micro algae grows on the overflow box and spots on rocks. Normal levels imo, not a nuisance problem in the least. Bulbs are 7 months old, but I don't think this has anything to do with lighting because I get lots of slime growth in the dark sump.
I have 7 fish. 2 clarkii clowns, flame hawk, diamond goby, sixline wrasse, 2 pj cardinals. I feed frozen food krill, mysis, brine shrimp, bloodworms sparingly once per day. I thaw it in RO water and admittedly most of the time I do not rinse it properly.
I have a high end RO/DI system that gives me 0TDS water which I use for top offs and water changes. I change 5 gallons once a week religiously using IO. I buffer the IO with Kent Tech to raise the Calc and Mag. I dose the tank with a minimal amount of Kent Tech for Alk and Calc daily.
Parameters:
35ppt salinity
78-79 F daily swing
8.5 dKH (hanna checker)
400 ppm Calc (salifert)
1400 ppm Mag (salifert)
0.07-0.04 ppm phosphate (hach colormeter)
nitrate is generally undetectable with API kit, sometimes it looks like it might be one shade up the color chart but it is hard to tell, I want a better nitrate kit.
Ammonia and nitrite are undetectable (API).
I honestly don't test the pH and just rely on keeping Alk in check.
Livestock observations: Fish are 100% happy, healthy, eating. SPS are growing. 2 clams, derasa and crocea are healthy, good mantle extension, no pigmentation loss, obvious new growth added to the shells. Some of my LPS seem great (meat coral, cynaria, open brain, war coral) but my chalice and acans are suffering. The LTA I had started to consistently shrink since January. It seemed healthy only it kept getting smaller and it would not take food into its mouth. Sadly I decided that it was a lost cause and removed it.
I'm at a loss as to this bacteria growth and what is fueling it. My skimmer is cranking along nicely and pulls out a good bit of funky nog. I've never experienced an ongoing bacterial issue like this before.
