Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => New Fishkeepers => Topic started by: Ally2 on August 29, 2016, 09:09:09 PM
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Hi
Me again
Ok today I did a 25 percent water change in the morning and 25 per cent later in the afternoon . It is a bit clearer but still not crystal as before .
Should I do another in the morning ? Is this a bacteria bloom ?
Ally
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It's most likely a bacterial bloom. Most of us have had this problem at some point, I know I have.
Another part water change tomorrow probably won;t do any harm. Increasing tank maintenance, especially after feeding, resolved the problem when it happened in one of my temperate tanks, although it did take a few days.
Best of luck and please keep us posted on progress. :)
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The problem with bloom bacteria is that they multiply very rapidly. As fast as you remove some with a water change, the one that are left multiply to replace the ones you removed. The bloom won't last for ever. Once they've eaten all their food (fish poo and uneaten food kicked up from the gravel by the air stone) the bacteria will die and the water will clear. It's just a question of waiting, monitoring for ammonia and nitrite (in case it is something other than a bacterial bloom) and watching the fish for any unusual behaviour.
Assuming it is a bacterial bloom, as soon as it starts to go away check your ammonia level as dead bacteria can cause an ammonia spike. If you do see one, monitor nitrite as well as a nitrite spike often follows an ammonia spike.
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Hi
I did a gravel Hoover again and a 25 percent water change . I think I may be feeding too much . As moonbeam spat out betta pellets ! I've gone back to the flakes which I have to crumble so he can eat them !
How many flakes would you recommend per day please ?
The water is looking clear now !
Ally
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Are they general tropical flakes or betta-specific flakes? Bettas need more meat in their diet than other fish so they do better with a food designed for their nutritional requirements.
It's hard to say how many flakes as products vary in size. However, image a flake crumbled into a spherical shape, then compare that imaginary ball to the eye of your betta. A betta's stomach is about the same size as its eye, so the amount to feed in one sitting is the amount of food equal to his eye.
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Ok
Based his eye size that would be one flake 👌🏽
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It's a suprisingly tiny amount, isn't it.
:)