Algae Grower
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Posts: 10
I call them colonies because they look similar to bacteria colonies but I don't know if they are. They're very small white mounds that have a fuzzy halo. Maybe it is mold? Idk.
I age my water because it is supersaturated with dissolved gasses. When the tiny bubbles eventually gas off my pH drops. Straight from the tap the pH is usually around 8.6 - 9.0 and after 24 hrs. the pH has dropped to around 7.2 - 7.6. If I do a water change straight from tap, the fish suffer (maybe "suffer" is extreme but anything bad that happens to them is suffering IMO, mother bear syndrome). They get red ulcers on their faces and their slime coats thin out. I attribute this to pH drop. They are my prize Oranda goldfish, can't loose them.
As for what I'm going to do with the reservoir tank. I'll clean it out again and let some bleach sit in there for a while. Are there any recommendations for concentrations?
I'm thinking maybe the flow at the bottom of the tank is too stagnant and it's allows some type of creature to flourish. Right now there is a small air stone and pump that breaks up the water but the tank is a 50 tall. I'm going to replace it with a spare hydro pump I have (I think is is rated about 300 gph, something like that).