J. Montgomery
Mouth Pipetting
Like I said, it's a last resort type of thing. Try all your other options first.
Help!Clear thick slime covering everything!
- Thread starter Jillyfish
- Start date
It's a good suggestion---but if you do use Slime Remover, however, you can have serious problems if your skimmer is not powerful enough to handle it: you're killing the equivalent of a large fish, and once you turn the skimmer back on after the wait-period, that skimmer has to suck all that out at once. Serious, serious stuff. In something that bad, I'd be tempted to get a diatom filter as standby to help the skimmer.
i have seen that stuff before, in new tanks, but never as bad as your pix.
i have seen that stuff before, in new tanks, but never as bad as your pix.
"If anything CAN go wrong, it will, and at the worst possible moment."---St. Murphy.
Nobody has EVER mistaken me for a Saint.
Jilly,
That's great to hear. This whole thing has been a real mystery to me. I'm was somewhat inclined to think it might be a filamentous bacteria called N. limicola type III but I ruled that out as it wouldn't cause that amount of slime. It may also be an amorphous zoolglea, like Zooglea ramigera, as they excrete a slimey polysaccharide. However, I'm a chemist and not a biologist so I'm not really sure.
Just glad it is abating.
Nobody has EVER mistaken me for a Saint.
Jilly,
That's great to hear. This whole thing has been a real mystery to me. I'm was somewhat inclined to think it might be a filamentous bacteria called N. limicola type III but I ruled that out as it wouldn't cause that amount of slime. It may also be an amorphous zoolglea, like Zooglea ramigera, as they excrete a slimey polysaccharide. However, I'm a chemist and not a biologist so I'm not really sure.
Just glad it is abating.
I'll look into diatom filters Sk8r. Tom, that is interesting. I actually have a biology degree, but never used it, not for a paycheck.
My tank was looking cloudy again so I took a few rocks out and sloshed them in tank water. Uhg! I have so many rocks. I'll just have to hope it really is abating overall. I also threw the filter floss I put in the baffles yesterday and it collected a lot less slime than before.
Yeah, I didn't think I was a heavy feeder, but I'll watch it.
Also something else I have learned. I should have another tank running bigger than a 10 gallon nano in case I need to put everything from my 100 gallon somewhere else. I'm getting my 29 gallon out of the polebarn.
My tank was looking cloudy again so I took a few rocks out and sloshed them in tank water. Uhg! I have so many rocks. I'll just have to hope it really is abating overall. I also threw the filter floss I put in the baffles yesterday and it collected a lot less slime than before.
Yeah, I didn't think I was a heavy feeder, but I'll watch it.
Also something else I have learned. I should have another tank running bigger than a 10 gallon nano in case I need to put everything from my 100 gallon somewhere else. I'm getting my 29 gallon out of the polebarn.
Well, I never! A biologist without a microscope! I would have expected photo micrographs of the slime in glorious living color from you.
We can't let those kids down. That's why I'm asking for help all over RC. Save her tank People!
Oh, and I'm the only one who can make wild guesses on the Newbie forum. From all the rest of you I expect documented facts
We can't let those kids down. That's why I'm asking for help all over RC. Save her tank People!
Oh, and I'm the only one who can make wild guesses on the Newbie forum. From all the rest of you I expect documented facts
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13693165#post13693165 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by billsreef
I've seen similar slimming in tanks before. It's always come down to feeding heavy. All the water changes certainly come under the heading of the proper thing to have done
Not always Bill. My tank has not been fed in months.
There are 2 strong correlations to the cause (I have had this problem for over 1 year) and no, water changes will not cure it only help treat it a bit for a short time.
Correlation #1
This happens in the warmer months. Tank temp is slightly higher and a fan is blowing across the surface. It does not happen in the winter when the fan is no longer needed to control heat.
Correlation #2
It seems to be originating from a cluster (smaller live rock) that has Zoos of mixed type. I have not seen it come directly out of or from a Zoo but there may be an association with Zoos in some fashion. It is also possible that it is a coincidence that it seems to come from that particular spot. I asked Jill to separate her Zoos into an area or corner of her tank away from other species and current to see if this is also a cause or correlation for her...
I lost track here Saturn. Are you implying it is a spawning event form the Zoa?
No way it was KW or any additive except a water clearing supplement. That is why I got on the polymer trail as, if it was overdosed in large amounts, it could cause that problem. A spawn of some type might produce some slime but with the amount Jill is seeing that is almost impossible. It has to be microbial in nature.
Tom, LOL I'd hardly call someone a biologist with a 17 year old unused bachelors. I wish. I do actually own a microscope.
I looked up zooglea ramigera on google and it does sound like that. I only have a few tiny zooanthid colonies, frags really. Also my temp has remained at 78 degrees, but the house has been a bit warmer.
My tank is looking somewhat clear again. Thank goodness!
I looked up zooglea ramigera on google and it does sound like that. I only have a few tiny zooanthid colonies, frags really. Also my temp has remained at 78 degrees, but the house has been a bit warmer.
My tank is looking somewhat clear again. Thank goodness!
J. Montgomery
Mouth Pipetting
x2
I also agree with the sentiment that it has nothing to do with zoanthids. Any steps you can take to improve your water quality will likely help. If theres nothing for the bacteria to feed on then they can't grow into plague proportions.
I agree in concept with the water change philosophy. However, in practice it has only be effective as a dilution of the plague and not a prevention of the cause. In a 20 or 10 gallon tank it is simple to perform close to 100% water changes frequently. These were done to no effect of the ongoing problem. Currently, weekly changes of 30-40% are done with the same result.
As far as the relationship (or lack thereof) to the Zoos, I am not sure. This is why it is a correlation. Maybe it is a micro bacteria that associates itself somehow to zoos. Maybe not, but at this point it is the only other variable aside from the fan breaking surface tension in the warmer months that needs to be isolated and eliminated or further understood.
KW does not cause it. It DOES exacerbate it.
I dose nothing.
I agree that it is likely microbial as well but I need a cause so I can attempt to eliminate it.
I don't believe it is a spawn as it is too frequent in nature. It is also possible that it originates from the rock or area the zoos occupy and is there only by coincidence.
Hopefully it has not spread everywhere and there is a possibility to remove and save some pieces one at a time in a separate tank.
J. Montgomery
Mouth Pipetting
Are you using RO/DI water? When was the last time the filters and membrane were changed?
Everything has been changed including the tank!
Filters are changed regularly. When there is an outbreak, the filter clogs fast. Keep in mind that this happened in one tank and every part, including the power heads, was replaced. Substrate was completely removed.
The water is RO/DI from Walmart with the lowest ppm of any commercial available water tested (Target, Aquafina, Tap, Meijer, and many others...)
All test parameters are excellent and always have been including salinity, alkalinity, ph, phosphate, nitrates and calcium.
J. Montgomery
Mouth Pipetting
Sorry, I meant to ask when the last time the RO/DI filters and membranes were changed.
I suspect that the water changes didn't help b/c the RO/DI water from Wal-Mart is not as clean as you think.
I suspect that the water changes didn't help b/c the RO/DI water from Wal-Mart is not as clean as you think.
Per my tests, it is the very best available. .000 - .003 on average ppm. What have you found with their water?
It is certainly a variable worth testing but there was a time when walmart water was not available and 10 gallons (on a 10 gallon tank) were used from another source. No perceived change. If you have found something with their water (which I used successfully for several years prior to this) maybe it is worth a more extended approach.
Jill, however, doesn't use their water and she is having the same problem. I am trying to find a correlation with her to help us id the cause.
It is certainly a variable worth testing but there was a time when walmart water was not available and 10 gallons (on a 10 gallon tank) were used from another source. No perceived change. If you have found something with their water (which I used successfully for several years prior to this) maybe it is worth a more extended approach.
Jill, however, doesn't use their water and she is having the same problem. I am trying to find a correlation with her to help us id the cause.
Adding an antibiotic to a display tank is a very bad idea folks. It may kill those slime bacteria but in doing so it will also kill the beneficial bacteria that keep ammonia in check. You don't want to have an ammonia spike that can't be controlled.
I don't agree. I've dosed my tank several times with erythromycin and never had a problem, and so have many others. At the doses recommended for cyano, it does not seem to knock out the nitrogen cycle. Sure, at higher doses it could be bad, and it is important to follow the label directions.
IMO, folks that have problems when using things like Red Slime Remover are typically causing either too much toxin release from dead cyano, or too much release of nutrients and dead bodies from the dead cyano.
If this were my tank, i'd try it if other simpler options have failed.
I don't agree. I've dosed my tank several times with erythromycin and never had a problem, and so have many others. At the doses recommended for cyano, it does not seem to knock out the nitrogen cycle. Sure, at higher doses it could be bad, and it is important to follow the label directions.
IMO, folks that have problems when using things like Red Slime Remover are typically causing either too much toxin release from dead cyano, or too much release of nutrients and dead bodies from the dead cyano.
If this were my tank, i'd try it if other simpler options have failed.
boxfishpooalot
Active member
Well whos to say that the nitrogen cycle is responsible for all of the processes utilizing ammonia,nitrate,nitrite anyways? It could have been that your macroaglae were doing most of the work. True Randy?
So if someone does not have adequate photosythesis, then erytho may be dangerous to that type of aquarium. Correct?
So if someone does not have adequate photosythesis, then erytho may be dangerous to that type of aquarium. Correct?
