Orange slime please help!!!!

[fishwhisperatx]

I have this orange slime on my sand and can not get rid of it for the life of me.
Things Ive tried: rowa phose, carbon, silicate removal, chemi clean, and tons of water changes. Ive also tried no water changes for 2 months due to silicate in salt. i think its a bacteria closely related to cyano but not the same thing. its usually only on the sand and looks like diatoms and silicates but its not. i think it may have to do with my ro unit but have not had enough time to experiment with it since i put on triple DI chambers on my ro unit

 

[Sk8r]

[welcome]
That's one I've not seen. Does it respond to turning the lights off for a day? Cyano dies back considerably when deprived of light. If we can establish its 'habits' we may better determine what it is.

 

[fishwhisperatx]

well i can say that it progressively gets worse as the lights are on then dies back a little when there off, but right back to it soon as lights come back on. i have tried chemi clean and it puts a dent in in for like a week but then it comes back. here's the thing i own an aquarium maintenance company and i was pushing over 200 gallons a week through a standard 75 gpd unit with the 150 gpd efficiency mod on it(piggy back two membranes). and i originally thought that was it so i got a GE Merline ro unit and slapped a big sediment filter and 3 di canisters on it and things are looking better but i need a faster fix and do i really even know if its going away. another theory is that i live in Texas and this drought really messes up water quality here. and also when the water pushes through my ro unit its almost 90 degrees when it comes out that cant be good. i don't know if the temperature has any thing to do with it. i have the orange slime in about 5 clients tanks and it all in very high lit tanks. also some of them have ro units plumbed into them so the units turn off and on frequently through the day and Ive herd that's no good either. any who all input appreciated thx

 

[organism]

Have you tried cutting your light cycle?

 

[Sk8r]

It sounds like a bacterial sheet to me. Cyano in particular responds when you turn your lights out and shield the tank for 3 day, while skimming hard. You can do this once a month. Usually 3 months will get it.

Chemiclean being antibacterial tends to be a bit harsh, and they swear it won't crash your sandbed, but I hardly think it's a nice experience for it. I'd suggest trying the lights-out method. If you have mh, do the 4th day actinic-only to ease the transition for corals. In general, this is what nature does when a hurricane or thick storm parks over a region.

 

[BluespotLady]

The orange glow you see could be cyano that is dying.

Increase the water flow in the areas where you see it the most, in addition to the recommendations above.

 

[rogermccray]

Is is stringy at all? Could it be dinoflagelletes? How about some pics?

 

[fishwhisperatx]

whis it was dino i know how to get rid of that!! working on getting some pics

 

[Hyro]

sounds like cyano to me, but a pic is gonna be definitive. I'm pretty sure it comes in more than the red/violet variety of color.