White Slime

[zebo007]

The White Slime has struck again!! This stuff started in my 75 Gallon 4 year old reef. I was able to talk the wife into an upgrade after battling the stuff for months. I started a new 100 Gallon with dry rock and new live sand. Cycled the tank with ammonia and bacteria moved my fish over and a few corals from the old tank and wham! New tank has been running for about 7 months. I can't seem to identify this stuff. It has bubbles all in it like dinos but looking at it under a microscope there is no movement. Also, it only grows where the light is and only on the rocks with a little on the back glass. nothing under rocks or shaded areas.

Ammonia - 0
Nitrates - undetectable
Phosphate - 0 Hanna Checker Phosphorus ULR is showing 0
Alk - 10
Calcium - 440
Mag - 1474
PH - 7.7-8.0

 

[zebo007]

Here is some Microscope shots.

 

[bertoni]

There's nothing in those numbers to suggest a cause for this problem. Is this pest more like a slime that will come off easily, or is it more solid? My microscope identification skills are miserable, but I think you are on the right track with some sort of photosynthetic microbe.

Is there any coralline growing at all? Coralline might be able to outcompete the slime.

 

[mcgyvr]

Those photobucket images aren't working for me..
Might want to try to repost them..
And include some non-microscope shots of the problem in the tank too..

 

[zebo007]

Those photobucket images aren't working for me..
Might want to try to repost them..
And include some non-microscope shots of the problem in the tank too..

Looks like photobucket.com is down right now. Hopefully it will come back and start working again.

 

[zebo007]

There's nothing in those numbers to suggest a cause for this problem. Is this pest more like a slime that will come off easily, or is it more solid? My microscope identification skills are miserable, but I think you are on the right track with some sort of photosynthetic microbe.

Is there any coralline growing at all? Coralline might be able to outcompete the slime.

What I'v been doing is taking a paint brush and knocking it off the rocks and running a canister filter to pull it out of the tank. No Coralline yet. I've added some live rock from my step Dad's tank to try and seed it. Have some Chaeto in the sump for a couple weeks that hasn't really grown at all.

 

[zebo007]

 

[bertoni]

Well, I guess I'd wait to see whether coralline can outcompete the slime. You could consider some sort of nutrient control, like some GFO. The tank looks very new, though, and a fair percentage of blooms like this fade on their own.

 

[mcgyvr]

That looks similar to pictures of a bacteria that I've seen associated with articles about using scented candles/spray air fresheners in close proximity to the tank.. phthalates feeding specific bacteria...

I "think" I saw someone recommend Dr Tims Waste Away as a possible solution...
I'm too lazy to search for the articles now..
Don't quote me on that.. Just foggy memories and that seemed to stick for some reason..

 

[zebo007]

Yes, I have been policing all Sprays,Cologne's,and Air fresheners for awhile now. I'm even running a Carbon air filter on my AC. I am currently Dosing Dr.Tims Re-Fresh now and Sunday switching over to Waste-Away per Dr.Tims instructions on getting rid of Cyano. After the second dose of Re-fresh i'm not seeing any difference. Also switching From Reef Crystals to AquaForest for a bit see if that will make a difference.

 

[zebo007]

 

[Dan_P]

You aren't looking at bacteria because they would bee too small to see with a consumer microscope, especially when they are not stained. Assuming that the visible discs in your microphotograph are the scum or film, you seem to be dealing with a large unicellular organism. Otherwise, you have a bacterial floc problem being eaten by large disc shaped protozoa.

I can't reconcile your observation of gas bubbles though. The white color would seem to say that you are not dealing with a phytoplankton.

Just a guess, but it seems you brought the invasion over with the live stock transfer.

 

[devimik]

Looks like Chrysophytes to me. I saw some microscope shots of them and they look similar to yours.

 

[zebo007]

Looks like Chrysophytes to me. I saw some microscope shots of them and they look similar to yours.

I'm pretty sure that's what it is after doing research. 3 days of dosing Peroxide and it looks like it's knocking them back.