Clear slime on top of sump

[CK00020]

I have been trying to save my all for reef, so I started dosing BRS soda ash every other day instead of just using afr all the time. It leaves me with a thin bubbly slime layer on the top of all sections of my sump, I usually stir it up and it kind of dissolves. Is there anything I can do to stop this?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sodium carbonate does not seem likely to cause a bubbly slime. How exactly are you dosing it, and how much?

 

[NoahLikesFish]

Biofilm?

 

[CK00020]

From a small graduated cylinder, 20 ml
Into high flow area of sump, very slowly

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The slime is most likely organics accumulating there as many are attracted to an air/water interface. Many folks solve this be creating some surface turbulence, such as with a power head, that breaks up the film. It should be largely unrelated to the sodium carbonate dosing, as nothing it in is attracted to an air water interface, but a pH change locally may alter proteins and such that may make some more likely to bind to the surface.

 

[CK00020]

Ok, thank you Randy