Clear slime

[Jgerm]

I don’t know if it’s just my ugly phase for my tank or something else but I have a clear slime problem that happened literally over night. Nothing yesterday and by 3am my filter socks are clogged the large filter between my skimmer and return pump is clogged as well. It is on every rock in the tank.
Every thread I have found relating to white slime hasn’t been very encouraging nor do they really have any solutions. Any thoughts or input is welcomed. I’m going to try and get a microscope this weekend and see if it helps. Why couldn’t I have just got Dino’s! Lol I know how to deal with that.

 

[Dark_Knightt]

I honestly dont know. #reefsquad we need some help

 

[flampton]

Are you carbon dosing anything currently?

 

[schuby]

I'm with @flampton , clear slime can be a result of carbon-dosing too much.

 

[Jgerm]

Are you carbon dosing anything currently?

I am not. I just added snails and hermits this week. Refugium was started over a week ago. Tank is 6 weeks old. Cycle finished 2 weeks ago. im currently testing everything but So far only Alk has gone down since yesterday.

 

[Trey]

It’s a bacterial film. Common in new tanks. It can gum up filter socks and other things pretty good, so if you are running them currently I would take them offline until it subsides.

 

[Jgerm]

Ph is lower at 7.6 as well.
Alk-7.4
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0
Nitrate- 10ppm
Cal-609
Magnesium 1302

 

[Jgerm]

It’s a bacterial film. Common in new tanks. It can gum up filter socks and other things pretty good, so if you are running them currently I would take them offline until it subsides.

I wonder if this has anything to do with newer cycling methods. I never had an issue like this in over 20yrs and 8 different tanks. All the other tanks I have setup I used live rock and this one I used Caribsea liferock and dr Tim’s...

 

[Lasse]

Do you start your tank with any type of method - what have add during these first 6 weeks to the tank? It sounds like heterotrophic bacteria film but it is impossible (for me at least) to see anything or judge anything in that heavy blue light. Can you take a short video with only white light? If it is a heterotrophic bacteria film - there has to been some adding of dissolved organic carbon prior to the event that you notice (during one night)

Are you sure that it is in the form of slime - your measurement indicate that it could be a chemical precipitation of calcium carbonate - High calcium. lowering alk and lowering of the pH

Sincerely Lasse

 

[schuby]

My previous tank was all live rock. My current tank was started with dry rock. Completely different experiences. Things take much longer to happen and develop on current tank. Can be quite frustrating.

 

[Jgerm]

I will try and get a better video. The resolution gets ruined when I upload it to YouTube.

 

[Jgerm]

Do you start your tank with any type of method - what have add during these first 6 weeks to the tank? It sounds like heterotrophic bacteria film but it is impossible (for me at least) to see anything or judge anything in that heavy blue light. Can you take a short video with only white light? If it is a heterotrophic bacteria film - there has to been some adding of dissolved organic carbon prior to the event that you notice (during one night)

Are you sure that it is in the form of slime - your measurement indicate that it could be a chemical precipitation of calcium carbonate - High calcium. lowering alk and lowering of the pH

Sincerely Lasse

Tank was started with Dr. Tim’s bacteria and ammonium chloride. I have not dosed anything. I am in the process of reducing calcium with water changes. I put carbon in my media filter this week and added a Co2 scrubber to my skimmer intake. Snails and hermits were added a few days ago. I’m going to keep all my filter socks out for the time being. I did get a bacterial cloud for 3 days early in the cycle.

 

[flampton]

If you got a bacterial cloud (not a calcium pppt haze like Lasse mentioned) at day three with just Tim’s and ammonia it means there is an unknown organic carbon source leaking into the water.

 

[Lasse]

Was it One or Only or Waste Away?

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Jgerm]

Was it One or Only or Waste Away?

Sincerely Lasse

One and only

 

[Jgerm]

If you got a bacterial cloud (not a calcium pppt haze like Lasse mentioned) at day three with just Tim’s and ammonia it means there is an unknown organic carbon source leaking into the water.

I could only assume it was a bacterial cloud. I cannot think of any way that something got in the water aside from maybe my 3yr old put something in but I can’t think of what. My ICP test might show something. No candles or anything airborne. Really strange

 

[flampton]

It would not take much, a teaspoon of sugar would easily do it. So if a tpiece of candy got in then you'll get a bloom.

Oh and with that said, I doubt it will cause any problems but I recommend you just rinse your socks, put them back in, then baste everything into the water column, wait until they clog again and repeat if necessary. You're exporting a lot of nutrients you don't need this way.

Hope this helps!

 

[Jgerm]

Here is a pic of my return probe holder. This stuff has some viscosity.

 

[r20crazy]

I know it sounds weird.... but stop water changes until it goes away. in my pico I had the same chit, WC made it better for a day or 2 then came back worse... didn't do a water change for 2 weeks and went away (basically starved itself) after 3 months of trying almost everything. its a bacterial bloom for whatever reason. if you run socks remove them or clean/change daily, if possible run skimmer a little wet, and do not feed or add anything unless you have fish(cuc will be fine). reduce lighting to like 4hrs. my water was like clear k-y jelly until i did this. Never figured out why as i started with dry rock and dry sand without adding bacteria starter. good luck, if you are lucky it will go away in a week doing the above, but mine took 2.

 

[Lasse]

Which salt did you use @r20crazy ? And which do you use @Jgerm ?

Sincerely Lasse