Take a look

derick75 · 02/04/2007, 03:22 AM

Guys, I know this may not be chemistry related, but perhaps a water quality isuue? I have been getting this white stringy "slime" that is coating my sump and inside my skimmer. I searched the internet for an hour and found nothing close to this. perhaps it may be a type of algae. My water quality is within normal ranges cal-410 alk-3.89meg/l mag-1250 SG 1.025 undetectible ammonia and nitrite and nitrate is at 5ppm. It is very hard to take a picture of it This is the best I could do. This is a picture of my exhaust of my bm200 skimmer. In this photo the skimmer is on so the slime is swaying upwards. I hope you can see this "slime" build up inside never had this before and it is a pain to clean...and it appears to "cling" to glass any ideas? thanks Derick[IMG]

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Randy Holmes-Farley · 02/04/2007, 08:54 AM

Are you adding any sort of carbon source, like vinegar or vodka?
Some folks doing that report whitish growths of bacteria or other similar organisms.

derick75 · 02/04/2007, 11:36 AM

Randy, at the moment I am not runing any carbon, vinegar or sugar.When I shut off the sump pump to feed, and the water enters back into the sump I get quite a bit of the stuff back into the sump. But I can not see any at all in the main display. I just shut down to feed and there is alot of it now in the sump. I will take another picture and perhaps that will help...

derick75 · 02/04/2007, 11:48 AM

here is another shot with this white slime on my ph probe. To clairify It is the stringy piece on the left, not the calcium deposits.

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Randy Holmes-Farley · 02/04/2007, 01:32 PM

If you touch it, does it feel slimy?

derick75 · 02/04/2007, 02:01 PM

yes, it does

Randy Holmes-Farley · 02/04/2007, 03:02 PM

Well, I expect it is some sort of organism, like bacteria. But I'm not sure why you have it.

derick75 · 02/04/2007, 03:04 PM

And I even have a UV , maybe someone will see this post and have seen this bacteria before

boxfishpooalot · 02/04/2007, 04:09 PM

Randy, at the moment I am not runing any carbon, vinegar or sugar

Just to clarify you have never used sugar or vodka in this tank?

derick75 · 02/04/2007, 11:34 PM

never dosed anything like that. I just forwared those pictures to 11 people (reefers) no one has any idea what that crap is.

tonyscoots84 · 02/05/2007, 12:58 AM

i had something very similar in my 75 gallon reef.. it didnt cause any problems... it always stayed in the sump...

derick75 · 02/05/2007, 01:18 AM

did it go away? I would like to know what it is, that way I can remedy it. Or at least try to.

Gundo5000 · 02/05/2007, 11:15 PM

I have seen that stuff before.......It grew in my hose coming off of my return. Everytime I turned off the return pump then started back up it spit the stringy slimy stuff into the display. All I can think is that it is some type of bacteria built up over time. In my opinion it was harmless.I cleaned the hoses and it never came back.

hebdo27 · 03/06/2007, 11:15 AM

i have the same stuff here and there in my tank. (mostly in areas of slow moving water...doesn't seem to do any harm. I'm thinking its some sort of whispy sponge.

02/04/2007, 03:22 AM	#1
derick75 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: USA Posts: 455	Take a look Guys, I know this may not be chemistry related, but perhaps a water quality isuue? I have been getting this white stringy "slime" that is coating my sump and inside my skimmer. I searched the internet for an hour and found nothing close to this. perhaps it may be a type of algae. My water quality is within normal ranges cal-410 alk-3.89meg/l mag-1250 SG 1.025 undetectible ammonia and nitrite and nitrate is at 5ppm. It is very hard to take a picture of it This is the best I could do. This is a picture of my exhaust of my bm200 skimmer. In this photo the skimmer is on so the slime is swaying upwards. I hope you can see this "slime" build up inside never had this before and it is a pain to clean...and it appears to "cling" to glass any ideas? thanks Derick[IMG][/IMG]

02/04/2007, 08:54 AM	#2
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 70,120	Are you adding any sort of carbon source, like vinegar or vodka? Some folks doing that report whitish growths of bacteria or other similar organisms. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Club 65535 Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

02/04/2007, 11:36 AM	#3
derick75 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: USA Posts: 455	Randy, at the moment I am not runing any carbon, vinegar or sugar.When I shut off the sump pump to feed, and the water enters back into the sump I get quite a bit of the stuff back into the sump. But I can not see any at all in the main display. I just shut down to feed and there is alot of it now in the sump. I will take another picture and perhaps that will help... Last edited by derick75; 02/04/2007 at 11:54 AM.

02/04/2007, 11:48 AM	#4
derick75 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: USA Posts: 455	here is another shot with this white slime on my ph probe. To clairify It is the stringy piece on the left, not the calcium deposits. [IMG][/IMG]

02/04/2007, 01:32 PM	#5
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 70,120	If you touch it, does it feel slimy? __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Club 65535 Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

02/04/2007, 02:01 PM	#6
derick75 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: USA Posts: 455	yes, it does

02/04/2007, 03:02 PM	#7
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 70,120	Well, I expect it is some sort of organism, like bacteria. But I'm not sure why you have it. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Club 65535 Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

02/04/2007, 03:04 PM	#8
derick75 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: USA Posts: 455	And I even have a UV , maybe someone will see this post and have seen this bacteria before

02/04/2007, 04:09 PM	#9
boxfishpooalot Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: canada,Winnipeg Posts: 5,463	Randy, at the moment I am not runing any carbon, vinegar or sugar Just to clarify you have never used sugar or vodka in this tank? __________________ Its a good idea to have a refrence sample for alk test kits. 1.1350 grams of baking soda in 1gallon of distilled water=10dkh. Check your alkalinity test kit! The only real gaurantee of survival is abundance. LRH Current Tank Info: Nothing, taking a break in the big aquarium-Florida

02/04/2007, 11:34 PM	#10
derick75 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: USA Posts: 455	never dosed anything like that. I just forwared those pictures to 11 people (reefers) no one has any idea what that crap is.

02/05/2007, 12:58 AM	#11
tonyscoots84 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Staten island Posts: 266	i had something very similar in my 75 gallon reef.. it didnt cause any problems... it always stayed in the sump... __________________ B & A Computers www.BnAComputers.com NY and New Jersey's #1 Technician Got Computer Problems? We Can Fix Them! We Are Here For All Your Computer Needs. (718) 689 - 0662 Current Tank Info: 120 gallon custom.. 3" eurobracing, 250 watt x2 SE 10k XM's. tek t5 super uri actnics. tunze 6100's.

02/05/2007, 01:18 AM	#12
derick75 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: USA Posts: 455	did it go away? I would like to know what it is, that way I can remedy it. Or at least try to.

02/05/2007, 11:15 PM	#13
Gundo5000 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kansas Posts: 1,300	I have seen that stuff before.......It grew in my hose coming off of my return. Everytime I turned off the return pump then started back up it spit the stringy slimy stuff into the display. All I can think is that it is some type of bacteria built up over time. In my opinion it was harmless.I cleaned the hoses and it never came back. __________________ GUNDO Current Tank Info: 135 gallon Reef

03/06/2007, 11:15 AM	#14
hebdo27 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 94	i have the same stuff here and there in my tank. (mostly in areas of slow moving water...doesn't seem to do any harm. I'm thinking its some sort of whispy sponge. __________________ Hebdo27 Current Tank Info: 90G Mixed Reef