What is this???

[Drew11]

White slime-stringy stuff? Anybody ever experience this?

 

All parameters are in check... except nitrates are 0. I noticed it a few weeks back but only in the sump coming from the filter sock. I swapped the filter sock for red sea media cup running a bag of carbon, gfo, and floss on top now. 

Using Fritz red box salt. 

I did a little research on the topic but couldn't find a definitive answer. Bacterial bloom or white slime is what I kept seeing but no one could say for sure. 

Also not running a skimmer at the moment, mainly because my nitrates are at zero. 

Any ideas?

 

 

[Drew11]

Not that anyone replied, but for future help to others, here are a few things:

 

1. It's actually more of a brown color when looking at it out if water up against a white background. Just looks white while in the aquarium.

 

2. I put in about 3 tbsp of gfo and carbon in media bags in the filter cup, and it has diminished by roughly 75-80%. Also, switched from filter floss to poly filter pad. The floss was really clogging up and fluctuating the water levels in the overflow. 

 

[naothan]

its the government there listening 

[A.m.P]

Either a bacterial bloom or some kind of sponge I'd think.

[mcarroll]

Can you look at some under a microscope and get some pics? (Cellphone camera can take a pic through the scope.)

 

Can you also post your tank's most recent test results for the Big 5:  ca, alk, mg, no3 and po4

 

A little bit of detail about the tank might be helpful to know...age, how it's being cleaned and filtered, livestock present, etc...whatever might be relevant.

[Drew11]

 

5 hours ago, mcarroll said:

Can you look at some under a microscope and get some pics? (Cellphone camera can take a pic through the scope.)

 

Can you also post your tank's most recent test results for the Big 5:  ca, alk, mg, no3 and po4

 

A little bit of detail about the tank might be helpful to know...age, how it's being cleaned and filtered, livestock present, etc...whatever might be relevant.

No microscope.

 

As of today...

Ca 420

Mg 1400

dKH 9.8 all three using red sea 

 

NO3 is 0 salifert 

Phosphate .03 using hanna ULR 

 

It's basically all cleared up now after 24-48 hours with only 3 tbsp of GFO in a media bag. It'll be interesting to see if it reappears when the gfo becomes exhausted. 

 

There's nothing new in the tank other than a orchid dottyback. He's been in there over a month now. Everything else has been established for years, just moved it all into the red sea reefer 170 from a 40 Breeder back in February. 

[mcarroll]

Snails and other herbivores are what keeps algae down.

 

You run the risk of hurting your corals and maybe causing a dino bloom by forcing your nutrients even lower by using GFO right now.

 

Press ▶️ on a few more cleanup crew and a cheapie microscope.

Press ⏹️ on the GFO.  

 

😉

[Drew11]

On 4/3/2020 at 10:39 PM, mcarroll said:

Snails and other herbivores are what keeps algae down.

 

You run the risk of hurting your corals and maybe causing a dino bloom by forcing your nutrients even lower by using GFO right now.

 

Press ▶️ on a few more cleanup crew and a cheapie microscope.

Press ⏹️ on the GFO.  

 

😉

I'll give it a shot, funny you say that as I have a less than impressive CUC at the moment. Maybe a couple hermits and a couple Snails. 

 

Anyone have good suggestions for a CUC for a bare bottom tank? Obviously I don't need any sand sifters.

 

I absolutely love the way Trochus snails go to work, but it seems they are out of stock EVERYWHERE! Are they just a high demand invert ??

[mcarroll]

Trochus, Astrea and Turbo snails (are related, and) are probably the hardest workers vs algae you'll encounter.  

 

So look for any of those.  Just don't go overboard.  

 

Add 1 or 2 at a time, and wait a few weeks to gauge their impact before adding more..."less is more" in this circumstance....don't want too many herbivores, or you end up with a different problem:  starvation.