Weird brown mucus in skimmer / top of tank

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catmel

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Apr 20, 2008
Messages
660
Location
Findlay, Ohio
I was wondering if anyone could answer the question as to why I am having this weird brown mucus suddenly show up.. its clogging up my skimmer and collecting at the top of the aquarium. I have to empty out my skimmer bubble diffuser daily now because it clogs up.

This started about 2 weeks ago. I did add some trumpet / candy cane coral to my aquarium, it seems to be doing well. The only thing I can think of is maybe my coral is too close together? I've heard corals can 'go on chemical warfare' with each other. Everything looks healthy, fish are ok, corals are opening up.. I'm confused as to why this mucus started and where its coming from. Any help appreciated..

tank specs:
55 gallon, 2 x 150 watt MH ( only one on ) 2 x 96 watt PC 50/50 bulbs, ph 8.2, salinity 1.025, temp about 79/80, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate between 0-10ppm ( shows up a little darker than 0 but not as dark as 10ppm) calcium 420

corals:
large kenya tree, 2 toadstoal leathers, hairy mushrooms, watermellon mushrooms, zoo colony, birdsnest, montipora frag, trumpet/candy cane coral, green star polyps

Ive added a pic just incase, to see if maybe proximity is an issue?
Thanks!
 

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I would not get rid of the toadstool. Just keeping up with your PWC`s should keep up with any chemical warfare. I would also run some GAC.
 
I may look into running some GAC.. I do weekly 10% pwc and its not helping much. Should I get a HOB filter for the GAC or can I get some to run in my phosphate reactor (instead of media) ?

I appreciate the help! :)
 
I may look into running some GAC.. I do weekly 10% pwc and its not helping much. Should I get a HOB filter for the GAC or can I get some to run in my phosphate reactor (instead of media) ?

I appreciate the help! :)

I think it could also be a bacterial bloom..... thats what I think when I hear the word mucous layer in a saltwater tank. The GAC will be a benefit. You can run the GAC media in your phospate reactor, but then where are you going to run your GFO media? Another option would be to put the GAC in a filter bag and throw it inside your sump in a high flow area. Its not as good as running it through a reactor, but better than nothing.
 
Cat, another thing you might want to try is to do a slightly larger PWC, Maybe 15%-20% and see if that helps. You may also might want to move your candy cane coral to the sand and see if that stops the mucas, then you would if the candy cane is the cause of the mucus or not.
 
Thanks for the input. I had gotten the phosphate reactor because of my algae issues initially.. once I re-did my rocks, my algae issue went away.So I stopped using it.. I havent used it in about a month or two.

I'm not sure what could have caused a bacterial bloom? I'm sure its possible though. It seemed this mucus started after I got the CC coral.. I'll try the GAC and move the CC.. and see if that helps. Thanks for the info!
 
Do one or the other or you will never know which one caused the problem or that neither caused it.
 
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