I know, but I have slime?!?!?

[fish_4_all]

I don't know how else to put it but I have slime in my tank! It looks like a light feathery, whiteish color and covers all the glass in the tank. It comes off really easy with fingers or a tank cleaner. I suppose it could be hair algae but it doesn't look like any plant of any type I have ever seen.

Ammonia-0
NH3-0
NO3-30ish (finally coming down from 40)
NO2-0
GH-150
KH-120
Ph-7.8

It was all over in my aquaview filter before I cleaned it. I also had little tiny snails all over in the filter. Little buggers will find anywhere to hide won't they! No sunlight at all.

What could it be?

If it is hair algae, will SAE eat it, if I can get one to survive more than 2 weeks?

EDIT( sorry, it is the otto's I can't keep alive.)

I do have my aquaclear set up and running so in about 4 weeks I can take out the sponge filter and the aquaview out of the tank.

I did start with leaf zone about 3 weeks ago, could that be contributing to it?

[PsiPro]

I had this when my tank was cycling. I dont konw if it would go away on its own but I know my shrimp and Otto enjoyed it.

[Devilishturtles]

Sounds like cyanobacteria aka blue green algae. To put it shortly, it's basically a bunch of bacteria that lay on the surfaces in your tank, bunch up and layer on top of each other, and cause alot of slime. It can show up if you overfeed or under clean your tank.

How large is your tank and how many fish are in it? How often do you do a water change? Your water looks ok, but there is still a few things that they bacteria has to be feeding off of.

To the best of my knowledge, there is nothing that will eat cyanobacteria. It will go away on it's own eventually, with reduced nutrients.

HTH

[PsiPro]

Originally Posted by Devilishturtles

To the best of my knowledge, there is nothing that will eat cyanobacteria. It will go away on it's own eventually, with reduced nutrients.

Guess I had somthing different then. Scratch my comment.

[Devilishturtles]

Originally Posted by PsiPro

Guess I had somthing different then. Scratch my comment.

Or I could be completley wrong as well. I've never had experience with it. But if it's actually cyano, it's not an algae, and nothing will eat it. If it really is an algae of some sort, than something will.

Any chance of a pic, fish4all?

[fish_4_all]

10 gallon tank. 9 fish. 4 Corydoras, 2 swords, 2 clown loaches, getting to be about 2 inches now, 1 betta, 2 neons.

Water changed out at 40-60% every week on Tuesday.

I think I am probably overfeeding but it is so darn hard to know how much the bottom feeders actually get. I am using a crushed flake, shrimp pellet mix. I feed twice a day using about a smidge, a very small amount in a 1/4 tsp. measuring spoon. When I feed live food, I do not give the flakes and make sure all is eaten. Maybe feeding way too much. Will try even less for a couple days to see what happens.

As for a picture, I can barely see it with the naked eye. Have to hit just the right angle to be able to see there is something there and that the glass isn't just dirty.

[Devilishturtles]

Ok. I think I found your problem. You are overstocked, my friend. And probably over feeding as well.

The first thing I would do is return your clown loaches. They are cool, I know. But, they will soon be growing way too large for your tank. They will max at around 8-9 inches long and need LOTS of space. After that, you should be able to get your nutrients a bit better undercontrol.

With 2 sword, 4 cories, 2 neon tetras, and a betta, you are about maxed for your tank. Some might even debate the swords being in there.

Your water change regime sounds good. Are you vaccuming the gravel whith your water change? If not, that could be a problem as well.

HTH

[fish_4_all]

I realized the clown loaches would get too big when I got them but I needed a cure for my snail problem. They will be going back soon. It is actually mazing how fast they grow. They were under an inch when I got them a month ago and they are now over 3 inches so they are way too big for the tank. May take them back but I may set up a 20 tall so they have lots of room to roam.

I vaccum every water change. As much of the gravel as physically possible.

As for overfeeding, how in the world do you know if the fish get enough when you can't see what is left? There is never a lot of food in the water changes, mostly fish waste and scales and very seldomly is there much food colored waste.

I have noticed that my anacharis is actually trying to take root in this tank finally. Might be the higher nutrients or might be the fact I now have an aquaclear mini, an aquaview for 10 gallon tanks and a medium sponge filter going in the tank. Will only be the aquaclear in about a month but might be the reason the tank is coming around as far as my anacharis.

Cyano is blue green in color and long sheets and its dark. Is the slime your talking about clear? Then its not cyano.. cyano is called bluegreen algae for a reason... has nothing to do with a dirty tank, it thrives off of sunlight.

[Devilishturtles]

Actually, cyanobacteria can range in color from red to brown, and blue, or green. It's called blue-green algae because most cells of it contain a pigment known to create a blue or green look. It's all dependent on what pigment the certain bacteria contains. It's a phototroph, yes, and that is why it can get worse from excessive lighting. Cyano is also nitrogen fixing, meaning that high levels of nitrate will fuel it's growth.

[fish_4_all]

OK, a better description then.

It is a clear white color. The pains of glass are completely covered with it. There are "filaments" that wave in the water flow. When I use the glass cleaner magnet, it comes off in what looks to be long strings that have clumped together. They have the effect of making the tank look like a pane of glass looks when you leave streaks on it from cleaning it. The fish will not touch it even after being in the water column, not even taste it.

Absolutely not sunlight gets to the tank. Just ambient light from the windows and the lights on top and behind it.

Good debate everyone, now no getting mad here. This is a good topic and we should be able to get a really good concensous out of it.

I really dont think it sounds anything like cyanobacteria... i have stuff like that in my filter but i never thought twice about it.

[Devilishturtles]

Ahh... I thought you said brown slime?

What you desribe now sounds like Hydra. Very, very hard to get rid of! And no, nothing will eat it. I'm not on my computer now, so perhaps you can do a google search for Hydra and find some pictures or diagrams and see if that is what you have.

A complete cleaning of the tank is sometimes required to get rid of it, or dosing your tank with med (I think erythomicin) to kill it.

Sorry I can't give you more info at the moment. Best of luck.

[fish_4_all]

Hydra wouldn't just show up like this from what i have read. This stuff is really easy to get rid off the glass. No individual stalks like a hydra. Nothing has been added to the tank new in over amonth except for the new Aquaclear filters. This stuff showed up in my filter before that. I think it is most likely the worthless aquaview I have been using that isn't doing it's job to get rid of the junk. It is always clogged with junk, never easy to clean and just a pain in the neck. I am so glad i have my new Aquaclear, I think tye will make a big difference. Will keep everyone informed on the progress after I get rid of all the loaches from both tanks even though the botias have a good clean tank.

[Devilishturtles]

Ahh. Yes, hydra does need to be introduced via SOMETHING. So, I would just assume that you have a collection of bacteria that is causing slime. Cyanobacteria, in it's certain forms, can cause "slime algae", from what I understood.

Reduce nutrients in your tank, and with better filtration, and it should go away soon.

Best of luck.

[fish_4_all]

Well whatever it was it is gone now. Less food, more filtration, no water changes though. Anyway, whatever part you all got right worked. Is about the only thing that has been easy to take care of since I got back in the hobby!

Thanks!

[Devilishturtles]

Glad its gone from your tank!! Sometimes those mystery things can be a big pain.