Browm stringy slime

[sunken3]

anyone know how to get rid of (kill) this stuff.. it's not redslime (that typically covers over stuff and pulls up in sheets); this stuff is brown, kind of thick and stringy.. usually floating on one end with a trapped air bubble or two...

so far siphoning is my only working plan.. but i'm guessing their has to be something better.. thoughts?

[Parrothead]

can you post a pic?????????????

[sunken3]

ok.. here ya go.

[Steve McKay]

Test for silica,if it's high then it's probably diatoms.Never seen any that slimy though.

[Parrothead]

Test for silica,if it's high then it's probably diatoms.Never seen any that slimy though.

also test nitrate and post results, looking at the pic, did you by chance have some of your mushrooms go belly up???????????

[sunken3]

i had some shrroms go belly up about 6months ago. they just melted out of the blue... it was weird.. one group died.. the rest all ok.

this isn't shrooms.. diatoms, diongelles, cyno?? (all my spelling is 3rd grade I know)

[Parrothead]

Please test your water and post the results???????

[sunken3]

ok parrothead.. I don't have a silica test kit handy and my nitrate test kit is old and growing something. that said,.. my water is fine (i tasted it). I have two tanks (120g and 60g) inline with two large sumps (~150g each)... all of these run together... no crap in the sumps or in the 60g.. only the 120g.. it only differs by lighting (much more) and feeding... I feed this tank the most. if my water parameters were so messed up, wouldn't this stuff be growing everywhere??

[Steve McKay]

I still think it's diatoms,but if you don't test you will never know.I assume if your NO3 kit is growing old due to not being used you have no idea what's going on with your water parameters.I would also assume that you don't test for Ca,KH or Mg.If you don't test,you can't know your water is good.If you have everything hooked together your not just feeding the 120g your feeding all of them and the symptoms are showing up in the 120g because it has more light.

[Parrothead]

Pretty much said what I was gonna,

You should take your tastebuds on the road, hell if tasting you tank water assures you it's fine, you've quite a talent there.

Get some test kits, I'm not so much concerned about the silca at the moment, but the beginner test kits would be ideal, you know amm. nitrite, NITRATE, ph, without actually test results you and your tastebuds might find themselves on their own

[sunken3]

alright you guys - I will buy a comprehensive test kit this weekend and will test everything and post my results.... but if it turns out that I truly can taste good water quality, I not only want an apology but a solution to my brown slime issue. (of course if my test results are less than favorable; I'll concede to periodic testing!) - ;)

[Parrothead]

If I gotta apologize I want the test results before you do massive water changes, I ask for test results the same day you posted your question, Please tell me you at least own a BASIC test kit, you know, amm. nitrite, nitrate, pH, everybody's got one of them

[sunken3]

not too worry - I will not do a water change before I test.. I'm just as curious now as you are.

ok had tanks for the last 10-15 years.. fish only until maybe 5 years ago.. I'm onlly moderately successful, because, yes, I don't test enough. Alright I checked my kits -

I typically use (ok to cringe) the Jungle 6in1 quick dip stick -

I have a FastTest Master kit which contains -
ammonia, nh3; nitrite, no2; nitrate, no3, and ph

I also have Nutrafin testkits for -
phosphate, po4, and calcium, ca

I didn't test nitrite or ammonia (as I have no reason to believe there is an issue - tanks are old and have hundreds of pounds of live rock) the rest is as follows:

Salinity - 1.023
Nitrate - <10mg
PH - 8.2
Phosphate - <.05
Calcium - 380

hope that helps...

[Steve McKay]

alright you guys - I will buy a comprehensive test kit this weekend and will test everything and post my results.... but if it turns out that I truly can taste good water quality, I not only want an apology but a solution to my brown slime issue. (of course if my test results are less than favorable; I'll concede to periodic testing!) - ;)

An apology,your kidding right.If your not testing salinity,PH,NO3,Ca,Alk and Mg on a regular basis your not doing much to help your corals grow.And since your salt mix won't keep your Ca,Alk and Mg at proper levels if you are not adding Ca,Alk and Mg your wrong too.

[sunken3]

Steve, such hostility... j/k.. got pics of your tank?

[Steve McKay]

Steve, such hostility... j/k.. got pics of your tank?

Your reading to much into it,there is no hostility.Yes I have photos,try looking at the "McKay Build Thread" I have a couple in there.

[sunken3]

checked out your thread.. nice. so, another question comes to mind.. what is your process for vacuuming the sand w/o sucking it all up? i've always found that troublesome.

[Steve McKay]

checked out your thread.. nice. so, another question comes to mind.. what is your process for vacuuming the sand w/o sucking it all up? i've always found that troublesome.

You don't clean the sand yourself at all,your cleanup crew does that.My cleanup crew consists of mostly snails but I have a Fighting Conch that does a good job eating diatoms and a Skunk Cleaner Shrimp that eats anything leftover.I also have many brittle stars.The snails consist of turbo's and Margarita's for algae control and Nassarius and Cerith snails for detritus control.But the best way to export waste is good circulation and a good skimmer,good circulation keeps the waste in the water column so it will travel via overflow to the sump where a good skimmer can extract it.My skimmer is a little overkill for a 50g,I have the Alpha 170 Cone Skimmer.Sand also doesn't let waste penetrate into it easily so the circulation gets it.I have a 5"DSB (deep sand bed) which also aids in turning my NO3 into nitrogen gas so it dissipates.That's why my NO3 levels are 0.0.I see you have crushed coral for substrate,that is not good.It will trap waste which will produce NO3 the opposite of a DSB.My advice on that would be remove it,or you will be continually fighting to keep your NO3 levels down by vacuuming and water changes.

[Steve McKay]

I have some diatoms,there not as slimy as what you have but I think that's what you have.But you won't know until you test for SiO2 (silica),what kind of water do you use for mixing your salt and for topping off your tank?I hope it is ro/di or distilled water.

[sunken3]

I have a large RODI unit attached to a 100g drum for salt and a 30g for fresh top-off...