Looking to ID Algae in Sump

DKoKoMan · #1 01-10-2018, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHEAPREEF

I'm getting this same buildup in my retun pump and piping nowhere else in the tank/sump, At least it looks to be the same to me. Funny thing is I have nver carbon dosed in this tank.

That does look similar... I without a doubt didn’t have any of it until I started dosing Carbon. That’s weird that you have something similar with no carbon dosing.

Myka · #2 01-11-2018, 01:22 PM

Some tanks have a high bacteria load. I haven't figured out why. A couple of my clients' tanks are like that. They've never had bacteria dosed, and never had carbon dosed, yet the filter pads feel slimy when you touch them, and so do the sump walls.

DKoKoMan · #3 01-11-2018, 11:25 PM

That’s interesting! I wonder why that is... such a pain in the but to clean out of filters. I’m thinking my new sump won’t have any filters. Maybe just a filter sock as they are easier to manage.

CHEAPREEF · #4 01-11-2018, 11:34 PM

I'm currently not running any filters or filter socks unless I scrub the stuff down then I put then in for the night to catch it all and take them out the next day. I'm running no WC's with ATI Essentials, everything tests out perfectly. All the corals the display looks great, colors and growth better than they ever have. Just this darn slime build up that needs to be cleaned out every 2-3 weeks.

DKoKoMan · #5 01-13-2018, 06:00 PM

Ugh... I feel ya. This stuff is the worst to clean as it doesn’t siphon out well and sticks to absolutely everything.

CHEAPREEF · #6 02-02-2018, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DKoKoMan

Ugh... I feel ya. This stuff is the worst to clean as it doesn’t siphon out well and sticks to absolutely everything.

You ever figure out what it is? Thought I had it beat a few weeks ago but after 7 days of nothing in the sump the 8th day was worse than I had seen it before. :/

DKoKoMan · #7 02-02-2018, 03:57 PM

From everything thing I have read and Myka’s reply, I believe it is a bacteria based slime. Unfortunately my 150g has a heavy bioload, so it makes it difficult to control nitrates even with biweekly 15% WC. I read a lot written by Randy Holmes-Farley on the topic of carbon dosing and bacteria populations. Yesterday I decided to swap out my NOPO-X bottle and use only vinegar as a carbon method. I’m hoping the combination of carbon sources found within the NOPOX product was contributing to the slime. Fingers tossed that the vinegar won’t continue to boost the slime and it will supply energy to a different bacteria.

I am going to try and take another kick at chaeto in my sump. I’m scared the slime will kill it off though. My wife wants me to fix the slime issue so it doesn’t present in the brand new system. Obviously I want nothing more then to rid the slime as well.