Journal Frank's Dutch Attempt

[Art]

Does it vanish at night? May be spirulina?

Take some of it out and put it in two cups of aquarium water. Add 1 ml of H2O2 . If the water turns color, you have cyano. If not, may be spirulina or a type of hair algae.

Definitely seems bacterial to me as your plants seem healthy.

 

[FrankZ]

Does it vanish at night? May be spirulina?

Take some of it out and put it in two cups of aquarium water. Add 1 ml of H2O2. If the water turns color, you have cyano. If not, may be spirulina or a type of hair algae.

Definitely seems bacterial to me as your plants seem healthy.

It doesn’t disappear at night.

I just started the peroxide test. Never heard of that one before for cyano. Thank you!!

It certainly seems to thrive on the same conditions that the plants like. What’s the for the spirulina and/or the other tough hair algae’s? This one doesn’t seem phased at all by the normally stuff. Cleaning/excel/etc.

 

[Art]

Sounds like bacterial to me. Usually happens when there is an excess food source for the bacteria to explode. Are you adding any source of carbon that could be feeding it?

 

[FrankZ]

Sounds like bacterial to me. Usually happens when there is an excess food source for the bacteria to explode. Are you adding any source of carbon that could be feeding it?

Just the fish food and CO2. Maybe a big healthy water change tomorrow and Friday will wipe out what’s left of the DOC from the filthy filter I cleaned on Saturday.

 

[Art]

Ah, that's it! You disturbed your bacterial colony that was living in your dirty filter.

My solution for this was Red Slime Remover. Gone in a few days.

 

[FrankZ]

Ah, that's it! You disturbed your bacterial colony that was living in your dirty filter.

My solution for this was Red Slime Remover. Gone in a few days.

So you think it’s a cyano bacteria? Also I’ve had this since mid June. It just exploded since I cleaned the filter. Just trying to understand the root cause to avoid it from happening again. If a root cause can even be identified.

 

[Art]

IME, bacteria can explode for many reason but certainly a very dirty filter and disturbing said filter. I even got it when I was experimenting with dosing vodka in the tank.

I used to use Erythromycin and that took care of it quickly but also dented my filter bacteria. Red Slime Remover has worked well in more recent corrections.

 

[FrankZ]

IME, bacteria can explode for many reason but certainly a very dirty filter and disturbing said filter. I even got it when I was experimenting with dosing vodka in the tank.

I used to use Erythromycin and that took care of it quickly but also dented my filter bacteria. Red Slime Remover has worked well in more recent corrections.

Thank you! I have ultralife blue-green slime stain remover on hand. That’s pretty much the same stuff I think?

 

[Art]

Should be. Give it a try.

 

[FrankZ]

Cyano test with peroxide was negative so sort of back to increased maintenance for a while. No silver bullets for me.

Anyway, I did one 75% water change Tuesday night. Did another one today with another for tomorrow. Dosing up all the macros and GH with each change to keep those consistent. Also squeezing in a dose of the burr Aqua magic juice between water changes.

The rotala tulu all gave up staying the substrate. The stems melted 1/4 of the way up the stem, every below that was slowly turning to mush covered in slime. I took it all out and replaced it with a few stems of bacopa Carolina. The tulu and the helferii are the ones being hit worst by the slime. The leaves just seem to grab the slime that blows around and the stuff just takes off. The persicaria catches the slime too but it seems robust enough to shrug it off. All the fast growing plants or rugged ones don’t seem to care to much.

 

[Art]

Did you try the Red Slime Remover anyway? I think it's worth a try.

Keeping the right maintenance will get you to the right place for sure. The slime will have less and less available nutrients but the Red Slime Remover may help get you there faster.

 

[FrankZ]

Did you try the Red Slime Remover anyway? I think it's worth a try.

Keeping the right maintenance will get you to the right place for sure. The slime will have less and less available nutrients but the Red Slime Remover may help get you there faster.

I did not add it yet because I wanted to get in another round of cleaning and a water. The treatment would have been wasted if I added it and then did a water change the next as I had planned.

I am going to add the first does of the red slime remover today and follow the dosage time line.

 

[Art]

Any improvements so far?

 

[FrankZ]

Any improvements so far?

Possibly, but it might be rose colored glasses. There is significantly less but I did do a boat load of cleaning. What little I do see doesn’t seem to be spreading…..

 

[FrankZ]

Slime algae is mostly gone. Haven’t seen any new stuff since last week’s heavy cleaning. Water is now hazy from a slight bacteria bloom and GDA is starting to come back. Helferi took a big hit from the clean up. Lots of leaves wet broken from the heavy vacuuming (it had the worst of the slime) and now some stems are giving up and melting.

Guess I over did it with the cleaning of the filter and tank. Been here before with this tank and patience is the answer although Roundup is very tempting.

 

[FrankZ]

Slime is making a rapid return in the helferii. If you zoom you can see the strands floating up. Had to include the Samolus parviflorus red to get something pretty in the photo.

Makes sense that it’s growing fast on the helferi since it’s in bad shape. Still scratching my head on what to do about this slime mess.

 

[Unexpected]

View attachment 5772

Slime is making a rapid return in the helferii. If you zoom you can see the strands floating up. Had to include the Samolus parviflorus red to get something pretty in the photo.

Makes sense that it’s growing fast on the helferi since it’s in bad shape. Still scratching my head on what to do about this slime mess.

It’s never easy is it? Can be in autopilot for months, nothing changes then a forrest fire starts. Hate this!

 

[FrankZ]

It’s never easy is it? Can be in autopilot for months, nothing changes then a forrest fire starts. Hate this!

I’m pretty fed up with how touchy this tank is the last few months. One slight misstep and poof algae farm. At least my plants haven’t given me as much grief as the algae has.

 

[Unexpected]

I’m pretty fed up with how touchy this tank is the last few months.

Having the same issue with GDA, plants are solid but the glass is getting covered quickly. Same ol' routine but it's just not working atm.

 

[FrankZ]

Having the same issue with GDA, plants are solid but the glass is getting covered quickly. Same ol' routine but it's just not working atm.

My goal was to have something marginally acceptable to submit to the AGA this year but I’m not embarrassing myself with this sh*thouse mess