Slimy Green Brown Stuff in filter

G

gailawall

Member
Apr 28, 2011
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Florida
Hi there, I am new here so I hope I do this correctly:

I have a 25 gallon tank with an aqueon hang on the back filter.
There are 1 bn pleco, 1 cory cat, 4 tiger barb, 2 rosy barb and a zebra danio.

Inside my filter and behind the filter cartridge there accumulates a ton of slimy stuff.
It gunks up the cartridge about every 5 days.
It is also growing in the front where the water goes back into the tank.
I believe this is also where the grid holds the "beneficial bacteria"(?).

The water is crystal clear. Everybody in the tank looks happy.

So, is this gunk the "b.b"?
Should I encourage the growth of it?
Should I leave it alone?
Should I clean this gunk out, only leaving some in the grid?
Should I forget about it and get on with my life? :dk:

Thx for any help.
 
M

macvsog23

Pleco Profiles Team - RIP FRIEND
May 1, 2009
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do u do a 10% water change every week?
Do you feed only 2 or 3 times a week?

if no then this is your problem
 
G

gailawall

Member
Apr 28, 2011
23
0
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Florida
Hi -
Yes, I do at least 10% every week.
I feed once or twice a day for the barbs and danio.
The tank has been up for a year
 
G

gailawall

Member
Apr 28, 2011
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Florida
D-MAC said:
How long has the tank been set up? and are you doing any water tests? If you are, can you post up the readings? How long are your lights on for?
Click to expand...
The tank has been up a year.
I do water tests and they are usually within limits. I will do another this evening.
The lights are on from 8:30-10 a.m. then 4:30 to 8 at night ---
unless of course, I AM SHOWING THEM OFF FOR VISITORS:)
I feed in the morning and 2-3 times a week in the evening.
 
D-MAC

D-MAC

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Jul 24, 2009
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www.danditropicals.co.uk
The description you give in the thread title would indicate slime algae, but slime in the filter can also be caused by overfeeding and a load of food being sucked into the filter...Do you have a lot of sunlight shining on the tank? especially where the filter hangs.
 
Brengun

Brengun

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Apr 22, 2009
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I've had a couple of phantom algaes in the odd tank too. They aren't common ones due to overfeeding or too much light.

One I found occurs due to too low a pH, below 6 with not enough current in the tank.
It was annoying and used to even knit the gravel together so you couldn't vac it up.
I upped the pH and put in more current and it all seems good. Overstocking in fish can bring it on too.

The other one which I think I am winning against is blue algae. The tank actually looks blue. WC water taken out is shows blue in a white bucket. Very scary to look at but doesnt seem to bother the fish. I figure its a gradual increase in phosphates and have added a purigen bag to the canisters, cleaned the underside of lids and the top area of glass where this blacky blue stuff grows and it seems to be going.

Neither tank gets actual sunlight or even get overhead lights unless I am cleaning the tanks, just a room light.
 
bigbird

bigbird

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Sep 9, 2010
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i would try and feed less. Also may I ask you, why do you turn your light off in between ? Why not leave on from sy 10am to 8pm ? Turning light on and off might affect the balance of the system ? cheers jk :thumbup:
 
G

gailawall

Member
Apr 28, 2011
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Florida
Water Tests for Gunky stuff

D-MAC said:
How long has the tank been set up? and are you doing any water tests? If you are, can you post up the readings? How long are your lights on for?
Click to expand...
I tested to day before my water change:
Ammonia test kit for NH3 NH4: yellow .25
GH 4 drops
KH 3 drops
Ph 7.5
NO2 <.3
Temp: 75' F

But After you see how the chemistry is - can I be told if I clean the filter or not?
 
G

gailawall

Member
Apr 28, 2011
23
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Florida
My lights

bigbird said:
i would try and feed less. Also may I ask you, why do you turn your light off in between ? Why not leave on from sy 10am to 8pm ? Turning light on and off might affect the balance of the system ? cheers jk :thumbup:
Click to expand...
I was afraid to keep the light on all day because
I didn't want to encourage algae growth and
between 12 and 4 there is room light - but not directly on the tank.
I live on the Florida east coast beach and in the early morning the sun comes directly in the house so I keep blinds drawn til about noon.
Too hot otherwise.:)
 
G

gailawall

Member
Apr 28, 2011
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Florida
Feeding and light

D-MAC said:
The description you give in the thread title would indicate slime algae, but slime in the filter can also be caused by overfeeding and a load of food being sucked into the filter...Do you have a lot of sunlight shining on the tank? especially where the filter hangs.
Click to expand...
Okay, I'll try to feed less.
No sunlight in the tank or filter side.

Should I clean this out of the filter - and how would I do that?
 
G

gailawall

Member
Apr 28, 2011
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0
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Florida
Slimy gunk photo

I am trying to attach a photo of the slime.
Hope this works.

Well, it didn't. I don't know where the photo went.
 
bigbird

bigbird

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Sep 9, 2010
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thats an algae that you also find on filter intake and outtake pipes. You need to scrub off and also rinse the tubes. Sign of overfeeding as stated. cheers jk :thumbup:
 
Tener ds

Tener ds

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Mar 22, 2010
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bigbird

bigbird

Pleco Profiles Moderator - RIP FRIEND
Sep 9, 2010
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agree, less food in the tank and less build up, maybe you need a larger filter, but that then defeats the purpose. cheers jk :thumbup:
 
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