brown slim with bubbles

[Anonymous]

My 200 gallon tank is developing a brown slim with bubbles embedded in it. It is forming in small patches on the gravel and a couple of samll pieces of beached white coral (decoration). My blue hermits and snails don't appear to go near it. The tank has NSW and is one month old. Amon, Nitrate, Nitrite levels are 0 for 2 weeks (have 100 lbs of live rock in tank with large wet/dry). PH ranges from 8.0 to 8.1, alk is 6.0 to 7.0 meql. All additional water is RO. Fish consists of 7 demsels and 2 clowns, with live coral and sponge on the live rocks doing well (so far). Feeding is DT phytoplankton - small amounts and small amounts of flake food. Any suggestions?

 

[Anonymous]

It is very likely what Nilsen & Fossa call "clean water type" " blue-green alage" It nearly always occurs during the breakin period. It should disappear on it's own. The bubbles are oxygen produced by photosynthetic activity.

------------------
brian
atlantisaquatic.com

 

[Anonymous]

One month old this is very normal give about
another 4-6 week and it should go away.

David

 

[Anonymous]

I saw somewhere in there wet/dry? If you are planning for a reef tank loose the bio balls! Slowly 1/4 per week, if fish only and some live rock for decor then it dont matter, but since you have the LR I would suggest loosing the Wet/Dry anyway and just use it as a sump or if big enough a refugieum.


Old Guy.

 

[Anonymous]

Agree with atlantis and dmm
Perfectly normal, all new tanks go through it. It should go away on its own soon!

Clark

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the quick response. In response to old Guy ref. to whether this is a fish or reef tank due to the wet/dry. It was supposed to be a fish only with some live rock. The tank contains approx. 100 lbs. of live rock to date. With the additional life that has come with the live rock (picked some old rock from one of the lfs), I am finding my neighbors and family up at night with flashlights looking at the interesting creatures that consistly showing up each couple of days. I see my days of getting a emperior anglefish going away. The tank has from the live rocks, 3 types of coral, 2 clams and multiple orange and purple sponges with my wife eyeing some additioal coral. My attention at this time was to pick up some more live rock, live sand that then watch my nitrates levels. If they rise, I will remove some of the bio-balls.

 

[Anonymous]

I say keep the wet/dry. Since you seem to be new at this, there is a good chance that you'll stock quickly. In this case, the wet/dry is more capable of handling a rapidly increasing bioload. Also, down the road if you add one big fish, you could have an ammonia spike (somewhere on here there's a post about adding a puffer and getting an ammonia spike). As a way of reducing nitrates, when you do your water changes, about once a month to a month and a half go ahead and rinse your biomedia in the used water. This reduces nitrates while keeping the beneficial bacteria intact.