Brown Surface Slime

[Spamamos]

Hi All,

Have just returned to my aquarium after a weekend away to find a Brown slime in one corner of the tank where my filter points.
The tank was set up last Wednesday so is not even a week old. It was planted on Friday and left over the weekend with the light on a timer just cycling. When I left the tank was in a bacteria bloom and now the tank is clear. Is this film the dead bacteria and i should just do a small water change to remove or is this something more sinister?

Hope you can help!

 

[Colin_T]

Hi and welcome to the forum

Brown patches on the glass and ornaments can be brown algae or Cyanobacter bacteria (blue green algae). Cyanobacteria can be blue, green, brown, pink, purple, black and virtually any colour and grow in some tanks when they are newly set up, or in old tanks that haven' been maintained as well as they could. If you wipe the brown stuff and it comes off in a sheet or film and smells musty, it is blue green algae and you should try to remove it any time you see it. Normal brown algae is harmless and doesn't smell bad.

If you can post a picture of it we might have more idea on what it is.

 

[Spamamos]

Thanks for the reply!

It's not on an surfaces, gravel, or plants that I can see. Only gathered on the surface. I did a 15% water change and the water that came out was a very weak tea colour.
I tried to wipe the slime from the surface with a towel but it broke up and spread around the tank, I got some of it out using my siphon.
There is a rusty smell to it yes.
Here are some photos.

 

[Colin_T]

Your pictures didn't work, can you try again?

If the pictures are too big they might not load so I usually suggest having the camera set to 2Mb for images you want to put on here.

 

[Spamamos]

I have PMd them to you Colin whilst I work out how to compress them.

From above.

From Below.

 

[Colin_T]

Looks like blue green algae. Try to wipe it off with a clean fish sponge or paper towel. It usually grows back rapidly, within a couple of days so keep removing it whenever it pops up and eventually when the tank settles, it will stop growing.

 

[Spamamos]

So this is a new set up thing? The tank and filter is second hand and so I asked the previous owner but they have never experienced such a thing.

A fish sponge? It won't attach to the paper towel, just breaks up and drops into the water - going to buy a fine net tonight and try with that.

 

[Colin_T]

Try syphoning it out with a bit of hose.

 

[Spamamos]

Just back from my local fish shop.

Took off the majority with the net. Cleaned the glass. Did a 25% water change picking up anything in the water as well as going over the gravel. Then cleaned out my filter in the removed water as that was covered in brown on closer inspection.

Water tests are reading OK, no amonia, no nitrite and a little nitrate (at least I think that's good).

SO just going to keep an eye on it now, watch the for anymore buildup of the brown stuff and hope for the best.

If the algae continues to build, whats my next move?

 

[Colin_T]

no ammonia, no nitrite and low nitrate is good.

It might continue to grow for a few weeks to a few months but once the tank settles down, it should stop growing. Cyanobacteria is a bacteria that grows rapidly and as other types of bacteria, algae and other micro-organisms start to build up in the tank, they will start to take over and get rid of it for you. Until then keep the feeding down and try to remove any that appears.

If the light globes are more than 12 months old you can change them and that can help. Make sure you use globes that have a 5500-6500K rating.

 

[Spamamos]

OK thanks Colin - so nearly ready to add fish?

I'm going to be putting some Amano Shrimp in so I think they will help?

The lights are over a year old yes as this tank is second hand, I'm not sure what sort they are but they are the standard ones that came with the Roma 125. I assume replacing these is a simple job?

 

[Colin_T]

I have no idea about Roma 125 tanks. If you can post a picture of the light unit I might be able to work out what it is. But if it's a standard fluorescent globe, you just remove the globe and starter and replace them with new globe and new start for the globe. Both of these items should be available from any hardware store or lighting store. Globes can also be bought at any pet shop but fluorescent starters aren't.

Shrimp can pick at normal algae but don't normally eat Cyanobacteria.

 

[Spamamos]

No worries!

I'm sure I can work out the lights, if not i'll start another thread.

Thanks!