Id Strange Film

[The-Raven]

My tank is cycling and today I noticed a weird clear/white film covering the fake buildings in my tank - and it feels pretty slimy. It's thicker in the back but I can't get my camera back there and get a focused picture, so this is the best you'll really get for an ID...

On a side note, you can go to my other thread to see the whole deal and my plans for it
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=148795

 

[BBrain]

Just curious; what are the fake buildings made of?

Anyway, did you give them a good scrub and rinse, before putting them into your tank? And did you have a sniff of them first? That film might be some sort of chemical they're giving off, like a release agent used in the molding process. My daughter recently bought a plastic ornament from Petsmart, that gave off an obnoxious chemical-type smell for days, even after scrubbing and rinsing, so it was returned to the store.

 

[The-Raven]

well it certainly doesn't smell, and this feels more like an organic slime than chemical... it's been steadily building and now it's actually visible.

should i remove it in any case? I'd prefer to err on the safe side, but if it's some beneficial algae/bacteria, i don't want to be too hasty

 

[The-Raven]

seems nobody knows

 

[waldo]

I've had a similiar build up in my tanks. I just wipe if off and let the filter clean up the mess.

 

[furryrabbit]

looks like hair algae

 

[grake]

looks like hair algae

i'd agree that it is a type of algae, i have seen it in newly set up aquariums before,

it comes off real easy,

a little bristlenose catfish will get rid of it all in one night

 

[The-Raven]

the only bristlenoses that i know of are plecos - which since my aquarium is pretty new, i'm reluctant to put in quite yet...

what are my other options?

 

[grake]

bristlenose pleco's are quite hardy

i have had them as "first fish" in a number of aquariums and never lost one and IMO the best algae remover in the business, there are lots other algae eaters to chose from,
Otocinclus affinis(otto), Epalzeorhynchos kalopterus(Flying Fox) and Crossocheilus siamensis(Siamese Algae Eater) are just a few but i would chose a bristlenose over the others for a new aquarium any day,

a bristlenose will keep eating algae all it's life where some of the others in my experience will tend to neglect there algae clearing duty's once mature

 

[The-Raven]

when you say bristlenose do you mean ancistrus sp.?

they just went on sale at liveaquaria today (yay!) and i've been looking around for plecos under 5" for my tank anyway... getting a pleco that I like, is small, AND takes care of algae is a real trouble, but ancistrus seems to take care of that. not a big fan of the medusa-face look, but a couple in that species don't have em.

http/www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Di...cfm?pCatId=1039

edit: for a 55gallon would you say one or two? (I was planning on getting otos to help get into the smaller places too...)

 

[grake]

ancistrus sp. yes, two would be fine,

only the males get the big bushy nose but very young fish can't be sexed.

I like to buy young tank bred fish i as i find they are less shy than some of the large wild caught ones and given the right sized cave will spawn regularly even in quite a busy community aquarium

 

[The-Raven]

yeah, something tells me i won't have much choice as to what sex i get...

In any case, I was looking at getting one of the regular guys, since they're on sale - and one albino gold. I'd want to make sure that neither of them get over 5" though, as I want them to be able to move about my aquarium freely