Slime Solution? what do you think?

[mr_X]

i'm about 90% sure you all are going to tell me to not add chemicals to my reef, but i came across this stuff and wanted to run it by you:

first off i need to explain that my testing kit tells me i have zero phosphates in my tap water, but i don't trust it. so i purchased these phosphate removing pads to see what would happen to the slime i have.

i realize it's a new tank and it's to be expected, but it's downright ugly, and i lose about a half pound or expensive sand every time i remove the "slime blanket" on it.

now in this phosphate filter bag, is a small baggy of what seems to be normal erythromycin (an antibiotic), which it tells me to add to the tank to remove the slime and hair algae. what do yuo all think about this, and a more important question: what will it to do my fuge?
pics of the product below-

 

[Anonymous]

i'm about 90% sure you all are going to tell me to not add chemicals to my reef, but i came across this stuff and wanted to run it by you:

put me in the 90% bracket..if it ain't broke don't fix it! Why add a phosphate remover if your tests show you don't need it?

first off i need to explain that my testing kit tells me i have zero phosphates in my tap water, but i don't trust it. so i purchased these phosphate removing pads to see what would happen to the slime i have.

i realize it's a new tank and it's to be expected, but it's downright ugly, and i lose about a half pound or expensive sand every time i remove the "slime blanket" on it.

now in this phosphate filter bag, is a small baggy of what seems to be normal erythromycin (an antibiotic), which it tells me to add to the tank to remove the slime and hair algae. what do yuo all think about this, and a more important question: what will it to do my fuge?
pics of the product below-

Secondly, sure the antibiotic will kill off the cyano, true but does not discriminate and will wipe out your biological filter as well! You will in effect have to cycle the tank again! Bad idea...IMO/IME.

Do a search here on cyanobacteria, there is plenty of good advice on control short of nuking the tank!

 

[trido]

I cant agree with Lawdawg more....
My god those are big pics. Even with my favorites bar closed I still have to scroll from right to left to read any thing you post pics in. :wink:

 

[mr_X]

ugh...ok..don't add the stuff to the tank...and make my pics smaller ..got it

 

[Anonymous]

ugh...ok..don't add the stuff to the tank...and make my pics smaller ..got it

I have said before, it's my policy to NEVER add anything to a tank unless you know what it does and why it does it! So, asking here before is a good idea

 

[mr_X]

k. and to answer your question, i don't trust my test because i spoke to a guy in the next town who claims he has plenty of phosphates in his water. i'm going to head over to the LFS to let them check it. maybe they have a phos test.

 

[Anonymous]

okay...sounds like a plan.

 

[trido]

BTW. Whats the big deal with cyano any way? I've had a small patch in the corner of my sand bed for weeks now. :lol:

 

[mr_X]

if i let it go, i won't have sand. i'll have a red slimy yucky swamp bottom.

 

[ChrisRD]

Invest in an RO or (even better) an RO/DI unit. :wink:

 

[mr_X]

I cant agree with Lawdawg more....
My god those are big pics. Even with my favorites bar closed I still have to scroll from right to left to read any thing you post pics in. :wink:

i realized why you have trouble with the pics and i don't, and we have the same size monitor:
i have my screen resolution set at 1280x1024, which makes the print smaller, along with everything else. i like to fit more on the page. i guess i got so used to it, i figured everyone had this res. sorry bro.

 

[cdeakle]

first off i need to explain that my testing kit tells me i have zero phosphates in my tap water, but i don't trust it. so i purchased these phosphate removing pads to see what would happen to the slime i have.

Have you considered purchasing a new test kit to make sure?

 

[trido]

i realized why you have trouble with the pics and i don't, and we have the same size monitor:
i have my screen resolution set at 1280x1024, which makes the print smaller, along with everything else. i like to fit more on the page. i guess i got so used to it, i figured everyone had this res. sorry bro.

I set my monitor like that for a minute and it reminded me of the fact that I am borderline reading glasses. I keep my res at 1024x768. I keep my internet text size at medium. Just so you know, I am almost b****y, and never satisfied. Please dont take it personally.

 

[Anonymous]

I have used chemi-clean in the past but have heard that it can harm corals. I would not advise you to use any chemicals in your tank. Reduce your photo period, increase flow and do a search on cyano and you will be enlightened on what to do.

 

[hndakd]

i have heard that the phosphate tests in general are not able to detect the phosphates in water. from what i know, which is not much, is that the tests on detect disolved phosphates where the algea needs free floating phosphates.

I had a cyano outbreak that was crazy. So much to the point that i thought about tearing down the whole tank and starting over completely. There was so much of the the stuff that every rock and wall and even the surface of the water had some in it on it or floating on it. After weeks of doing the the normal stuff, removing what pieces i could, changing water with rodi, and less feedings. i talked to a buddy about marycin. Its a bacteria remover not phosphate remover. I used it and have not seen any of the stuff return yet.

justin

 

[Anonymous]

add nothing to aquarium water

Add one level scoop to each 10 gallon of water

I never lied. :lol:

 

[ChrisRD]

There is absolutely no need to resort to chemicals to deal with cyano. That's really a bandaid approach IMO. The cyano is the symptom of underlying problems (high nutrient levels, poor circulation, etc.). If you solve the problem, you'll reverse the symptom.

Take steps to improve/increase circulation and decrease nutrient levels and it's just a matter of time after that...

 

[Anonymous]

Also, in a tank that's cycling, IMO/IME it usually just burns itself out once the nutrients are used up.

 

[mr_X]

must be high nutrient levels maybe. i'll give it another month or so(that will be 4 months), possibly by then things will subside

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry...I don't rmember. Are you using an RO/DI system?