White gunk in tank. ID?

[jbfloor]

My tank has done well for the first year, went through its phases and then settled down... or so I thought. I have a handle on cyano and algae, but this new stuff has baffled me. Nothing seems to work against it.

Does anybody have any idea what this is and how to combat it.



First the parameters:

Salinity: 1.025
PH: 8.35
KH: 8.8
Ca: 400
Mg: 1400
I: 0.02
PO4: 0.02
NO3: undetectable
NO2: undetectable
NH4: undetectable

Note that the slime/goop is white, not brown.. It turns brown as it stays in the tank longer from either dirt or algae growing within it. It is not stringy, but collects in globs that stick to rock.

I have tried water changes, maintaining parameters, high light, low light, keeping PO4 down to 0.00 by constant GFO maintenance. Lots of carbon. Active removal.. Nothing even puts a dent in it.

It sticks enough to rocks that powerheads have little effect on it. Nothing will eat it and fish don't touch it.. It also kills corals. I read an article a while ago about white reef slime being caused by either alcohol or scented candles (link) We got rid of all scented candles and have had our windows open for weeks now during the day and evening (thanks to the great California weather we have had)... Still no change though.

I'd hate to have to use chemicals, but I don't know if I have any other option at this point. The fish are doing great, but the corals are having trouble with the white goop invading their space.

[Veni vidi vici]

I have the same problem developing in my tank. Tank just finished cycle and I had a wick air freshener right next to tank as well. Seams to be a bacteria and im trying water changes at the moment.....

[jbfloor]

The article talks about adding beneficial bacteria to out compete the slime. I am trying vodka dosing to see if I can get the bacteria population to boom. I am a little concerned that it will backfire and actually feed the white slime, but I have tried everything else and nothing has worked so far.

[Triggercdog]

I use to get what you are describing in my old 220 gallon setup....I did everything you suggested to no avail....on my own, I started to eliminate all possibilities including the 4 glade plug-ins that my wife absolutely loves....one of them was next to my a/c return vent...so every time the a/c kicked on it disbursed glade plug-in throughout my house...killed 4 fish and countless corals...I threw them all away and since then haven't let the wife use em or light candles in the house...I no longer had the issue and still don't to this day with my new 150g....google VOC's gasses and it may I've some insight to this issue....good luck!

[Triggercdog]

Also, is there a film on the top of the water in your tank? I used to get the bacterial bloom film bad at the surface....once you figure out the root problem, I might suggest a temporary use of a UV light to rid of the remaining bacteria...

[jbfloor]

We removed all scented candles, air fresheners and anything else chemical from the living room. That was a couple of months ago, but once the bacteria is there, it is there to stay it seems.

No film on the water yet, though that may come now that the vodka dosing has started.

[Triggercdog]

Originally Posted by jbfloor

We removed all scented candles, air fresheners and anything else chemical from the living room. That was a couple of months ago, but once the bacteria is there, it is there to stay it seems.

No film on the water yet, though that may come now that the vodka dosing has started.

I would think a UV light would kill off some of the bacteria if running the proper water flow through it....

[jbfloor]

I might try that.

The vodka dosing seems to have taken effect already. Phosphate levels dropped to a clean 0.00 on my Hanna meter and I am at the end of my GFO replacement cycle, so that is almost depleted.

[GroktheCube]

You could try cutting back on carbon dosing. Looks like bacterial growth to me.