Didymo Rock Snot, About To Give Up

Tank size: 10 gal (used to run two 10 gal tanks but too much $ and time and effort to clean both once a week or more, i know i need bigger tank)
pH:
ammonia:
nitrite:
nitrate:
kH:
gH:
tank temp: all my levels of everything are good because i have all the chemicals i need from pet store to maintain those including aquarium salt and algae destroyer plus tester to tell me where im at

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): they're fine till didymo is REALLY bad, then they cant breath, even with filter and bubbler (granted filter and bubbler get taken over by didymo and they sink to bottom and start dying, lose color and stripes fade from lack of oxygen

Volume and Frequency of water changes: used to be every couple monthes, then once a month, then once every two weeks, then once a week, now every 3 days to a week. I have to at that fast of a rate or didymo will cloud water so bad you cant even see through the water and clog filter and grow all over everything. I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! I GIVE UP! I actually have to tear the filter COMPLETELY apart into several pieces and rinse and scrub and soak in bleach, aside from carbon filter cartridge, that i just rinse and scrub, no bleach, and i replace every 30 days as recommended

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: nitraban, aqua salt, algae destroyer, easy balance, ph down with every new water change

Tank inhabitants: 11 zebra/albino convict cichlids of varying sizes and ages and a 7 inch 1 yr. old pleco. I know i'm supposed to have a gallon of water for every inch of fish and im WAY over, i was running 2 tanks but not worth it, about to buy a 24 gal but dont want to cross contaminate, seeing as how i can soak tank and everythin inside it except fish with way overkill amount of bleach in water for a few hours, rinse it REALLY GOOD and let it dry 100% and still comes back. My convicts I could replace for free if I started over, not that I want to, kinda attached. But my Pleco, I would be REALLY sad

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): none, but i just switched all fish to old tank that i cleaned, with rocks and decorations that had been cleaned and dried for months. I give up, its a nasty looking tank after 3 days, unattractive and smelly, a real disappointment, i cant release fish because they're tropical and winters right around corner, they would die for sure, but i cant just give them away because they're infected, and i dont wanna flush them but what choice to i have if pleco wont eat the rock snot and no chemicals or amount of drying will kill it, im at a loss, i try so hard to rinse everything while im resetting up tank, you only need one drop of didymo contaminated water. I've went to a few websites that basically say, you're screwed so get rid of everything and start over (DO U KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY I HAVE INTO THESE TANKS?!. Other websites tell me to do exactly what i already did, only thing i havent tried is freezing stuff, which is what im gonna do next tank cleaning which is either today or tomorrow.

Exposure to chemicals: bleach but rinsed SUPER WELL

Digital photo (include if possible): only been 3 days and didymo isnt super visible yet with this old tank, but water is cloudy as all get out, cant see fish till they're right up against the glass and water looks like its 2-tone, with an oily cloudy sustance, kind of like what bleach looks like when u dump it in hot water. I wanna actually cry right now and have in past because I'm so frustrated and feel SO bad for those fish, I've lost a few really good sized cichlids to this. I will add a pic of didymo infested tank if it grows fast in the next day or so because i cant let tank continue like this, i'll have to clean it by then. Just research didymo, you'll find pictures

tried to add a picture but my computer is being a P.O.S. sorry for language, today has not been my day

nope, i must wash the tank tonight....this is ridiculous, they're suffering all the time, mouthes constantly opening and closing, being that way most of their lives, and i dont think its natural, i think its stressed breathing, having to breath more all the time to get the oxygen they need, even with my bubbler and air filter going and isnt even filled over with the rock snot, they're going to the top and skimming the surface with their mouthes trying to get air...i feel bad like its my fault, it is though, i read about convicts that they breed on flat rocks or clay pots, well my tank isnt big enough for a clay pot so i got a couple flat rocks from my yard, big mistake, because thats when it all went downhill (a year ago) and the snot showed up....i should've never done that, i should've bought another decoration from the store that simulates a flat rock...

nope, i must wash the tank tonight....this is ridiculous, they're suffering all the time, mouthes constantly opening and closing, being that way most of their lives, and i dont think its natural, i think its stressed breathing, having to breath more all the time to get the oxygen they need, even with my bubbler and air filter going and isnt even filled over with the rock snot, they're going to the top and skimming the surface with their mouthes trying to get air...i feel bad like its my fault, it is though, i read about convicts that they breed on flat rocks or clay pots, well my tank isnt big enough for a clay pot so i got a couple flat rocks from my yard, big mistake, because thats when it all went downhill (a year ago) and the snot showed up....i should've never done that, i should've bought another decoration from the store that simulates a flat rock...

It sounds horrible, I'm so sorry you're going through this! I thought that hot water and bleach kills it? I don't know how to help you other than suggest big daily water changes until maybe someone else can offer some suggestions.

Daily water change and it may possibly even every 12 hours. As much as 90% change at a time.

Your filter is dead. It has no good bacteria in it due to the bleach wash. Filter should be lightly rinsed in tank water if you see it gunked up or waterflow reducing. It's going to take 6 weeks to grow new bacteria into the filter.

When changing water, only add water conditioner. Forget about adding any other additives for the moment.

Look, let's be honest. With that amount of fish in a tank with non cycled filter you could lose some fish by the end of this fix process.

Do a water test for ammonia before you change the water today. Tell us what you get.

Thinking about this a bit further, I think you should take the rocks out that may have started the problem. They could for all we know be leaching chemicals into the water that we don't know about.

May be best to bring the tank back to just water and substrate with the fish. Whilst you are at it there is no reason why you cannot have the other tank cycling using the "fishless cycle" (see beginners section). It's not going to cost you anything so long as you have all the filter parts to start with. It's only time to do the water changes and daily tests.

Your problem is that you're massively overstocked and your filter isn't cycled (ie, has no colony of good bacteria in it to eat the fish's waster products for you).

You're making everything worse by constantly stripping every thing down and scrubbing with bleach; you're giving the bacteria no time to settle down and become a balanced eco system.

First of all, leave the filter alone from now on; do NOT replace any part of it, and clean only in a bit of old tank water.

Cut your feeding right back for the moment, to every other day, and do daily 75 or 80% water changes for a week.

You desperately need a larger tank; you should be able to pick something up second hand relatively cheaply. If you really can't find a tank, then think about a large plastic storage box; anything that will hold more water.

Have a ring around your fish shops and put some adverts up on Ebay, Aquarist Classifed, free ads or whatever you have local to you and see if you can find someone to take some or all of the convicts; there's usually someone who'll take them if they're free! Do NOT release them or flush them; they could be carrying all sorts of diseases that could devastate your local river system, and flushing is just plain cruel; they're your fish and your responsibility, you must do your level best to look after them.

Oh, and we really do need you to post the actual numbers from your tests; 'fine' is of no use to us! And stop adding anything to your tank, apart from a dechlorinator when you water change; you don't need salt (it's very bad for the plec) or an algae killer; clean the algae yourself if you get too much, and think about cutting down the hours you have you lights on for.

A 7" pleco in a 10 gallon aquarium is WAY over stocked.If it's a common pleco, it will grow to be over 12". Then add the convicts and you have a disaster waiting to happen. As for didymo rock snot, call me stupid, but I've never heard of it. I get some snot on my driftwood on ocassion, but my snails take care of it. Since all of the good bacteria are already dead, I would start all over again. You can try to keep the fish you have, but the tank is too small! Start by getting rid of the rock you think caused the problem in the first place. Get rid of the pleco. Get rid of all the convicts, except for maybe a pair. Buy a rubbermaid plastic tote. Put the convicts in the tote and do daily water changes of at least 50%. Do a fishless cycle on the 10 gallon. When the tank is ready for fish, you can put the pair of convicts in,if they survive, but nothing else. Sorry this is happening. I don't see any way you can keep all of those fish unless you get a much bigger tank.

yeah you both are right on the amount of fish in tank, i decided to get both tanks going again, having eight 1 inch or less cichlids in one tank and the pleco and 3 other big cichlids in other tank, and i did just last night while really mauling it over in my head about the fully cycling of tanks and growth of the good bacteria, you're so very right, my filter is a power filter of 80 gals per hour with a secondary filter sponge piece that is for the good bacteria. I have no gravel rocks in bottom of either tanks and that seemed to help with the algae take-over alot, i didnt have any decor in them either but i felt bad with nothing for them to hide under, that being part of the species, and i kept lights off and covered in towels for past couple days and only uncovered long enough to turn light on for a minute and turn bubbler off, dump some food, been smaller on feeding amounts and times per day. So light cant help make algae grow and so more food sitting on bottom doesnt help either save for something for pleco to casually graze on. It will save me money if i only put in conditioner, i just wanted to make sure i put any kind of treatment i usually did with complete water changes in for neutralizers of alkalines, conditioning, aqua salt, etc. Well actually now that i think about it, i should still put aqua salt in every so often right? i should buy a hydrometer, was considering starting a whole new tank with a new breed (brown octopus) but i need to read WAY more into it and build up some confidence, i read they live usually only 6-18 mos, not for the weak hearted that get attached (thats me to a T) plus i had fresh water tanks as a child and now in the last 2 yrs is when i first experimented with saltwater tanks and tropical fish, i was doing ok till that #41#### brown algae, i almos aint sure if its rock snot anymore, its says it feels like cotton, and this doesnt, it feels like egg snot/booger snot/ slimy as ever. Sorry if im babbling, i have alot on my mind between experimenting with trying to destroy algae in current tanks and starting a new tank with new types of fish/invertabrates, i need to learn more though or it'll just be another expensive heart-ache, i research like crazy but i dunno. It would be a 24 gallon tank, the octopus can grow up to 3 ft with arms though and they recommend like a 50 gal. tank, i REALLY dont like my animals suffering in small enviroments, i try to do the best i can. thats why my ferret free roams like 90-95% of the time, sleeps wherever he wants, lol.
but yes, so two tanks running again with no gravel (i know having gravel helps with filtering but rock snot overtakes so fast) and using water conditioner and rock salt, no lighting most of day but took towels off, fish are split up now. gonna order a hydrometer and a testing kit that covers like 6 things instead of just ph. i wonder if that brown stuff is alot of protein mized with that algae and i need a skimmer? i looked at brown diatom algae and i just don't know...i will add pictures if i can

colleen0309 said:

A 7" pleco in a 10 gallon aquarium is WAY over stocked.If it's a common pleco, it will grow to be over 12". Then add the convicts and you have a disaster waiting to happen. As for didymo rock snot, call me stupid, but I've never heard of it. I get some snot on my driftwood on ocassion, but my snails take care of it. Since all of the good bacteria are already dead, I would start all over again. You can try to keep the fish you have, but the tank is too small! Start by getting rid of the rock you think caused the problem in the first place. Get rid of the pleco. Get rid of all the convicts, except for maybe a pair. Buy a rubbermaid plastic tote. Put the convicts in the tote and do daily water changes of at least 50%. Do a fishless cycle on the 10 gallon. When the tank is ready for fish, you can put the pair of convicts in,if they survive, but nothing else. Sorry this is happening. I don't see any way you can keep all of those fish unless you get a much bigger tank.

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it is a common pleco, i know im overstocked, i feel bad, like im a bad fish keeper, inexperienced, i do mean well though and am learn through my mistakes which i do not feel should be at the lives of small creatures by any means, honest! i should buy a tote, that makes sense, i should only keep a pair too, but i dont know what to do with the others, no one will want them if they're contaminated and i cant release them because i just generally shouldnt but also because it just turned fall here with winter right around the corner, freezing at night, any they're tropical, they'd die quickly and i just cant deal with that on my conscience, my pleco i love because i actually bought him for like $6 or $7 and he was only like and inch and a half, a baby, now he's my little monster...he might live if i released him in the spring...i guess with the others i dont have much choice, i dont wanna kill my teen convicts by flushing but thats what other do as im horribly informed, they flush the babies and let the mated pair keep laying eggs...dreadful but makes sense. As per this algae, alot of ppl hear its super rare in tanks, i removed the culprit rock and giant conch shell over half a year ago and have been battling ever since, maybe a couple snails might work...couldnt hurt to try. I should do the fishless cycle for a week as they recommend, says having a feeder fish or pleco helps cycle faster, they're heartier and can handle fresh tank. My convicts seem pretty hearty too with the cramped space and lack of oxygen and cloudiness but i try to keep up, instead of every 3 days i guess i will do daily water changes of 50% if it looks like i should, the pic included in previous post is of my tank before this all started happening, the pic in this post is of the tank now, virtually bare, to help with upkeep, i feel bad, they're prolly so bored, but split up now and each have a couple decors

this is a pic of the tank being super cloudy, not much of the algae had grown back yet but you couldnt see the fish till they were right up against the glass. I dont know if its from using bleach even though i rinsed forever and used chems to stabalize everything before returning fish, or if its the algae floating around. i talked to a friend and he said there should be SOME chemical that should be able to kill it but where im failing is that the algae diatoms are on the fish and even if i clean everything under the sun, if i dont quarantine the fish for over a week in some kind of high oxygenated tank with algae killer and no carbon filter because it will absorb the algae killer. i already use algae killer in beginning of fresh water change anyways, i will leave carbon cartridge out of filter for a couple hours and have bubbler going with the algae killer in tank and is safe to use with my fish in tank as long as good oxygen.

the cloudy i can deal with using chems and seemed to stop or not happen as fast once i left rocks out, but the algae itself which thank god for some reason now, after over a year of battling, has slowed down again after taking out gravel and decor (kept this way for 5-6 days), but i split them up today and put decor back in but split up as well, but no gravel still, so far so good, but its only been a day.

You really don't need to add any chemicals or salt, apart from the dechlorinator when you do your water changes.

What you have is a bacterial bloom; it's very common in new tanks, and will go; just keep up the daily water changes until you see no trace of ammonia or nitrite on your tests, then your filters be cycled.

The 'snot' stuff is also a kind of bacterial growth common in new tanks, that will go too. Make sure you're not overfeeding and that you don't have the tank lights on for more than 5 or 6 hours a day and the algae will clear up too.

well keeping them in two tanks so far i think is helping, no gravel is helping, no light majority of day is helping, cutting down in feeding is helping. But to create a fully cycled tank, perhaps like you've suggested, i should throw the babies back in with the adults until the one tank is cycled, then i can split them again, and then that original tank that was housing them all will be cycling as well, just harder on them all. I am running to walmart in the next couple days to buy a master testing kit. or buy it online and have it shipped to me (take longer than i care). see i live in the poorest county in the poorest state, no joke, lake county Michigan. so to drive into town is a half hour before i get to an actual city that carries more rare pet supplies like chemicals and testers, etc. I have a bunch of other excuses i could give but comes done to it i should be more prepared or not have them if i cant care for them, i just really thought i could handle it and like them alot, i care alot, im sad this happened but it seems more under contol, you are all right, it probably is some kind of beginner tank algae and a fully cycled eco bacteria not being present from constant cleansing isnt helping. i will not mess with filters anymore or do salt in the tank with the pleco, i didnt realize that could be hurting him, he seems big and happy....looks healthy in color. i need to buy another bubbler because i gotta flip it between the two tanks throughout the day. and a hydrometer, and a tester kit, and a bigger net, when i first got the fish, they all fit in the net, now the pleco is too big and catching him is SO much fun

No, I think you should keep the fish in the two tanks; that does mean you're cycling two tanks, yes, but there's just not room in one 10g for all your fish.

Tanks don't need airstones or 'bubblers', they don't help much with oxygenating the water, so don't feel you need to buy another, unless you particularly like the look of them.

I wouldn't catch your plec in a net; they're pretty spikey and can get caught up and have to be cut free. You'd be better advised to 'tub' him with a plastic container if you do need to move him.

You don't need a hydrometer, unless you're keeping marine fish, and I wouldn't suggest you try that yet; learn how to run a successful freshwater tank first

There's a great article on the Nitrogen cycle in the beginner's resource centre (link in my sig) which might help you understand what's going on.

Best of luck; do post again if you need more help