Slimy Clearish Substance

[sarahfairfax]

I set a up my new tank with filter, water, a few live plants and gravel and let the tank run for about two weeks before adding fish. I used Tetra Aqua Safe also before ever adding fish. After the two weeks The tank was clear, clean and algae free. Then I bought and added 7 neon tetras and two small sucker fish ( idk what they're called but they're not placos). I also bought and added a piece of aquarium wood. I used jungle start right with aloe a bit before I added the fish. The next day after I added the fish and wood the tank got a slimy clearish film on everything. I wiped it of with an aquarium sponge but it keeps coming back! I have a 10 gallon tank. I just don't understand why it was fine before the fish and now it's looking kind of gross. Any help is appreciated. I also added one algae wafer for the sucker fish but removed it a day later because they weren't eating it. I can't attach a photo because it says its too big even though I've cropped it and taken the photo with my phone

 

[Mikey1]

your tank/filter is not cycled yet, thats why the water looks dirty/cloudy

 

[sarahfairfax]

Here are some photos of my tank

 

[sarahfairfax]

Ive had the filter running for two weeks.How long does it normally take? The water isn't too cloudy. I'm mostly concern about the sudden slimyness. 

 

[Boyden]

The only thing I've read that may help is to keep feeding to a bare minimum, don't add any more fish and do a reasonable water change.  I'd try to daily water changes of 10-20%?  There are people better to help you than me but that's all the info I could find for you.  I hope it works out, it would be a shame if you lost your fish
 

Do you know what your Ammonia and nitrite levels are?
 

 

[sarahfairfax]

I don't know on the levels. The fish seems ok and I have been almost feeding nothing at. I did a couple flakes and about 4 little blood worms. I know it's not from over feeding because it happened basically overnight. Thanks for any advice and help you can provide. I may change some water.

 

[Boyden]

OK.  It might be worth checking the Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate levels then.  It does sound like perhaps the tank hadn't fully cycled.  It can take longer than a month I think.
 
Good luck
 

 

[This Old Spouse]

Best advice is to buy a liquid testing kit such as API, Nutrafin or Salifert so you can determine what the water stats are and you can move from there. Unless you did a fishless cycling method over a course of weeks dosing with ammonia, your tank wasn't cycled when you added the fish. They add a whole other level of chemistry to your tank.
 
You're now basically in a fish-in cycle, and should be doing water changes every day. Since you have a 10g tank this shouldn't be too difficult. I'd say 50% a day until the filter is cycled. Otherwise your fish are swimming around in their own waste and will be in danger.
 
Also, the wood you added likely is adding to the slime. It takes a while for wood to settle down once being added.
 
Wouldn't be a bad idea to also get some Seachem Prime to dechlorinate your water, because it also neutralizes other bad stuff in your water. It costs a bit more but you end up using less so is very economical.

 

[sarahfairfax]

Besides the water change should I take the plants and wood out and wash them off?

 

[sarahfairfax]

I changed out about 35% of the water. I'm going to get the test strips tomorrow. Does the ammonia/nitrate level affect algae growth?

 

[This Old Spouse]

I wouldn't worry about washing off the plants, but scrubbing the wood isn't a bad idea. It may grow back again but will eventually stop.
 
Best to do 50% water changes at this stage. Your ammonia and/or nitrates are probably high, and yes, that can contribute to algae and perhaps the slime. 
 
As I advised earlier, get a liquid test kit. The strips aren't very reliable and I'd think you want true results.

 

[reptileman]

i had this grow on everything fake in my five gallon i took them out soaked em in a 9-1 bleach solution and put em back in... this was after 2 months of asking around though, never lost a fish!

 

[This Old Spouse]

This is a good point. I think it's harmless, just unsightly.

 

[snazy]

+1 on the daily water changes. It's highly unlikely the tank is completely cycled and the fish are at risk, although still alive. You want to prevent a diseas outbreak from any ammonia or nitrIte present in the water. I would increase the aeration too. These types of growths maybe using up a lot of oxygen as well, competing with the fish.
 
Looking at the stuff on the pictures, it looks like your filter isn't providing too much flow either. What type of filter is it?

 

[sarahfairfax]

I did a 50% water change tonight. I didn't buy the test strips I'm going to have my water tested tomorrow at the pet shop. I have a bubble stick to aerate the water. The filter is an aqua tech power filter model 5-15 I believe. It came with the 10 gallon kit I bought.