Slimy Residue On Tank Walls

[Ishyfishy]

Hi

I've noticed a slimey residue on my tank's walls - is this normal? Or should I clean it off? I'm currently doing a fish-in-cycle - and have been doing so for around 3 months.

Regards

Ishyfishy

 

[Scotty001]

Hi

I've noticed a slimey residue on my tank's walls - is this normal? Or should I clean it off? I'm currently doing a fish-in-cycle - and have been doing so for around 3 months.

Regards

Ishyfishy

What does the slimy residue look like ??? does it have a colour green / brown tint, does it have stringy bits or look like theres a layer growing ???

Sounds to me like it is algae, if so then you can use an algae scrubber / magnet to get it off, algae in a freshly set up tank is very very common known as new tank syndrome.
Scott

 

[waterdrop]

Another explanation could be simply biofilm. The same bacteria that anchor to the media in the filter anchor themselves on every surface of the tank - its normal. This type of film and many of the algaes are quite easy to clean off. Only a subset of the algae types are very tough, some calling for use of a razor blade scraper on the glass even, when the usual scrubbers don't cut it.

The term "New Tank Syndrome" was also often used to describe un-cycled tanks, often by parties not familiar with cycling.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[murphyk32]

i am not sure so i might be a long way off on this, but i thought i read something b4 about leaving the algea during a cycle.. anybody wanna confirm if im right or i lost it?

gdluck

Murph

 

[HCpetraitis]

You should probably get a pleco or a snail. They help with algae.

 

[waterdrop]

i am not sure so i might be a long way off on this, but i thought i read something b4 about leaving the algea during a cycle.. anybody wanna confirm if im right or i lost it?

gdluck

Murph

Well, my thought is this: In a fishless cycle you put the food in for bacteria (ammonia) and hope that your water and the things in it happen to have a fair number of the good bacteria species present so that the process will get a faster start. What little of the good bacteria that are there will start to multiply. They will be attached to anything and everything in the tank. It probably doesn't in truth matter much, but if it were me I'd want to just leave the surfaces alone, hoping it helps things to go faster. After all, at this point your in the business of growing bacteria, not creating a pretty tank yet.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[raptorrex]

a biofilm can form within hours of an item being put in an aquatic enviroment. it is not however a fully formed component of your tank till it is, roughly, six month old.

 

[Ishyfishy]

Hi

It does sound like biofilm, as it's a very thin layer greeny browny colour. Thanks folks for all your sound advice. Like Waterdrop said, I think I will leave the tank alone until it's fully cycled.

Nice one

Ishyfish

 

[waterdrop]

Hi

It does sound like biofilm, as it's a very thin layer greeny browny colour. Thanks folks for all your sound advice. Like Waterdrop said, I think I will leave the tank alone until it's fully cycled.

Nice one

Ishyfish

lol, had little sheets of biofilm (yes, greeny browny is a perfect description) floating around in mine this morning after water change