Sponge filter question

[Jamilw1989]

First off let me say my tank is crsytal clear. but i have some weird slimmy stuff growing on one of my two sponge filters in my 55g. its also spreading to my live plants and killing them. what is that stuff? all i know how to discribe it as is slime.

[bluwtr]

Sounds like a slime algae or a fungus. What color is it? Also, do you test for nitrates and phosphates?

[Jamilw1989]

Sounds like a slime algae or a fungus. What color is it? Also, do you test for nitrates and phosphates?

its clear. i ran an ammonia test and its at a 2.0 out of 8.0 I don't have a test for phosphates i didnt know they made one. i do have a test for nitrates and nitrites and ph amonia and high level ph. any of those phosphate tests?

[Gerwin]

Sounds like a slime algae or a fungus. What color is it? Also, do you test for nitrates and phosphates?

its clear. i ran an ammonia test and its at a 2.0 out of 8.0 I don't have a test for phosphates i didnt know they made one. i do have a test for nitrates and nitrites and ph amonia and high level ph. any of those phosphate tests?

none of those are phosphate tests, that being said you probably dont need it , now anyways. BUT ammonia MUST BE ZERO, and you need to measure everything you can then put results of your tests up for us to see.
Do all your tests, post them with your questions, it makes it so much easier than guessing only to find out you have all the tests but we do not have results Per your cloudy water question what is happening is the tank is cycling more than likely and clearing will happen but by no means states its good to go for more fish. the slime could most likely be some organic matter resulting from high organics in the water column. Do a minor water water change and siphon it out.

[Jamilw1989]

Sounds like a slime algae or a fungus. What color is it? Also, do you test for nitrates and phosphates?

its clear. i ran an ammonia test and its at a 2.0 out of 8.0 I don't have a test for phosphates i didnt know they made one. i do have a test for nitrates and nitrites and ph amonia and high level ph. any of those phosphate tests?

none of those are phosphate tests, that being said you probably dont need it , now anyways. BUT ammonia MUST BE ZERO, and you need to measure everything you can then put results of your tests up for us to see.
Do all your tests, post them with your questions, it makes it so much easier than guessing only to find out you have all the tests but we do not have results Per your cloudy water question what is happening is the tank is cycling more than likely and clearing will happen but by no means states its good to go for more fish. the slime could most likely be some organic matter resulting from high organics in the water column. Do a minor water water change and siphon it out.

Test results as of 5 minutes ago.
Nitrates - 0 ppm
Nitrites - 0 ppm
pH - 6.0
High Range pH - some where between 7.4 and 7.8 ( whats the difference between the pH's? isn't pH just pH? why two tests?)
Ammonia - 0.50

every time i do a water change the ammonia shoots back up. if i bought water at your shop and changed out some of my water for that would that help bring it down?

[Jamilw1989]

My tank smells like rotten eggs. Why? Just started maybe 20 minutes ago it really nasty. Water the ANSWER? please say yes because it nasty the dog even has her paws over her noise. Its bad. All I know Iso saw a larger then normal bubble come out of one of my two sponge filter it stayed on the surface for about forty-five seconds before popping then the stink began.

[bluwtr]

That is hydrogen sulfide and it is VERY toxic. You need to do a water change fast. Not sure where it's coming from, but normally it is found in very low disolved oxygen (basically none) areas. Like under rocks etc.

[Jamilw1989]

That is hydrogen sulfide and it is VERY toxic. You need to do a water change fast. Not sure where it's coming from, but normally it is found in very low disolved oxygen (basically none) areas. Like under rocks etc.

I am on it thank for the help wes. How can there be no oxygen in the water? i didn't know that was possible.

[bluwtr]

Sorry if that's how I made it sound. I mean AREAS of low to no oxygen--hypoxic areas. These are found in areas that get little to no flow of water--i.e. under a rock, wood, decorations etc. However, H2S will displace O2 and drop the disolved oxygen level to dangerous levels. It is usually found in aquariums when these low oxygen areas are disturbed--like re-aquascaping.

Good luck.

[Jamilw1989]

Sorry if that's how I made it sound. I mean AREAS of low to no oxygen--hypoxic areas. These are found in areas that get little to no flow of water--i.e. under a rock, wood, decorations etc. However, H2S will displace O2 and drop the disolved oxygen level to dangerous levels. It is usually found in aquariums when these low oxygen areas are disturbed--like re-aquascaping.

Good luck.

would shifting the gravel help any? like taking my hand and disturbing it; or using the vacum?

[bluwtr]

The vacum will just help remove detritus that is in the gravel, but that will not prevent H2S under stuff. Now, removing the gunk from the substrate will help keep nutrients down, which in turn will help keep algae down. In SW a lot of time people will nuke their tanks by disturbing their deep sand bed which releases the H2S. Since I'm not familiar with FW, I don't know where you would truly get a build up except from under stuff as I had said earlier. Better off asking Gerwin or other members about FW though. I imagine like anything else, water flow would help.

[Jamilw1989]

The vacum will just help remove detritus that is in the gravel, but that will not prevent H2S under stuff. Now, removing the gunk from the substrate will help keep nutrients down, which in turn will help keep algae down. In SW a lot of time people will nuke their tanks by disturbing their deep sand bed which releases the H2S. Since I'm not familiar with FW, I don't know where you would truly get a build up except from under stuff as I had said earlier. Better off asking Gerwin or other members about FW though. I imagine like anything else, water flow would help.

well then if heating the water is what does it then i screwed myself. because i had a sudden break out of ick and it killed all my mickey platies so i cranked the heat up to like 82 to kill the ick. that what caused it maybe?

[bluwtr]

Jami, not sure where the heater question came. I never said anything about heat. Just so you know, warm water holds less O2 than cold so that will exacerbate the loss of oxygen from the water along with the H2S. Too me it sounds like your tank wasn't properly cycled or finished cycling yet and you are having wild water quality swings. In the last week or so you've had cloudy water, ich, slime, algae, hydrogen sulfide and dead fish. You may want to drain the tank, and start over and wait 4-6 weeks before adding any live stock and see if things don't straighten out for you. I'm afraid that if you don't you will be fighting things like this for a long time.

HTH and good luck.

[Jamilw1989]

Jami, not sure where the heater question came. I never said anything about heat. Just so you know, warm water holds less O2 than cold so that will exacerbate the loss of oxygen from the water along with the H2S. Too me it sounds like your tank wasn't properly cycled or finished cycling yet and you are having wild water quality swings. In the last week or so you've had cloudy water, ich, slime, algae, hydrogen sulfide and dead fish. You may want to drain the tank, and start over and wait 4-6 weeks before adding any live stock and see if things don't straighten out for you. I'm afraid that if you don't you will be fighting things like this for a long time.

HTH and good luck.

aww this sucks up till now the worse problem i had with a tank was ick and snails at the same time. and that itself was hell to fix.

[Jamilw1989]

Jami, not sure where the heater question came. I never said anything about heat. Just so you know, warm water holds less O2 than cold so that will exacerbate the loss of oxygen from the water along with the H2S. Too me it sounds like your tank wasn't properly cycled or finished cycling yet and you are having wild water quality swings. In the last week or so you've had cloudy water, ich, slime, algae, hydrogen sulfide and dead fish. You may want to drain the tank, and start over and wait 4-6 weeks before adding any live stock and see if things don't straighten out for you. I'm afraid that if you don't you will be fighting things like this for a long time.

HTH and good luck.

aww this sucks up till now the worse problem i had with a tank was ick and snails at the same time. and that itself was hell to fix.

I know where i got the heat from i took then "many people nuke there tanks..." as heat reference nuking being heating. sorry wes