Looking for some insight

[LagunaGlide]

I have not posted here much lately. Been lurking since I moved and tore down the 240 and moved. My tank since then has been just a 40b coral holding tank while I wait to move into a new house that we will actually stay in to start another tank. Anyhow I have been fighting with this thing for months, and things have gotten worse despite increased efforts, and I think I am about to lose it all.

First the dirt.... I am running a cascade 1000 (bottom tray filter sponge and polt fil, second tray 500ml seachem matrix and poly fil, top tray 11oz chemipure blue and poly fil. The only livestock in the tank is coral. There use to be a ton of stomatella snails, but that has died down significantly. My flow is provided only by the return water bar of the cascade. I do a 10% water change weekly, all water is from a 5 stage RoDi system. I change the filter floss, and clean out the filter bi weekly lately, but was doing maybe monthly. The tank sits in a room that also contains our washer and dryer, but we don't use fabric sheets etc to reduce aromatics.

Now the good stuff.... There has been a steady growth of this slimy clearish (with blues on) stuff covering everything except coral flesh. It easily comes off with a soft bristle tooth brush, but it returns eventually. I have seen what appears to be stringy gunk coming from several corals as of the the last day or so and even some oil slick looking business on the surface of the water. About a month ago I scraped the entire glass surface to include the bottom of this gunk as it had really taken over. I changed flow a bit and continued with my water changes as normal. I had to scrape again last week as well and siphon out as much as I could. Pics show what it looks like out of the tank. kind of a greenish brown.

I tested everything last week when I did my water change, and was a bit confused. Hell I tested several parameters 2 or 3 times, one with 2 different kits, but her are the results. Red sea pro kits were used.

salinity - 1.025
ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0 (tested 3 times, 2 kits)
Phos - 0 (tested twice)
Calcium - 450ppm
Mag - 1600ppm
Alkalinity - 10.4 - 10.6

Results were similar in previous tests as well, and things worsen.

Today I was filling some gallon jugs I use for topping off and other rodi things. When I first moved here I could set a 20 minute timer and it would fill a gallon jug almost perfectly. I replaced my RoDi filters early this year, and today I realized that I set a 15 minute timer, and when I went down stairs the RoDi clean water was spilling out of the 1 gallon jug onto the floor. Clearly my RoDi is making more water than it use to, but TDS is reading 10 in and 0 out. I am starting to think it's the RoDi filters, but I also wonder if I could just test my RoDi water for chlorine or something else.

Clearly I am lost in the sauce, and am open for suggestions. Apologies for the wall of text, but let's be honest I was going to be asked a lot of questions anyhow. Thanks in advance.

 

[Rogued_Reefer]

I have not posted here much lately. Been lurking since I moved and tore down the 240 and moved. My tank since then has been just a 40b coral holding tank while I wait to move into a new house that we will actually stay in to start another tank. Anyhow I have been fighting with this thing for months, and things have gotten worse despite increased efforts, and I think I am about to lose it all.

First the dirt.... I am running a cascade 1000 (bottom tray filter sponge and polt fil, second tray 500ml seachem matrix and poly fil, top tray 11oz chemipure blue and poly fil. The only livestock in the tank is coral. There use to be a ton of stomatella snails, but that has died down significantly. My flow is provided only by the return water bar of the cascade. I do a 10% water change weekly, all water is from a 5 stage RoDi system. I change the filter floss, and clean out the filter bi weekly lately, but was doing maybe monthly. The tank sits in a room that also contains our washer and dryer, but we don't use fabric sheets etc to reduce aromatics.

Now the good stuff.... There has been a steady growth of this slimy clearish (with blues on) stuff covering everything except coral flesh. It easily comes off with a soft bristle tooth brush, but it returns eventually. I have seen what appears to be stringy gunk coming from several corals as of the the last day or so and even some oil slick looking business on the surface of the water. About a month ago I scraped the entire glass surface to include the bottom of this gunk as it had really taken over. I changed flow a bit and continued with my water changes as normal. I had to scrape again last week as well and siphon out as much as I could. Pics show what it looks like out of the tank. kind of a greenish brown.

I tested everything last week when I did my water change, and was a bit confused. Hell I tested several parameters 2 or 3 times, one with 2 different kits, but her are the results. Red sea pro kits were used.

salinity - 1.025
ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0 (tested 3 times, 2 kits)
Phos - 0 (tested twice)
Calcium - 450ppm
Mag - 1600ppm
Alkalinity - 10.4 - 10.6

Results were similar in previous tests as well, and things worsen.

Today I was filling some gallon jugs I use for topping off and other rodi things. When I first moved here I could set a 20 minute timer and it would fill a gallon jug almost perfectly. I replaced my RoDi filters early this year, and today I realized that I set a 15 minute timer, and when I went down stairs the RoDi clean water was spilling out of the 1 gallon jug onto the floor. Clearly my RoDi is making more water than it use to, but TDS is reading 10 in and 0 out. I am starting to think it's the RoDi filters, but I also wonder if I could just test my RoDi water for chlorine or something else.

Clearly I am lost in the sauce, and am open for suggestions. Apologies for the wall of text, but let's be honest I was going to be asked a lot of questions anyhow. Thanks in advance.

Ok so first let me address the RODI concern because it’s easier lol the water production highly depends on the water pressure and that can change from time to time.

Now onto the other stuff... do you have any leathers in the tank? I’m asking because I have the same thing from coming on and off and I narrowed it down to my green Sinularia leather shedding.

 

[LagunaGlide]

Ok so first let me address the RODI concern because it’s easier lol the water production highly depends on the water pressure and that can change from time to time.

Now onto the other stuff... do you have any leathers in the tank? I’m asking because I have the same thing from coming on and off and I narrowed it down to my green Sinularia leather shedding.

Closest I have is a green toadstool, but it hasn't been happy since the move. It has not extended polyps for some time. It's very small though.

 

[MaxxuM]

Dryers can let lint seep from the exhaust, the vents they attach too could be leaking, or even the lid. The detergents, regardless of what type, are in the air too. It's unavoidable. They rise on the moisture every time you open the lid to toss them into the dryer. The smaller the room the more contamination. Over weeks or months it can really become a problem. If the washroom is across the house usually all that stuff will settle onto the floors, walls and ceiling where it will either gather or be cleansed up. One sign of contamination is snail die-off. They take in too much of whatever is coating the algae and they cannot process it. The stringy stuff coming off the corals is their defense mechanism. They are trying to shed off whatever is contaminating the tank.

IMO, I'd put a glass lid or a large plastic sheet over the aquarium while you're washing and an hour afterword. If you're really want to make sure you can place an air cleaner/dehumidifier in there too. In about a week you'll have your answer if the same stuff grows or collects in the water tray of a dehumidifier.

Just my guess though.

 

[LagunaGlide]

Dryers can let lint seep from the exhaust, the vents they attach too could be leaking, or even the lid. The detergents, regardless of what type, are in the air too. It's unavoidable. They rise on the moisture every time you open the lid to toss them into the dryer. The smaller the room the more contamination. Over weeks or months it can really become a problem. If the washroom is across the house usually all that stuff will settle onto the floors, walls and ceiling where it will either gather or be cleansed up. One sign of contamination is snail die-off. They take in too much of whatever is coating the algae and they cannot process it. The stringy stuff coming off the corals is their defense mechanism. They are trying to shed off whatever is contaminating the tank.

IMO, I'd put a glass lid or a large plastic sheet over the aquarium while you're washing and an hour afterword. If you're really want to make sure you can place an air cleaner/dehumidifier in there too. In about a week you'll have your answer if the same stuff grows or collects in the water tray of a dehumidifier.

Just my guess though.

I assumed it was the washing machine, but really hoped that I was doing enough to prevent the issue. I will try it. Thanks

 

[laverda]

Zero nitrate and phosphates are a potential problem. All coral require low levels of phosphate to live, as do most things. I would test your RODI foe chlorimines.

 

[LagunaGlide]

Zero nitrate and phosphates are a potential problem. All coral require low levels of phosphate to live, as do most things. I would test your RODI foe chlorimines.

I am absolutely doing that ASAP. I have ordered a test kit so that I can test my rodi.