Old Tanks of 21+ years. And I need some help here...

Delatedlotus · Dec 4, 2020

PLEASE HELP ME..... Old tank set up, about a 265 gallon system. 125 gallon and a 100 gallon with a 100 gallon stock tank with a refugium inside it is not full ever..
This is my complete system one Iwaki pump runs it all. I do have about 180lbs of live rock since set up. My question is what is that white clear snotty stuff on the underside of the live rock..? And can it be eaten by copods, snails, crabs, or any cleaner fish..????? Please help me here as I don't want any crash's here.. I never had one before.. And don't want one either.. Just added some trochus snails and assorted others, one sand sifting star and a diamond goby . And just added Algae Barn Apocalypse pods yesterday. What will take care of this clear- white snotty stuff... anyone...?

Doctorgori · Dec 4, 2020

I can’t help so much but FWIW congrats on the tank longevity, we should be asking you for advice

Pkunk35 · Dec 4, 2020

21+ years IS crazy! Any pics we can look at to assess?

JGT · Dec 4, 2020

Delatedlotus said:
PLEASE HELP ME..... Old tank set up, about a 265 gallon system. 125 gallon and a 100 gallon with a 100 gallon stock tank with a refugium inside it is not full ever..
This is my complete system one Iwaki pump runs it all. I do have about 180lbs of live rock since set up. My question is what is that white clear snotty stuff on the underside of the live rock..? And can it be eaten by copods, snails, crabs, or any cleaner fish..????? Please help me here as I don't want any crash's here.. I never had one before.. And don't want one either.. Just added some trochus snails and assorted others, one sand sifting star and a diamond goby . And just added Algae Barn Apocalypse pods yesterday. What will take care of this clear- white snotty stuff... anyone...?

Need pics. Sounds like either sponge/tunicates or something died and it's bacteria.

Vette67 · Dec 4, 2020

I have read before about how old tanks can lose their biodiversity over time, losing strains of bacteria that are in normal reef tanks. If you look at my build thread, I did a micorbiome test this spring and was shocked at how low my diversity was. Somewhere around 10% diversiy. I added a bunch of mud and sand from IPSF, and my tank increased in diversity, up to 95%. I would recommend something along those lines to try to increase microbial diversity in your tank. Either real live rock, like the gulf stuff, or some kind of live sand directly from the ocean, not the bagged "live" sand from the shelves at Petco. Something to increase your biodiversity. I'm not going to claim that this will be the cure all for your problems, but there is certainly an argument to be made for the benefits of increased micro boidiversity. What you are describing, sounds like a bacterial bloom to me. So perhaps getting more bacteria strains in your tank will fill the niche that this bacterial bloom is currently taking. It would be interesting if you were patient enough, to do a microbiome test to see if you really are lacking in diversity, and then do a test after some sort of addition, to see if things improve.

Cell · Dec 4, 2020

Are you carbon dosing? I think this can cause what you are seeing.

vetteguy53081 · Dec 4, 2020

Likely sponge or bacteria
Using a toothbrush will help determine.
Bacteria will come right off whereas sponge will require labor
For either- exposing rocks to air and allowing to dry should help remedy

vlangel · Dec 4, 2020

Vette67 said:
I have read before about how old tanks can lose their biodiversity over time, losing strains of bacteria that are in normal reef tanks. If you look at my build thread, I did a micorbiome test this spring and was shocked at how low my diversity was. Somewhere around 10% diversiy. I added a bunch of mud and sand from IPSF, and my tank increased in diversity, up to 95%. I would recommend something along those lines to try to increase microbial diversity in your tank. Either real live rock, like the gulf stuff, or some kind of live sand directly from the ocean, not the bagged "live" sand from the shelves at Petco. Something to increase your biodiversity. I'm not going to claim that this will be the cure all for your problems, but there is certainly an argument to be made for the benefits of increased micro boidiversity. What you are describing, sounds like a bacterial bloom to me. So perhaps getting more bacteria strains in your tank will fill the niche that this bacterial bloom is currently taking. It would be interesting if you were patient enough, to do a microbiome test to see if you really are lacking in diversity, and then do a test after some sort of addition, to see if things improve.

I agree that this can not hurt and may help the issue you are seeing. It is difficult to diagnose without a pic, however.

Delatedlotus · Dec 4, 2020

Pkunk35 said:
21+ years IS crazy! Any pics we can look at to assess?

I will take some as soon as everyone wakes up...lol

Delatedlotus · Dec 4, 2020

Cell said:
Are you carbon dosing? I think this can cause what you are seeing.

No not at all... No carbon dosing at all..

Delatedlotus · Dec 4, 2020

This issue is massive.. Under all rocks and comes off so easily just by shaking a rock under the water.. It really is massive.. I did try to clean one end of the 120 gallon tank, I bushed all rocks and pulled them out while doing so.. Holly what a job... rinsed each in saltwater and bushed very well. But there is so stinkin much in just this tank.. And I just know it will come back again soon... I am at wits end here... Please any suggestions...

Delatedlotus · Dec 4, 2020

vetteguy53081 said:
Likely sponge or bacteria
Using a toothbrush will help determine.
Bacteria will come right off whereas sponge will require labor
For either- exposing rocks to air and allowing to dry should help remedy

I just know its Bacteria... Can I get something to eat this up...?

Delatedlotus · Dec 4, 2020

Delatedlotus said:
I just know its Bacteria... Can I get something to eat this up...?

Yes it comes right off.. nailed it

vetteguy53081 · Dec 4, 2020

Delatedlotus said:
Yes it comes right off.. nailed it

There you go
Add some liquid bacteria occasionally to help digest it

Foothill Corals · Dec 4, 2020

Have you added anything new to your home recently that could be fueling bacterial growth...like a plug-in air freshener?

Delatedlotus · Dec 4, 2020

vetteguy53081 said:
There you go
Add some liquid bacteria occasionally to help digest it

Like Bactor7..?

Delatedlotus · Dec 4, 2020

Foothill Corals said:
Have you added anything new to your home recently that could be fueling bacterial growth...like a plug-in air freshener?

No not at all.... This has been going on for sometime... a year..?

Delatedlotus · Dec 4, 2020

Foothill Corals said:
Have you added anything new to your home recently that could be fueling bacterial growth...like a plug-in air freshener?

Nope///

Delatedlotus · Dec 4, 2020

Delatedlotus said:
I will take some as soon as everyone wakes up...lol

It look right now pretty ruff i tell you.. It does

Jeffcb · Dec 4, 2020

Cell said:
Are you carbon dosing? I think this can cause what you are seeing.

I had a white clearish slime outbreak a while back and everyone asked me if I was Carbon dosing. I didn't even know what carbon dosing was. I was having to change filter socks 5 times a dy. N03 went to 0. Ammonia rose for a few days. I think it was from Alcohol in hand sanitizer. The sanitizer I have been using is really thick like gel and takes forever to wash off. I think that is what did it.

I added Bactor 7 and TLC Aquarium Optimizer slime remover. I worked tank cycled back in 4 or 5 days. Lost nothing.