bacterial infection?

[jwhatley09]

so i have a 20 g reef tank and all my corals seem to be dying.
granted, the filter just stopped working a couple of days ago, but even before that, there were oil looking bubbles on the surface of the water.

i think that it is a bacterial infection and no matter how many water changes i do, nothing is working.

i'm about to have to take the whole thing down and i dont know what to do.
the tank is mine but the corals are not and i can't let them die.

so any suggestions?

 

[jwhatley09]

i've also heard that it could be protein build up but i also don't know how to control that, so HELP!

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Do you have a protein skimmer? It sounds to me like you have a massive organic buildup.

 

[skriz]

Do you have any surface agitation? It sounds like you may be suffocating your corals also.

 

[jwhatley09]

protein skimmer? is that different than a regular skimmer, or are all skimmers called protein skimmers?

because i have a skimmer, but I'm not sure what kind. my boyfriend had set up everything because he's the one who knows everything about fish.

 

[ralph atl]

How are you removing nutients from your system beside water changes. And go ahead and do a good 5 gallon water change.

 

[skriz]

jwhatley09;348686 wrote: protein skimmer? is that different than a regular skimmer, or are all skimmers called protein skimmers?

because i have a skimmer, but I'm not sure what kind. my boyfriend had set up everything because he's the one who knows everything about fish.

You could have a surface skimmer and it not be a protein skimmer. Or you could have a skimmer that doesn't work very well.

How long has the tank been up and running? What are your parameters?

 

[coolsurf]

If your not sure what you have,could you post couple pics of the skimmer? Perhaps we could identify what you have.

jwhatley09;348686 wrote: protein skimmer? is that different than a regular skimmer, or are all skimmers called protein skimmers?

because i have a skimmer, but I'm not sure what kind. my boyfriend had set up everything because he's the one who knows everything about fish.

 

[jwhatley09]

it has been up and running for about four months now.
i'll post pics later

 

[coolsurf]

I think that would help. Make sure you check the parameters and post them.

 

[mopar9012]

okay I know about this tank personally....


she has a CPR bak pak skimmer on her 20 gal tank.
She HAD a HOB filter until it stopped working but even when it worked we still had a problem with stuff at the top of the water. But we are trying to get another one

There is one korolia 1? Its the one that puts out 400GPH, if you point it to the surface it just seems to push the stuff into a corner.
We have done about 4 water changes now in the past week in a half, corals were dieing. It seems to have helped a lot. We are going to do another one on wednesday and hopefully we will be back on the monthly rountine.


I do not know the paremeters off the top of my head but we have not been having problems with nitrates, nitrites(they have not been detected) and what not nor have we had problems with alkalinity or pH. We also check calcium levels...so it makes me scratch my head....

 

[lilrobb]

Skim the surface manually, by submerging a large U shaped tube in and have it suck the surface "mud" off - I think Raj's suffocation explanation was good.
Happened on my FW tank frequently...

 

[dakota9]

Your protein skimmer is fine for that size tank.

Try adding one of these;
http://www.petmountain.com/product/aquarium-internal-filters/514308/current-usa-subcurrent-surface-skimming-filter.html">http://www.petmountain.com/product/aquarium-internal-filters/514308/current-usa-subcurrent-surface-skimming-filter.html</a>

I would run high quaility carbon and purigen instead of the media it comes with though. On that size tank, that may provide all the filteration you need.

Keep us posted....

 

[jwhatley09]

mopar9012;348907 wrote: okay I know about this tank personally....


she has a CPR bak pak skimmer on her 20 gal tank.
She HAD a HOB filter until it stopped working but even when it worked we still had a problem with stuff at the top of the water. But we are trying to get another one

There is one korolia 1? Its the one that puts out 400GPH, if you point it to the surface it just seems to push the stuff into a corner.
We have done about 4 water changes now in the past week in a half, corals were dieing. It seems to have helped a lot. We are going to do another one on wednesday and hopefully we will be back on the monthly rountine.


I do not know the paremeters off the top of my head but we have not been having problems with nitrates, nitrites(they have not been detected) and what not nor have we had problems with alkalinity or pH. We also check calcium levels...so it makes me scratch my head....

Okay, so I'm going to post pics asap but I haven't had time.
So far, I've gotten the gunk off the top with the fish net as well as i topped off the water and it seems to be doing okay.
everytime i clean the tank and top off the water it seems to be fine. until BAM. crap again. so is there any chemical that can kill the stuff or just like get the system back running properly?

thanks mopar9012

 

[skriz]

You need to agitate the surface constantly, otherwise you will get that buildup. A small powerhead will be sufficient, all you need to do is break the water's surface.

 

[jwhatley09]

I do have a powerhead,
I think what I'm going to have to do is like you guys have all said, continue small water changes and removing the build up until it is gone.
I also feel that when I get a new filter and that gets some of the bad stuff out, things will look better

THANKS

 

[mopar9012]

I could try to get a koralia nano and aim it at the top i suppose.
I also have a koralia 1 but IM afriad if I add that it will be too much because then I will have 2....

 

[dakota9]

A Koralia Nano will do next to nothing. They are not very strong. You realize that all tanks have surface film that needs to be removed, right? This is going to be a continous thing that needs to be addressed. There's a surface skimmer box made specifically for the Bak-Pak, you might want to look into that, although I stand behind my original suggestion of the Sub-Current Surfice Skimmer box for your application since this tank is in the market to replace the old HOB Filter anyway.

 

[jennm]

How much do you feed, and how often?

 

[dannybradley]

Using plastic wrap is the quickest way to remove it.

It's a bacterial film that grows on the surface of fluids. It's the same stuff that makes your bottled water expire, is blocking gas exchange in your tank, and probably a contributing factor as to why your tank is not doing well. The bacteria itself is harmless, but the effects of it being on the surface are not.

If you're looking for the quick fix, which isn't always the best solution, you can try any of these products. Seachem Stability, Chemiclean, Kent PolyOx, or Podibio BioDigest. Read the instructions carefully and follow them exactly, particuraly with Chemiclean and PolyOx, as they can harm your tank if used incorrectly.

The better solution is better husbandry. Reduce feedings and don't feed flake foods, and increase nutrient export via water changes, chemical media(phosphate removers, carbon, purigen, polyfilter, etc.).