HELP..... Some Crap In My Water

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loachmeyers
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2015 7:40 pm

HELP..... Some Crap In My Water

Post by loachmeyers » Wed Aug 02, 2017 11:43 am

Hi All,
I have been having this film in the sump of my wet/dry. It looks like a protein scum and I net it out and all is well for a few days, and it returns. I have had this issue for about a month now. The tank is clear, the fish are active and healthy. I thought I was feeding too much and cut down a lot on feeding. This morning the film was worse than ever. Pictures are below. Also there is stuff on the outside of the socks and material in bottom of sock area. Tap water PDS is 134, R/O from filter is 4, and tank water is 92.

I have an uneducated guess that it might be this particular brand of garden hose i purchased for fish use only to fill my barrel with 1/2 tap water and 1/2 R/O Di water when I change. Yesterday I did a water change (about 35%) The tank is 90 gallons. As I said this morning the film was the worst it has ever been. It has my full attention now ! The hose was purchased from Amazon.

EDIT: Forgot to mention... 2 Loaches, 2 Algae Eaters, 1 Parrot Fish, 6 Cory's

I'm don't know how to post pictures here. You can view the pictures of this issue at this link
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5pDt ... EZteHVpT2s

Your help and thoughts will be much appreciated. Thank You.

loachmeyers
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2015 7:40 pm

Re: HELP..... Some Crap In My Water

Post by loachmeyers » Wed Aug 02, 2017 6:38 pm

To the best of my judgment I've fairly certain I have narrowed the white stuff down to the garden hose which I use to fill the 50% tap water to the other 50% R/O DI water. I have replaced the garden hose with that black flexible hose and cleaned out all the areas of the wet/dry. Will start the water making process tonight and change water tomorrow. I have also placed a filter on the pump which pumps the fresh water into the tank. I'll report back later the results. Thanks !!

Diana
Posts: 4675
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:35 am
Location: Near San Franciso

Re: HELP..... Some Crap In My Water

Post by Diana » Wed Aug 02, 2017 7:56 pm

Test almost everything:
The hose:
Find 2 containers that are the same, from about a quart up to several gallons. A couple of 5 gallon buckets would work.
Fill one via the suspicious hose, the other via something else that you are pretty sure is clean.
Monitor the 2 containers for a few days and see if the scum shows up.

Any additives (dechlor, fertilizer, fish food, ANYTHING) by doing a similar test: several containers (OK if they are pretty small) and fill all without the suspicious hose. Add 1-2 drops of each aquarium additive into separate containers. You can get more complex (lots more containers) if you put 2 additives into one container to see if 2 products interact with each other.

How are the other tests?
A protein scum suggests excess protein, and protein gets broken down into ammonia, then nitrite, then nitrate.

Does the tank smell healthy? If it is protein, it must come from something. Perhaps a dead fish?
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

loachmeyers
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2015 7:40 pm

Re: HELP..... Some Crap In My Water

Post by loachmeyers » Fri Aug 04, 2017 2:03 pm

Diana wrote:Test almost everything:
The hose:
Find 2 containers that are the same, from about a quart up to several gallons. A couple of 5 gallon buckets would work.
Fill one via the suspicious hose, the other via something else that you are pretty sure is clean.
Monitor the 2 containers for a few days and see if the scum shows up.

Any additives (dechlor, fertilizer, fish food, ANYTHING) by doing a similar test: several containers (OK if they are pretty small) and fill all without the suspicious hose. Add 1-2 drops of each aquarium additive into separate containers. You can get more complex (lots more containers) if you put 2 additives into one container to see if 2 products interact with each other.

How are the other tests?
A protein scum suggests excess protein, and protein gets broken down into ammonia, then nitrite, then nitrate.

Does the tank smell healthy? If it is protein, it must come from something. Perhaps a dead fish?
Thanks Diana For Your In Debt Reply. I was fairly certain it was from a some new hose I purchased as the more I thought about it the more I realize this film in the wet/dry seem to appear after I did a water change. Thank gosh the film was always on top of the water and missed the intake of the pump. So I never got that film in the water column itself. Yesterday I cleaned the wet/dry, purchased a new hose, "made" some water, and did the W/C. I've been watching the whole setup and happy to say the water is crystal clear. No scum at all in the wet/dry at all. So I think I nailed it... So happy...

As far as some of your questions.... water did not smell... I thought I might have lost a fish or 2... but during the W/C everything was taken out of the tank and inspected. All fish were there, and accounted for. I guess they might have been a tad unhappy with the water conditions, and decided to stay "indoors".

Thank you for your help. Have a nice weekend !

loachmeyers
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2015 7:40 pm

Re: HELP..... Some Crap In My Water

Post by loachmeyers » Sun Aug 13, 2017 11:16 am

I am doing research to purchase a 25 ft section of hose to fill my 50 gallon barrel for my water changes. Can anyone point me to a hose which does not leach any chemicals, etc into the water. The hose needs to be flexible. The 3/4" clear vinyl hose does not leach, however it is much too stiff and impossible to get it to lay straight without curling up. Right now I am using a short 3 foot vinyl and filling 5 a gallon bottle and walking it over to the barrel. It would be much easier and time efficient to use a long hose and fill directly to the barrel. So, any ideas...possibly a "garden type hose" made for drinking water ??? Thanks In Advance For Your Help. Cheers !!!

loachmeyers
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2015 7:40 pm

Re: HELP..... Some Crap In My Water

Post by loachmeyers » Sun Aug 13, 2017 11:25 am

Sorry, I forgot this...

So far, this is what I have come up with. Thoughts and/or suggestions...

https://eartheasy.com/premium-drinking- ... e#overview

Diana
Posts: 4675
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:35 am
Location: Near San Franciso

Re: HELP..... Some Crap In My Water

Post by Diana » Wed Aug 16, 2017 9:09 am

I have simply been using the garden hoses available locally. I avoid any with any comment that suggests they are treated to reduce or prevent algae. I have not seen the slime build up that you have noticed.
Hoses intended for drinking water (recreational vehicle supply stores) will generally be fish safe.

Vinyl tubing/hose comes in several wall thicknesses.
The thick wall product tends to maintain its shape. This can be good and bad: It wants to stay coiled up, but it tends not to kink. The thin wall product is easier to uncoil, but tends to kink, and can bend to the point of cutting off the water flow.
Work with it on a hot day, or set it in the sun for a while and gradually unroll it. If you need to roll it for storage, roll it into the largest loop you can. Tight coils are a lot harder to open up.
I have found that once it bends or kinks that spot remains a trouble spot, more inclined to bend or kink each time the tubing is used.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

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