In all likely hood a bacteria. In time you may need to clean the barrel with bleach. I have had non in my holding barrel for over 10 years. I do not put dechlor in it. We have chlorine and not chloramine in our water supply therefore I have no need for a dechlor. It airs off in the aerated holding barrel. Meanwhile, the chlorine is the water is keeping bacterial slime from developing while it is airing off. If you have chloramine in your water source, you should never put the dechlor in and let it set there. It'll get rid of the chlorine part of the chloramine and leave the ammonia behind. That's why it's better to put dechlor in while filling the tank or just prior. If you have light coming through you holding tank it also could be algae, diatoms or even some form of cyanobacteria. Some slimes do smell.
Last edited by bluelagoon; 06-19-2021 at 10:25 AM.
Harry, I change 50 percent or more daily and at least once a week I do 95 percent. I put the fish right on their sides.
My fry tanks get two changes daily with one huge change and one just enough to get all the uneaten food out.
I do my sponge filters twice a week and the fry tanks I do daily cleanings on the sponges.
How about you?
You said, if i have chloramines in my water, dont just put dechlor and dont just let it set?
So are you saying if i aerate it as well, i wont have the ammonia left behind?
I dont understand. If i am aging water, i can get rid of chlorine by aeration, then how should i get rid of the chloramines? then get rid of chloramine using dechlor?
If im dosing dechlor prior to filling the aquarium in order to get rid of chloramines, i rid my water of chlorine aswell. I dont see the point of aeration here?
If aging water, shouldnt the purpose be to be rid of chlorine and chloramine before adding water to the aquarium?
I mean, why let the poor fishes get exposed to chloramine while filling the aquarium? does the dechlor act fast enough to void any ill effect from chloramine?
The conditioner bonds instantly. Not all conditioners are the same. Some will work only on chlorine like sodium thiosulfate for example. While Safe and Prime work on both. You see with chloramine you have chlorine and ammonia. If you add conditioner and let it set in a holding tank the chlorine and ammonia will bond, but the bond will break with time leaving the ammonia in your holding water that goes in your tank. The bond lasts up to about 24 hours, but the cycled filter in your tank will get rid of both before the bond breaks. I started aging my water because I was doing 80% or more even tho it had no PH swing for me it is gas issues with that big a WC. If you see a lot of micro bubbles after a WC chances are the WC in too big and in time will not be able to change as much as you'd need to. With aged water you can change a lot more water. Most of us have water coming in under pressure and different temperatures causing gases.
Last edited by bluelagoon; 06-19-2021 at 02:42 PM.
For my discus, I do 25% daily, then on the weekend, my nitrates reach 15ppm, so then I change 50%. Also weekly, Course sponge gets washed, Filter floss gets replaced, Bio-media is left alone.
Ive been dosing dechlor just for the change water but i think start dosing for the full aquarium volume for safety.
How much dechlor do you use when doing your 95% water change?
for full tank volume? or just the change water?
how about when you do your 50% water change?
For clarification, there are no compressed gases in surface water causing the bends with water change. Has nothing to do with the micro bubbles.
Bends are the result of breathing gasses at depths that cause gases to dissolve into the bloodstream at high pressures when scuba diving. A rapid ascent causes a reduction in partial pressure and gases are no longer able to stay in solution (bloodstream). This results in circulating micro bubbles within the vascular system that can cause damage because the bubbles block the tiny blood vessels.
Micro bubbles 1) are under atmospheric pressure (normal pressure and 2) micro bubbles cannot pass directly into the fish’s circulatory system as they are blocked by the gills and lungs