Brown Mold in aged water barrel?????????????????????????????

[jimmyjoe]

Hello all you discuser's I just got a new water container for my aging of water it is a 55 gallon commercial trash container okayed for liquids. Well after putting my water in it with heat and aeration and after two weeks of water changes, I look in it and it's looking a little gummy on the bottom. well after emptying out after my water change I find brown mold or slime on the sides and bottom, is this normal? Am I doing something wrong, never had this problem that I can remember from my other adventure a few years back or is there something I can do besides cleaning it out every two weeks? Jim in Ohio

[LizStreithorst]

It's probably brown algae. It's ugly but I don't know that it does any harm.

[Pices]

Do you add dechlorinater to the container?
Patty

[gators111]

Yeah, I get the same thing. I think it's just algae. Every few months I haul my barrel outside, hose it out, and it's good to go.

[jimmyjoe]

Do you add dechlorinater to the container?
Patty

Yes I do, it's amquel plus. I thought it was brown algae just wanted to know if possible I was doing something or the container was leaching something into the water...…….. Jim in Ohio

[Pices]

I had slime when I put dechlorinator in my container and learned (here) to put dechlorinator in the tank prior to filling and to dose for the total volume of the tank. Haven’t had the slime problem since.
Patty

[bluelagoon]

Do not put dechlor in the aging barrel and let it set there.I haven't yet cleaned my barrel and it is still non slime after six years.

[gators111]

My barrel is a food grade plastic barrel and I still get it. Mine is in my garage in FL with the lid securely fit on it with small cut outs for my hose and airline. Maybe if it was indoors, it would stay slime-free. Either way, it doesn't seem to bother my fish, they still spawn, bicker, and eat like pigs.

[ericatdallas]

Yeah I got it when I used 55G too... no dechlor and regular rinsing. Wipe downs help. There are nutrients in regular tap and whatever else gets in from the air. My guess is its bacterial. Every now and then rinse with bleach, dechlor, drain, refill...at least that worked for me. But the slime didnt seem to effect fish.

[bluelagoon]

Yes,I also would think it depends on how much organic matter is in your water supply.

[gators111]

Maybe for you guys it is. I fill mine with RO/DI water in a black, food grade barrel with a secured white lid, and one 8"x3" cutout for hoses and a heater. I have no need to use dechlor and I remineralize with discus trace and equilibrium. So my water is about as pure as you can get, and I still get the stuff. I think it's just airborne brown algae that also shows up in my tanks after a while.

[AquaWoman]

+1 for brown algae, it’s harmless. IMO. ;)