External Filter Pipe Gunk, What is this mess?

Owch · Post by **Owch** » 16 Nov 2005, 10:25

I have just carried out some filter maintenance and given the pipes on both my externals a good clean out. Now, Iâ??ve noticed this sludge in the past, usually when I start the filters back up, and never been too concerned, I just clean the pipes. This time, I pulled the pipe-work on my Fluval out and cleaned the inlet to the pump line twice

, forgetting/missing to clean the return pipe. When I turned the filter back on, there was the usual bits of grey/brown/green gunk, but not what Iâ??d expect having just cleaned the pipe out (oops, bugger). I gave the pipe a few good bangs, not yet realising my error

, and was treated to a snow storm effect in my plec tank (All I need is a button on the front of the tank that will play festive carrols

)

There was loads of the stuff, it looked like fine clumps of hair in the water but when I fished a bit out it was a slimy mess. Luckily I have an old chunk of filter sponge on the inlet to the external filter and this collected most of the gunk, but the blue tetras went mad for the stuff and ate loads. The stuff that collected on the sponge was heartily eaten by the 100 baby bristle nose plecs that I have growing out in here.

So, what is this cack and is it harmful to fish, or is it a free feed every once in a while?

The same effect happens on my Eheim 2028 in the Discus tank when I stop and start the filter.

Also, has anyone used a small bottle brush on a bit of string to clean their pipes out, or is it worth investing in the Eheim or Fluval pipe cleaners?

Cheers

Tom

Post by **Silurus** » 16 Nov 2005, 10:54

Most likely freshwater bryozoans (small colonial filter feeders) in your tubing. Not harmful and free food.

Owch · Post by **Owch** » 16 Nov 2005, 12:04

Is this a common occurence in filtration systems?

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 16 Nov 2005, 12:27

I have exactly the same problem.

I posted about it a while back

http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... t=clogging

I seems to occur when i fed starchy veggies. All three eheims were completely shutting down under a week.

I seemed to have solved the problem by not feeding things like sweet potato anymore, which is a shame because the fish loved it.

I now feed things like spring greens and kale instead.

Yes I do recommend using those pipe cleaner from eheim. You won't believe how much difference it'll make!

Jonno · Post by **Jonno** » 16 Nov 2005, 19:18

I have the same thing happen to mine and when i power it back on it all comes out so are they living creatures or a plant?

bronzefry · Post by **bronzefry** » 16 Nov 2005, 21:22

(All I need is a button on the front of the tank that will play festive carrols )

You too?

Scared the daylights out of me the first time(about 2 years ago). I thought all the fish were going to die, but they appeared to be having fun. I bought a few of the hose brushes and use them when I see the stuff building up. It's not as bad as it was-just a little escapes into the tank. I do leave it in the canister. It seems to really help the bio-filtration....or is it the bio-filtration?[/code]

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 17 Nov 2005, 09:52

so are they living creatures or a plant?

HH thinks they could be freshwater bryozoans (as above in his post) but i'm not so sure.

The stuff I have is really slimy and translucent, with almost like fibres in it. It's the same colour as the water.

My first thought was that it's a fungus or slime mould, or maybe even bacteria. I could be wrong though

Owch · Post by **Owch** » 17 Nov 2005, 10:11

Mine is a brown/green, sort of like army olive colour. But it looks like lots of very fine hair while suspended in water, and a slimy gooey mass out of the water.

Either way, the fish go mad for it

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 17 Nov 2005, 13:27

well that sounds like the same stuff I have. None of my fish ate any though.

coelacanth · Post by **coelacanth** » 17 Nov 2005, 13:48

I think various organisms find filter pipes to be very des res housing. As HH says, if you are fortunate you may get something fascinating like Bryozoans, I knew someone with a pond who had huge colonies of Simulid larvae in their pipework(a quick brushing used to provide a feast for his Orfe until I told him what they turn into...), the stuff I normally find is bacterial colonies (probably heterotrophs) which take the form of slimy strands as described by Owch.
Pete

Tom2600 · Post by **Tom2600** » 18 Nov 2005, 00:38

Out of interest what do the Simulid larvae turn into?

Thanks

Mike_Noren · Post by **Mike_Noren** » 18 Nov 2005, 12:04

I get a build-up of a fibrous beige-gray substance in my filter hoses, especially the 'out' hose from the filter. If I shake or otherwise disturb that hose, I get a "snowstorm" in the tank.

I was curious what it was, so I had a look at it. It looks fibrous in water, but if you touch it it turns out to be slimy and amorphous and lacking cohesion. Under stereo microscope I saw very little life, except for the usual (some rotifers & nematodes). Under a compound microscope I didn't see much either, to be honest.

IMO it's a bacterial mat. I don't know of what, but the individual cells must be small enough as to not be visible at 400x magnification (the best my beat-up old Zeiss-Aus-Jena compound microscope can do), and the color suggests it's not photosynthetic.

It could also be some sort of precipitate, but I doubt it.

Tom2600: simulid larvae turn into blackflies.

Owch · Post by **Owch** » 18 Nov 2005, 13:35

Mike_Noren wrote:I get a build-up of a fibrous beige-gray substance in my filter hoses, especially the 'out' hose from the filter. If I shake or otherwise disturb that hose, I get a "snowstorm" in the tank.

I was curious what it was, so I had a look at it. It looks fibrous in water, but if you touch it it turns out to be slimy and amorphous and lacking cohesion. Under stereo microscope I saw very little life, except for the usual (some rotifers & nematodes). Under a compound microscope I didn't see much either, to be honest.

IMO it's a bacterial mat. I don't know of what, but the individual cells must be small enough as to not be visible at 400x magnification (the best my beat-up old Zeiss-Aus-Jena compound microscope can do), and the color suggests it's not photosynthetic.

It could also be some sort of precipitate, but I doubt it.

Tom2600: simulid larvae turn into blackflies.

Thanks Mike, I may have to take some to work and let the bio lab have a look at it.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 18 Nov 2005, 13:44

Tom2600 wrote:Out of interest what do the Simulid larvae turn into?

Thanks

See this: http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/bulle ... c-019.html

Edit: prettier link to nearly the same info: http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg222.html

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Mats