rachael
19th March 2009, 12:34 PM
Help! I have a purple slime problem in my tank and have been given 3 different treatment options by 3 different aquariums (Coburg, Ballarat and Geelong) so am a little confused. My tank has only been going since Christmas, and is an Aqua One setup 32L i think. I have 3 fish in it, 2 gobys (a small bright yellow one and a larger green striped one) and another fish that is quite fiesty - i forget the type but its got a pinky/purple head and yellow end half.
I noticed the slime starting approx 2 weeks ago, mostly on the side of the tank in the gravel. I called the first aquarium, who diagnosed my problem as cyanobacteria. I was told to do daily water changes for a week, so approx half of the water was eventually replaced. I also backed off feeding the fish as much. This didn't seem to do much at all. And now the slime had started to grow on other areas of the gravel, also started to grow on my plant and a patch on my live rock.
I called the second aquarium, and it was suggested that the cyano wouldn't go away by itself, and i would need to use a treatment. They suggested Anti Red, which retails for approx $90. I also called the third aquarium who said similar, however a product Polyox was suggested, which was much cheaper at $34.95 for a 230ml bottle.
I went with the Polyox option, and have been using it for 3 days now, but still have not seen any improvement. I followed the directions precisely, 2 drops twice a day, and removed the carbon filter. Does anyone know how long it should take to start working? I'm so tempted to start pulling the stringy bits of slime off my plant as it starting to cover the whole thing!! Or would i be better off cutting my losses and trying the Anti Red solution?
I noticed the slime starting approx 2 weeks ago, mostly on the side of the tank in the gravel. I called the first aquarium, who diagnosed my problem as cyanobacteria. I was told to do daily water changes for a week, so approx half of the water was eventually replaced. I also backed off feeding the fish as much. This didn't seem to do much at all. And now the slime had started to grow on other areas of the gravel, also started to grow on my plant and a patch on my live rock.
I called the second aquarium, and it was suggested that the cyano wouldn't go away by itself, and i would need to use a treatment. They suggested Anti Red, which retails for approx $90. I also called the third aquarium who said similar, however a product Polyox was suggested, which was much cheaper at $34.95 for a 230ml bottle.
I went with the Polyox option, and have been using it for 3 days now, but still have not seen any improvement. I followed the directions precisely, 2 drops twice a day, and removed the carbon filter. Does anyone know how long it should take to start working? I'm so tempted to start pulling the stringy bits of slime off my plant as it starting to cover the whole thing!! Or would i be better off cutting my losses and trying the Anti Red solution?