morfin Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Hi. I keep getting a white gel like sludge on my heater suction cups in my small tank. Anyone know what it is? Tanks is 10 days old, 18 neons in it, amm 0, nitrite 0 and nitrate 0-5, tank was seeded from fully cycled tank. 60litres.. It can't be that there is no water circulation as the filter outlet points straight at it across the back of the tank. Photo below [url= Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Some kind of bacteria that seems to feed on something in the rubber or on it. It's common and harmless. Just wash it off, it will stop appearing after a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morfin Posted January 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Thanks Ira Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snookie Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Some kind of bacteria that seems to feed on something in the rubber or on it. It's common and harmless. Just wash it off, it will stop appearing after a while. No smart comment Ira Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colour_genes Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Hi, I have been getting this white sludge on the suction cups of one of my new heaters (an Aqua One 55w) too, but not on the other brand I have (can't remember brand name right now). Not sure if it is coincidence or not but 4 teenage guppies that were in that tank (with the Aqua One heater) died within a couple of days of installing it (was a fully cycled tank with good water parameters). I took the heater out, cleaned everything, and swapped the 2 heaters around. Have since lost 2 previously healthy adult male guppies in a different tank with the suspect heater installed, just about the time the white sludge showed up again. : :dunno: What brand is the heater you have? I'm planning on getting some replacement suction cups ( white/translucent silicone ones) in the next couple of days as I just don't trust these ones any longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 I've only ever had this issue with Aquaone suction cups but always found it to be harmless to aquatic life. I just scrape it off during a water change and have had no losses attributed to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morfin Posted January 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Yep it's an aqua one heater.......... I have other suction cups will swap it out as its yuk if it manages o get into the water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikBok Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 i too have experienced it with the aquaone heaters/suction cups. It does disappear eventually and It doesn't adversely affect my fish. The jagers do not seem to have the same problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexyay Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Hi, I have been getting this white sludge on the suction cups of one of my new heaters (an Aqua One 55w) too, but not on the other brand I have (can't remember brand name right now). Not sure if it is coincidence or not but 4 teenage guppies that were in that tank (with the Aqua One heater) died within a couple of days of installing it (was a fully cycled tank with good water parameters). I took the heater out, cleaned everything, and swapped the 2 heaters around. Have since lost 2 previously healthy adult male guppies in a different tank with the suspect heater installed, just about the time the white sludge showed up again. : :dunno: What brand is the heater you have? I'm planning on getting some replacement suction cups ( white/translucent silicone ones) in the next couple of days as I just don't trust these ones any longer. I presume you checked the tank temperature and it didn't fluctuate at all? (perhaps a faulty heater?) I haven't had this on my Aqua One heater but ew, I'd be scraping it off daily :sick: (I love fish keeping but I hate some of the stuff that grows in tanks!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discusguru Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Put a bristlenose in the tank and it'll clean it for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morfin Posted January 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 As soon as I can catch one from the big tank I plan too. I want to take my one male out so no babies . Although it looks gross to eat ........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanityChelle Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 I had that on some tubing and suction cups. It really does stop coming back after a while. I panicked a bit when I first saw it, but it's really nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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