# Fluffy slime



## Lord Nibbler (Dec 22, 2005)

Ok, I have a new one.

In my 10gallon nursery. Its heavily stocked right now with baby rainbowfish and baby brigs. Also with Limnophila sessilifolia.

Theres a whitish slime that has been developing on the limnophila leaves. It sort of looks like the slime trails on a fish infected with columnaris. The fish and snails are fine though.

I changed a lot of water once, and it came right back. So on Saturday I took the plants out, rinsed them well, left them out for a day and changed a lot of water again. I'm sure this didn't get rid of it all, and I'm hoping it doesn't come back.

So what is this stuff and how do I keep rid of it?


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

It is probably bacterial growth, and the bacteria are growing on dissolved organic compounds in the water. Do you have yeast-generated CO2? If you do, and if some of the liquid in the bottle gets into the tank water, you can get that kind of growth.


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## Lord Nibbler (Dec 22, 2005)

I don't in that aquarium. However, I did a massive water change and used water from one of my aquariums that does have yeast-generated CO2 as a partial replacement as it is cycled water. The slime does look a lot like the stuff that grows in the fermentation vats.

I'm just puzzled as to why it had come back the first time. After I did the massive change, I cut feeding way back, it shouldn't have had much to feed on.


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## Lord Nibbler (Dec 22, 2005)

I take the plants out for a few days, scrub off the aquarium sides and replace the filter sponge. But when I put the plants back in, they start getting the growth coming back.

How long would you estimate that limnophila aquatica can survive in a bucket of water with lighting? I'm afraid to leave it in any long to starve out the bacteria. The bucket is unheated so it drops down towards the high-60s that my apartment thermostat is at. It seems a little more fragile if I don't put it back into the aquarium after a few days and I'm afraid it will become incredibly unhealthy if I leave it out longer.

I also want to get the plants back in the nursery as the large amount of fry tend to nitrogen load the water even with large water changes, and the plants regulate that really well.


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