# Whats is that slime in the Drop checker?



## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

This is something new, as far as I can recall. I can't think of what would cause it.


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## Seiryoku (Apr 1, 2009)

Mine did that for a few days (was cleaning it daily because of it) right after I started using it. Stopped after a about a week, no clue what was causing it.


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## dravenxavier (Jan 29, 2009)

Mine does the same thing..I was about to come on here and ask the exact same question.


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## wakesk8r (Nov 26, 2007)

mine had the same issue for a while, seems like cleaning it makes it come back, i just sucked it out with a medicine dropper, it only comes back after i remove the fluid and completely clean it


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

Ok at least I am not the only one to experience it. I just wonder if its harmfull to my fish? Maybe I will try to suck it out somehow without actually taking a drop checker out and cleaning it, hopefully it will stop. I also wonder if it will make my drop checker to have an incorect reading? It driving me crazy it looks like someones mucus LOL I will try to take a picture of it little later. If anyone does have some explanation to what it is it will be great to know what some of us actually dealing with and what causes it.

One more question how offten should I change the drop checker liquid?


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## Seiryoku (Apr 1, 2009)

Some people change it every couple weeks, others months, others have said, "I'm supposed to change it?" and have had it continue to work. (from what I've read)

I'm not sure I guess :icon_redf

Easiest way I've found to clean the film with out removing the entire thing is to use some airline tubing as a siphon.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Does anyone have a picture of this stuff? Sounds like organic matter or some type of fungus? Maybe a nice bleach soak, ensuring the solution gets inside the bell, will get rid of it.


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

Seiryoku said:


> Some people change it every couple weeks, others months, others have said, "I'm supposed to change it?" and have had it continue to work. (from what I've read)
> 
> I'm not sure I guess :icon_redf
> 
> Easiest way I've found to clean the film with out removing the entire thing is to use some airline tubing as a siphon.


Thanks I think I will just go with changing it once a week or every other week, depending how I feel :hihi:
And I will try to siphon it out with some airline tubing.


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

epicfish said:


> Does anyone have a picture of this stuff? Sounds like organic matter or some type of fungus? Maybe a nice bleach soak, ensuring the solution gets inside the bell, will get rid of it.


I took some pictures, I hope they turned out good my camera is not the greatest. I will upload them as soon as Im back from the store, which won't be too long


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## jflng (Apr 5, 2007)

Mine did this too. I'm pretty sure I created a thread somewhere asking this same question. I haven't used my drop checker in months and kind of forgot about it doing this. I don't think anyone ever figured out exactly what it was. Maybe protein buildup? It will screw with the results though. Keep it as clean as possible.


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

jflng said:


> Mine did this too. I'm pretty sure I created a thread somewhere asking this same question. I haven't used my drop checker in months and kind of forgot about it doing this. I don't think anyone ever figured out exactly what it was. Maybe protein buildup? It will screw with the results though. Keep it as clean as possible.


Yeah it does look like it would screw with the results, so I will keep it clean. It's just such a peta because it keeps coming back. 

And here are some pictures of it


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## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

Sorry if I missed it but, are you using the DIY yeast mixure method for your CO2? That stuff kinda looks like the slime I use to get when I was using yeast mixtures. Though I didn't have a drop checker at the time, it was prevalent on the end of the CO2 airline tubing.


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## Lnb (Apr 15, 2008)

I get the stuff regardless of whether it is DIY or pressurized. All my tanks are now on pressurized systems and I still get it.

Sometimes its bad and sometimes it just goes away. I clean out the slime out without disturbing the fluid and then put it back into the tank. I gave up trying to figure out why. It doesn't seem to hurt anything. 

I would think that it would effect the reading by blocking the exchange of gases. I will change the fluid in the checker only if it seems like it is no longer working, i.e. staying yellow green even though the Co2 is not running.



speedie408 said:


> Sorry if I missed it but, are you using the DIY yeast mixure method for your CO2? That stuff kinda looks like the slime I use to get when I was using yeast mixtures. Though I didn't have a drop checker at the time, it was prevalent on the end of the CO2 airline tubing.


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

speedie408 said:


> Sorry if I missed it but, are you using the DIY yeast mixure method for your CO2? That stuff kinda looks like the slime I use to get when I was using yeast mixtures. Though I didn't have a drop checker at the time, it was prevalent on the end of the CO2 airline tubing.


I am using DIY CO2, haven't noticed it on the tubing, but I do see a little bit on my wooden diffuser.


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

Lnb said:


> I get the stuff regardless of whether it is DIY or pressurized. All my tanks are now on pressurized systems and I still get it.
> 
> Sometimes its bad and sometimes it just goes away. I clean out the slime out without disturbing the fluid and then put it back into the tank. I gave up trying to figure out why. It doesn't seem to hurt anything.
> 
> I would think that it would effect the reading by blocking the exchange of gases. I will change the fluid in the checker only if it seems like it is no longer working, i.e. staying yellow green even though the Co2 is not running.


Wow so even if I would switch to pressurized system I can expect this slime to appear :icon_eek: good toknow. So far I haven't noticed that it's hurting anything and I actually seen my fish pecking at it on the diffuser. It's just so annoing and I want it to go away. And I am just very curious what is it.


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## dravenxavier (Jan 29, 2009)

I'd originally thought it was fungus, since my entire tank is full of fungus at the moment. The fish don't seem to mind, and in fact, I'm pretty sure my Apistos either have eggs or are expecting to soon. But now hearing of other people having this problem, I'm doubting my fungus hypothesis. I'm pretty sure it's not harmful, though I'd imagine it would interfere with the readings.


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## Left C (Nov 15, 2003)

Something organic like epicfish mentioned ... maybe a protein buildup?

I get it on my glass diffusers too and I'm using pressurized.


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

Left C said:


> Something organic like epicfish mentioned ... maybe a protein buildup?
> 
> I get it on my glass diffusers too and I'm using pressurized.


I guess if it's something organic it can't be really harm my fish or plants so I guess I can live with this. I will be just cleaning my drop checker offten and hopefully one day it will go away.


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## wakesk8r (Nov 26, 2007)

just out of curiosity did you get your drop checker from aqautic magic?


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

blue-ram said:


> just out of curiosity did you get your drop checker from aqautic magic?


Actually yes I did. Is that why Im getting slime :icon_eek:


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

funkyfish said:


> Actually yes I did. Is that why Im getting slime :icon_eek:


lol. I doubt it.

I think it's like the organic/protein film that builds up on the water surface if there's not enough turbulence.


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

epicfish said:


> lol. I doubt it.
> 
> I think it's like the organic/protein film that builds up on the water surface if there's not enough turbulence.


LOL Ok good  

I'm actually not sure, it looks like there is some turbulance but not too much, and I haven't notice any film build up on the surface. I do a small water change like 2 days a week or so. I turn on an air pump at night which seem to create more turbulance on the surface. For a filter I have Aqueon powerfilter 10, it has a flow rate of 100 gph. Do you think I need to have something to create turbulance, and if yes what that would be? Powerhead?


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

funkyfish said:


> LOL Ok good
> 
> I'm actually not sure, it looks like there is some turbulance but not too much, and I haven't notice any film build up on the surface. I do a small water change like 2 days a week or so. I turn on an air pump at night which seem to create more turbulance on the surface. For a filter I have Aqueon powerfilter 10, it has a flow rate of 100 gph. Do you think I need to have something to create turbulance, and if yes what that would be? Powerhead?


The airstone creates enough turbulence to disrupt formation of the surface film. You don't need anything else.


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## wakesk8r (Nov 26, 2007)

this is actually pretty weird,
I have an ada drop checker that i got from gla, I have never had the slime in it.
But both of my drop checkers i got from aquatic magic have the slime.
probably nothing they are doing but kinda weird for sure


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## rich815 (May 21, 2008)

I found this on my Rea Sea Drop Checker for a month or two but lately do not see it as much. I read somewhere that it is some kind of protein film but that it's gas permeable and supposedly does not affect the efficacy of the drop checker. Did not seem to for me. I had one of those double bulb glass checkers going concurrently but it never got the film.....go figure.


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

epicfish said:


> The airstone creates enough turbulence to disrupt formation of the surface film. You don't need anything else.


Oh cool! Thanks


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## funkyfish (Mar 16, 2009)

blue-ram said:


> this is actually pretty weird,
> I have an ada drop checker that i got from gla, I have never had the slime in it.
> But both of my drop checkers i got from aquatic magic have the slime.
> probably nothing they are doing but kinda weird for sure


Hmmmm that is weird. But I hope it will go away, time will tell and for now I will just keep cleaning it


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## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

blue-ram said:


> this is actually pretty weird,
> I have an ada drop checker that i got from gla, I have never had the slime in it.
> But both of my drop checkers i got from aquatic magic have the slime.
> probably nothing they are doing but kinda weird for sure


I also have a GLA drop checker and have never seen any of this slime on it. I'm using pressurized CO2.


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## Lnb (Apr 15, 2008)

blue-ram said:


> this is actually pretty weird,
> I have an ada drop checker that i got from gla, I have never had the slime in it.
> But both of my drop checkers i got from aquatic magic have the slime.
> probably nothing they are doing but kinda weird for sure





rich815 said:


> I found this on my Rea Sea Drop Checker for a month or two but lately do not see it as much. I read somewhere that it is some kind of protein film but that it's gas permeable and supposedly does not affect the efficacy of the drop checker. Did not seem to for me. I had one of those double bulb glass checkers going concurrently but it never got the film.....go figure.





speedie408 said:


> I also have a GLA drop checker and have never seen any of this slime on it. I'm using pressurized CO2.


I have drop checkers from both GLA and Aquatic Magic and all of them have had slime at one time or another. I have two GLA CAL AQUA "Oracle" Drop Checkers in my 55g tank at this very moment and one has slime and the other does not. 

No longer an issue for me. I just clean it when I need to and if it doesn't get slimed, so much the better.

:biggrin:


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## Solid (Jul 19, 2009)

I was going to post a question about this slime, but found this thread so i figured i share my experience. 

I just set up a pressurized co2 system and used a GLA drop checker and after 2-3 days i got this thick clear film in the bell of my drop checker, i cleaned it out and it reappeared in about a week. Ive cleaned it out again and it looks like it is growing back, albeit slower than before. It doesn't seem to affect the reading of the drop checker because mine still goes from blue to green every day. Anyone have any new insight on this? Or ways to prevent it?


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## snoz0r (Jun 6, 2008)

I've had the same thing on my pressurized system, I generally just pop the drop checker out of the tank, most of the white stuff drifts into the water and then I take my finger or a qtip and wipe the inside of the bell. Sometimes it appears, sometimes it doesn't.


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## justin182 (Aug 19, 2009)

this white stuff is in on my ceramic diffuser as well. I thought it was due to the yeast gunk (diy co2)... it appears in pressurized too??? 

i guess it's not from the yeast????


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

I don't have any white gunk on my ceramic diffuser while using pressurized CO2. 

Perhaps it is some left over yeast gunk from when you used your diffuser with DIY CO2?


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## Lnb (Apr 15, 2008)

Slime in a *drop checker* with pressurized Co2, *yes*. Slime in a *ceramic diffuser* with pressurized Co2, *No*.

I agree with Darkblade48.


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## Rob in Puyallup (Jul 2, 2009)

I'm thinking it might be is an anaerobic bacterium setting up house in the presence of a rich source of it's favorite gas. 

It gunks up my co2 diffusers (Hagen ladders) within days of my cleaning them... and that's the only place where it shows up.


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## justin182 (Aug 19, 2009)

Rob in Puyallup said:


> I'm thinking it might be is an anaerobic bacterium setting up house in the presence of a rich source of it's favorite gas.
> 
> It gunks up my co2 diffusers (Hagen ladders) within days of my cleaning them... and that's the only place where it shows up.





are you using diy or pressurized?


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## Rob in Puyallup (Jul 2, 2009)

diy... but changing over to pressurized this afternoon!


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## justin182 (Aug 19, 2009)

Rob in Puyallup said:


> diy... but changing over to pressurized this afternoon!



that's one bad thing about DIY!! update if you see the white fuzzy stuff on your diffuser or drop checker..


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## bigboij (Jul 24, 2009)

i get it on my drop checker too its a cheapy HK one.

i had it on the glass diffuser but found it was from my DIY setup, I fixed that by altering my in line bubble counter/catch bottle by using a wooden diffuser into a super saturated salt water mixture to help clean the gas. Its worked like a champ.

but i still get it in the drop checker, on a side note i cleaned my canister filter the other day and upon firing it back up the spray bar blew a ton of this same slime that is on the drop checker out of the spray bar.


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