Attack of the Blob!

[Bob Denman]

Originally Posted by BrentB

Have you been gargling again?[emoji6]

Wait! I've got another one...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OICbxwdm2fo

[lwmcguire]

Originally Posted by PAtrailtrimmer

Detergent acts as a wetting agent. Makes the water wetter, that is more effective. The two active ingredients are quats commonly used in household cleaners. Good at killing all microbes (germs).

Your biomass is a combination of microorganisms. Use an algaecide from the pool store and any good household cleaner including bleach or peroxide.

Add them and then go for a drive. Leave them in the tank for 24 hours.

Agree, go strong on the peroxide, again no cap on the manual fill

The biocide will need rinsed 5 times as it isn't potable

Dawn would work if you need more surfactant

[lwmcguire]

Once again chlorine doesn't do much for slime or filamentous bacteria

Chlorine kills layer by layer and doesn't penetrate the bio mass, that is why slime can build up in the presence of low chlorine levels

Surfactant, agitation and peroxide are best in this case

You are wasting your money on the chlorine donors

How many of you put bleach on a wound to kill bacteria?

Besides smelling bad it doesn't effectively kill all the bacteria unless you maintain a consistent free residual

[BrentB]

Originally Posted by PAtrailtrimmer

The two active ingredients are quats commonly used in household cleaners. Good at killing all microbes (germs).

Originally Posted by lwmcguire

You are wasting your money on the chlorine donors

Just so I'm clear, are you both saying that you don't expect the Alkyl to work?
The bottle says it sanitizes in 60 seconds. Would it be advisable to use this as a follow-up to the methods you listed?

[PAtrailtrimmer]

The alkyls will help. We’re suggesting a combination attack to completely rid your problem.

That picture you posted suggested the need for the ‘nuclear option’. That is one ugly blob.

[BrentB]

Originally Posted by lwmcguire

Once again chlorine doesn't do much for slime or filamentous bacteria

Chlorine kills layer by layer and doesn't penetrate the bio mass, that is why slime can build up in the presence of low chlorine levels

Surfactant, agitation and peroxide are best in this case

You are wasting your money on the chlorine donors

How many of you put bleach on a wound to kill bacteria?

Besides smelling bad it doesn't effectively kill all the bacteria unless you maintain a consistent free residual

Originally Posted by PAtrailtrimmer

The alkyls will help. We’re suggesting a combination attack to completely rid your problem.

That picture you posted suggested the need for the ‘nuclear option’. That is one ugly blob.

Ok. When you say "Use an algaecide from the pool store" should I run this through the whole plumbing system? Is it safe for potable water systems?

[BrentB]

Originally Posted by lwmcguire

Get a gallon of NSF 30% peroxide

Get a quart NSF surfactant, add an ounce or about 30 mls

Do you know of a good source for these? So far I've either seen gallon size bottles that don't say NSF, or I've found some that say NSF, but only come in huge quantities.

[lwmcguire]

Unfortunately I don't know locally where you can get small gallon 30%

Drug store or hospital supply perhaps

I mentioned the 5 rinse and flush cycles as none of the biocide products are potable

Try several bottles of 3% it just might do it along with the surfactant and save you money

Make a lance using air and hit the glob or water but draining was an issue so the chemicals will break it up

[blw2]

seems like the folks here know much more about the biochem side of this....
all I can say is that a lot of that sounds plausible to me
but still
I'd start by 'mechanically" cleaning the stuff out first...putting in the hatch and vacuuming &/or scrubbing the dickens out of it... then attack the residual that 'might' be left in there with these chemical approaches.

[BrentB]

I haven't been able to find 30% hydrogen peroxide but Amazon has 12% for $37 per gallon. According to my calculations, it will take 4 gallons to fill my tank to a depth of 1 inch. Would it work to add 1 gallon of hydrogen peroxide to 3 gallons of water, or would that dilute it too much?

[Bob Denman]

I think that your mix should be as strong as possible...

[gnach]

I've not heard of the problem before,wow! Would Oxiclean powder be effective as a peroxide agent? It's a water softener and peroxide and is cheap and commonly stocked. The usual oxidizer warnings apply.

[BrentB]

Originally Posted by lwmcguire

Cyanobacteria (blue green algae) will be long and stringy

You seem to have slime from well water which wouldn't have sunlight

Some algae will form with indirect sunlight but usually not much

Why is sunlight getting to your tank?

I took another photo with the borescope. The photo is a little cockeyed (The gunk is on the bottom.) but it gives an idea how how bright it is in there, even though its indirect sunlight.

[Bob Denman]

Yuck!

http://www.thorforums.com/forums/att...1&d=1555089052

[lwmcguire]

I would go with what you have and see what happens, hopefully it completely dissolves the slime

Painting the side of the tank black should help keep any algae out although algae usually forms along the surfaces as a film not as a glob unless in a cattle tank or something similar with sunlight and nutrients

Good photo and it appears to be slime with the polysaccharides visible. Chlorine will work on something like this layer by layer and take a very long time so therefore the peroxide or as someone else noted a peroxide in powder form should work also

[BrentB]

Ok, thank you!

[thor293]

Originally Posted by blw2

Assuming you can get at the tank's top I would get my hands on a hatch like this or similar
https://www.amazon.com/SEAFLO-Round-...6WGCTXR4BQ5Y2E
making sure I got one with a gasket, and put it in. I'd try to get it above the "normal" water line on the flat top, down down lower where it would see hydrostatic pressure...or at least as high as possible. I can't say with any certainty if these things would hold at or near the bottom of a tank.

This is exactly what I would use. They work great on kayaks and stay sealed and water out.

[Lloyd]

If it was mine, and the tank had to be dropped out, (even if didn't) I would order a new tank to replace that slimy thing. Then I would know for sure the problem was gone.
Heck, they aren't really all that expensive. Especially after you figure what you are going to have to do with this one.


https://www.icondirect.com/fresh-water-tanks/

[TravelingQ]

Originally Posted by lwmcguire

Unless you're tank was exposed to sunlight the slime isn't algae

Use high pH and peroxide and the slime will dissolve, keeping the vent/lid open so you don't blow up the tank

You have filled up with some well water that has iron bacteria

If you have already used chlorine, I would NOT add peroxide unless the system has been totally cleared of the chlorine, otherwise you’ll really have a problem with blobs. The kind that aren’t easy to clean away....

[Raven8109]

I would use a solution of white vinegar and water. I would start at 50%, let it sit 24 hours, and flush.