Gray slime in a barrel....

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I recently turned an old wooden barrel into a small pond/water feature in my garden. There is a pump/filter and aerator installed and it has been going for almost 2 months. I have no plans to ever add fish or inverts but want to incorporate a few plants. Right now i just have some anacharis floating around. My problem is i keep getting this slimy gray coating on the walls and bottom of the barrel. I've used an algae killer and water clarifier but neither makes a difference. Most recently (2 weeks) i totally emptied the barrel and scrubbed out the goo then refilled. Now it's back again... The location is a mostly sunny spot and the water is about 18" deep. Any ideas or help to fix this problem would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
 

sissy

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Do you know what the barrel is made of and what it held before .I had an old oak wine barrel I cut in half in my NJ house and it did that and tested water and it was high in ph .I just lined the barrel with a really heavy duty trash bag in plastic and refilled and it was fine after that .The bag has to be one of those really heavy duty ones and be black
 
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It is an oak barrel but i'm not sure what it was used for... i was really hoping to be able to keep it un-lined since it is in great condition and water tight but that may not be realistic :(
 

sissy

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If you leave it unlined it only lasts maybe a year or a little more
 

Meyer Jordan

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What you have growing is "good old-fashioned" biofilm. It is a natural occurrence and cannot be stopped without making the water toxic to plants and other life. It is harmless.
 

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