A little help with a problem

[sirmixa]

This may or may not be a problem, I'm a freshwater transfer over to saltwater and have a 180 tank that's been up and going for 4-5 months. I have this "dust" or sediment that covers my live rock and corals. It doesn't look like diatoms or detritus, from the photos I've seen. I can squirt it with a turkey banter and it floats around and settles, some goes into overflow, but I have it everyday. I've got 8 young fish, 1 fire shrimp, 2 small anemones, a bunch of small coral frags, 1 small star and 2 sea hares, which I thought would eat that stuff up. A few of turbo snails as well. I've got an oversized coralline cone skimmer in the sump and I just added a media reactor with the 2 little fish NPX Bioplastics at the advise of my lfs which I would hope lowers the phosphates thus eliminating the sediment. I've got a 2" live sand bed, a lot of live rock, not sure weight, and 4 power heads of mixed types.

Any experienced peeps got some tips for me? Also, poor coralline growth in my tank, no dead corals yet though in the 45-60 days since I started introducing them

 

[sirmixa]

Any help would be appreciated, I'm headed to fish store tonight, would like to pick up a remedy

 

[cowboy]

If its fine white dust on everything its from your live sand that yellow head sleeper goby will grab mouth fulls and filter it to get his food.

 

[R_C]

Could be a power head moving the top layer of sand. I had it happen to me and it was a power head being re-directed by my rock and was sending flow down. Once I moved it it stopped.

 

[cowboy]

Could be a power head moving the top layer of sand. I had it happen to me and it was a power head being re-directed by my rock and was sending flow down. Once I moved it it stopped.

That as well i didn't even look at the equipment I mainly looked at the fish.

 

[sirmixa]

The power head is most likely the cause, I thought so, I'm just paranoid

 

[briancarterkc]

I have two pistol shrimp that routinely fan sand out of their den. I've just resigned myself to the sand dust.

 

[sirmixa]

Can I keep 2 pistols? My lfs told me only 1. I just traded in a flounder who ate my Wyoming clown and I think he was keeping everyone in hiding but I know the pistol is still alive

 

[Salty1962]

Are any of your fish wrasses? They will stir up the sand looking for food or burying themselves. If not, then your re-circulating pumps may be stirring up your sand bed. Try moving, or reducing the powerheads/pumps. Good Luck!

 

[sirmixa]

I've got 1 leopard and 1 fairy wrasse also the gold head sleeper goby plus 2 sifting stars. Maybe too much sifting going on.

 

[Salty1962]

Yes, allot of sand stirrers in there. Especially with the sleeper goby. I had one with fine sand and he was always covering my sand bed corals with sand. Turkey blaster and blow off or get rid of sand sifters, IM.

 

[briancarterkc]

Can I keep 2 pistols? My lfs told me only 1. I just traded in a flounder who ate my Wyoming clown and I think he was keeping everyone in hiding but I know the pistol is still alive

Mine were hitchhikers so I didn't plan on 2. They get along fine and share the same burrow, but your mileage may vary.

 

[Eckolancer]

Off topic but can you explain how your rock work is built.

 

[sirmixa]

Pvc pipe and vinyl fence boards molded with heat suspended over the sand

 

[sirmixa]

And plastic welder