Curiosity Question. Why are my Filter Socks Turning Pink?

AKL1950 · Apr 17, 2023

For about the last month, when I take a dirty filter sock out and clean it, it has pink blotches or areas in the fiber. Sometimes it’s a lot, and sometimes it’s just a little. Once I have cleaned them and soak them in bleach, it’s all gone. I mean as soon as it’s in the bleach, it disappears. I was going to get a picture this morning, but as soon as I pulled it back out of the bleach water it was gone.

Just trying to figure out what it is or what is causing it. My thoughts are maybe cyanobacteria, Coraline algae or some other biological formation that has a pink appearance. Or, Maybe nitrate or some other chemical formation.

Any ideas?

PeterC99 · Apr 17, 2023

Is there a refugium with a light in your sump?

Dburr1014 · Apr 17, 2023

AKL1950 said:
For about the last month, when I take a dirty filter sock out and clean it, it has pink blotches or areas in the fiber. Sometimes it’s a lot, and sometimes it’s just a little. Once I have cleaned them and soak them in bleach, it’s all gone. I mean as soon as it’s in the bleach, it disappears. I was going to get a picture this morning, but as soon as I pulled it back out of the bleach water it was gone.

Just trying to figure out what it is or what is causing it. My thoughts are maybe cyanobacteria, Coraline algae or some other biological formation that has a pink appearance. Or, Maybe nitrate or some other chemical formation.

Any ideas?

Without a picture, I'm guessing cyanobacteria.

AKL1950 · Apr 17, 2023

PeterC99 said:
Is there a refugium with a light in your sump?

No Refugium and no light in the sump. Sump is exceptionally clean. something else I just thought of is possibility of carbon effects. Every other week, I put a high quality bag of carbon in the sump and it’s in the area before the filter soak. I just leave it in a week, so 7 days with then 7 days without carbon.

Troylee · Apr 17, 2023

could be a bacterial bloom.. I’ve seen pink.. not to mention pink cotton candy algae

Steve2020 · Apr 17, 2023

AKL1950 said:
For about the last month, when I take a dirty filter sock out and clean it, it has pink blotches or areas in the fiber. Sometimes it’s a lot, and sometimes it’s just a little. Once I have cleaned them and soak them in bleach, it’s all gone. I mean as soon as it’s in the bleach, it disappears. I was going to get a picture this morning, but as soon as I pulled it back out of the bleach water it was gone.

Just trying to figure out what it is or what is causing it. My thoughts are maybe cyanobacteria, Coraline algae or some other biological formation that has a pink appearance. Or, Maybe nitrate or some other chemical formation.

Any ideas?

Are you carbon dosing by chance?

AKL1950 · Apr 17, 2023

Dburr1014 said:
Without a picture, I'm guessing cyanobacteria.

I am having a little bout with Cyanobacteria. Think I’ve been feeding too much. I’ve started blowing off the rocks every morning to keep the cyano suspended. That was my first guess, but wasn’t sure. I’ll get a picture next time I pull a soak out.

Dine · Apr 17, 2023

Mine are often pink from the brine shrimp I feed

exnisstech · Apr 17, 2023

AKL1950 said:
No Refugium and no light in the sump. Sump is exceptionally clean. something else I just thought of is possibility of carbon effects. Every other week, I put a high quality bag of carbon in the sump and it’s in the area before the filter soak. I just leave it in a week, so 7 days with then 7 days without carbon.

I run carbon through a reactor that exits into a filter sock before returning to the sump to catch particals that may make it through the sponge. No pink in that sock. Most like the cyano. When I vacuum mine the entire bucket of water turns pink.