Help identifying.

[therremans]

Hey all,

This is a new tank setup with cured dried rock. I’m looking to identify this grayish white kind of fuzzy layer growing on my rocks. It almost looks like it would shed off. I can post water parameters if/when needed. I’m wondering what I can do to keep this in check.

It doesn’t seem snotty enough to be diatoms. Bacteria bloom? Algae? I added bagged “live” sand when the tank was setup a week ago. Rock and media was cured and cycled. The silicates could have caused this.

Here is a short video with and without lights on:

 

[T-J]

I'm not sure what the fuzz is, but it is not algae or diatoms or dino. I do know that.

Question, what did you do to "cure" your dry rock? Was it in a bucket with a heater and powerhead for a month or so with bacteria added as well as some food source for the bacteria?

 

[BanjoBandito]

Looks fungal, but if your tank is only a week old you got some time before things get "normal". Starting up tanks is the hardest part...every tank is different. If it is truly fungal it could be from decaying matter left in or on the rocks? Just a guess. good luck.

 

[therremans]

I'm not sure what the fuzz is, but it is not algae or diatoms or dino. I do know that.

Question, what did you do to "cure" your dry rock? Was it in a bucket with a heater and powerhead for a month or so with bacteria added as well as some food source for the bacteria?

Yeah, it was cured that way for around 5 weeks. It almost looks like built up nutrients or crud. The rock was completely dry prior. The water after the cure was quite yellow before it went down the drain. It’s possible some fungus made its way into the tote during cure or just happened naturally. I see some small and clear, almost hair algae looking growth around too.

Thanks, I imagine it will just go away or I’ll scrub it off if it gets out of hand.

 

[BanjoBandito]

Yeah, it was cured that way for around 5 weeks. It almost looks like built up nutrients or crud. The rock was completely dry prior. The water after the cure was quite yellow before it went down the drain. It’s possible some fungus made its way into the tote during cure or just happened naturally. I see some small and clear, almost hair algae looking growth around too.

Thanks, I imagine it will just go away or I’ll scrub it off if it gets out of hand.

I had that white cobweb stuffs around my cyphestrea corals for a month or two, but I was battling ostreopsis at the time so I didn't get real excited about it, I don't know if something ate it or it just went away, but it was gone before too long. It was real whispy, white hairs...I blamed my blonde wife for leaning over the tank too much! Just kidding. She's mean, she beats me.

 

[T-J]

Yeah, it was cured that way for around 5 weeks. It almost looks like built up nutrients or crud. The rock was completely dry prior. The water after the cure was quite yellow before it went down the drain. It’s possible some fungus made its way into the tote during cure or just happened naturally. I see some small and clear, almost hair algae looking growth around too.

Thanks, I imagine it will just go away or I’ll scrub it off if it gets out of hand.

Yeah, I'm not sure.

Most people don't cure dry rock. I'd say the majority of us just put it in the tank, fill with water, add bacteria and ammonia and let it cycle.

IME, curing means letting the dead/dying stuff cycle off the live rock from shipping. So, again IME, I would never "cure" dry rock. There's nothing there. You "cycle" the rock to get a biofilm and population of bacteria in/on it.

Hope everything works out for your tank though!

 

[therremans]

Yes, I I kind of agree with you. I suppose cycling the rock would be a little bit more accurate. However this rock still had dried out decayed matter on it, since it was in a reef tank before it was dried out, placed inside of a cardboard box for storage and then sold to me. It’s not mined rock but was previously live rock.

 

[BanjoBandito]

Yes, I I kind of agree with you. I suppose cycling the rock would be a little bit more accurate. However this rock still had dried out decayed matter on it, since it was in a reef tank before it was dried out, placed inside of a cardboard box for storage and then sold to me. It’s not mined rock but was dried out and previously alive reef rock.

fungal.

 

[T-J]

Yes, I I kind of agree with you. I suppose cycling the rock would be a little bit more accurate. However this rock still had dried out decayed matter on it, since it was in a reef tank before it was dried out, placed inside of a cardboard box for storage and then sold to me. It’s not mined rock but was dried out and previously alive reef rock.

Aaahhhh, ok, that makes more sense then. Yeah, the dried stuff will continue to fall off the rock and decay. Now that's what I'm guessing we're seeing in your videos. The decaying process of the old organic material on your rocks.

 

[therremans]

Okay thanks, I’ll leave it be. I suppose I should have scrubbed it off before putting in the new water but didn’t notice it until after.

Phosphates are less than .03ppm
Nitrates are a little higher at near 10ppm
Ammonia around .15ppm

 

[therremans]

I had that white cobweb stuffs around my cyphestrea corals for a month or two, but I was battling ostreopsis at the time so I didn't get real excited about it, I don't know if something ate it or it just went away, but it was gone before too long. It was real whispy, white hairs...I blamed my blonde wife for leaning over the tank too much! Just kidding. She's mean, she beats me.

This may just be dead hair algae that was rehydrated.