HELP strange white stuff all over frag tank?

[Pete Horwath]

Folks woke up this morning and found that strange white wispy stuff ALL over my LPS frag tank. It wasn't there at 12 midnight but now is covering the entire tank. Looks kind of like Dinos if they were white but don't think its Dino's (I've fought that battle before in other tanks) as there's no bubbles or brownness to them. anyone have a clue here. I've attached some pictures and a video. Its the white wispy mucus looking stuff swaying in the current that I'm talking about. hard to see in the picture much easier in video. I will try to post better ones later.

Nothing new has been added for weeks other then some mushroons i fragged up from my display tank. (Super Quarantined! Houdini couldn't get into that one) and we triple dip everything that does get in. (Bayers, Coral RX, Iodine also sometimes HydroPerox for the Zoa's) Just did a water change 20% 3 days ago. My parameters have been pretty stable. I've also posted a chart with my parameters and what we have dozed.

Folks i really need your help on this one as it's a new one for me. Just when you think you've seen it all. Note there is also an Acan, Hammer, Torch tank and two softie tanks tied into this system. the parameters and dozing are for the whole system. I have NOT seen any of this in the other tanks even though they are connected. Also Lighting is T5 (blubs 3 to 6 months old, 3 acti one white) with one reef brite strip for this tank and we do have a large UV filter on it. the other tanks in the system are only running LEDs.

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

Following. Reminds me of feeding slime but that much makes me think otherwise

 

[Pete Horwath]

weird thing is the Zoas haven't closed up...oh and the tank is about 8 months old

 

[juanrmattos]

Hard to say looking at the photo from Tablet, the video is not playing for me either... Usually “white stuff” is not bad... Could it possibly be the beginning of coralline explosion? Or maybe salinity residue?... just rambling here

 

[clm65]

Video is not working for me either, and can't see much in the picture. I had an algae bloom when I was carbon dosing - it looked like slimy white stringy stuff. Are you dosing anything such as NoPox, vinegar, etc?

Edit - meant to say bacteria bloom, not algae bloom.

 

[Pete Horwath]

BTW what did you do to treat the algae bloom?
slimy white stringy stuff waving in the current is exactly what it looks like. i cleaned a couple of powerheads with vinegar just recently may have forgot to rinse them but wouldn't think that would be enough. i can view the video in windows media player. video was taken on my iphone.

 

[Pete Horwath]

Here is a picture from the internet of another tank with what looks like the same thing unfortunately the link doesn't work

 

[sixty_reefer]

It could be a bacteria bloom

 

[clm65]

It could be a bacteria bloom

Oops, that is what I meant - bacteria bloom!

 

[clm65]

BTW what did you do to treat the algae bloom?
slimy white stringy stuff waving in the current is exactly what it looks like. i cleaned a couple of powerheads with vinegar just recently may have forgot to rinse them but wouldn't think that would be enough. i can view the video in windows media player. video was taken on my iphone.

Sorry, meant to say bacteria bloom, not algae bloom. Reducing dosage resulted in less bloom, but it never really went away until I completely stopped dosing carbon (vinegar). I'm not sure how much residual vinegar could have been on your powerheads, or how big your frag tank is, but I agree that it probably would not be enough to matter. But if it is a bacteria bloom caused by the vinegar, it should go away fairly soon since you are not adding any more.

 

[Pete Horwath]

Okay Folks, I'm still trying to figure this out. I took everything down to the begining. Cleaned everything, tank powerheads new lines etc. Each coral was dipped in: Bayer, Iodine, Coral RX and the Palys and Zoas dipped in Hydrogen Peroxide. and now two days in its BACKKKK!! I do have better pics this time. here is a pic from the bottom of the frag plug rack. Note they are white no bubbles in them and don't go away at night like dino's these streamers get like 3 to 4 inches long and appear very quickly. anyone have any ideas how to fix this?

 

[CheckeredPants]

Any corals that release mucus like a leather or nepthea?

 

[Treasure Coast]

Maybe try turning up your flow and disrupting what ever it is.

 

[Pete Horwath]

don't think this is coral mucus there is way to much of it. Plus its growing on the eggcrate also. this is in a 48" x 18" frag tank mostly zoa and paly a few mushrooms spacing is good so nothing touching. tank had been stable for months then this just blew up overnight a few days ago. doesn't seem to bother the corals but its a nuisance and I can't take any corals out of this tank until i figured it out. only event that was different was i had a six line wrasse disappear about 10 days ago from the tank. other fish, lawnmower blenny, is fine. I do run some CU in here so six line could have been eaten if it had died.

 

[Pete Horwath]

Maybe try turning up your flow and disrupting what ever it is.

Thanks Treasure! will try that. One more thing i noticed is the zoa are extending up more than usual and my clovers are really loving this stuff. I wonder if their eating it which is kind of lending my to thing maybe bacterial? BTW good luck with the storm coming your way! hope it goes back out to sea.

 

[Treasure Coast]

Thanks, appreciate it.