Particulates coming from return spouts

[wsanley]

I turn off my return pump when feeding 2x daily. We have a check valve on our 125g DT so not all of the water drains into our sump. Over the last several weeks it's like a blizzard in the DT once I turn the return pump on. So many particulates come shooting out of the 4 return spouts. I've taken to spending some time netting it when it comes out, but I'd really like to get to the source if possible. It's not uneaten food.

Any thoughts?

 

[GaryE]

My corals love the fine particulates after shutting off the pump. A tasty treat for them.

 

[wsanley]

My corals love the fine particulates after shutting off the pump. A tasty treat for them.

But where does it come from?! I have to know! LOL

 

[daybreaksky]

is your return a pipe or a see-through hose? also is it just soft chunks or is it hard like a thin eggshell?

 

[Kinjirra]

Algae growing along the piping wall?

 

[Daddy-o]

I carbon dose and get a lot of bacteria in my return lines. I shut the returns off every nite for a couple seconds to cloud the reef and feed the coral.
Cheers! Mark

 

[wsanley]

is your return a pipe or a see-through hose? also is it just soft chunks or is it hard like a thin eggshell?

It's PVC pipe. Soft chunks.

 

[daybreaksky]

ya what @Daddy-o said. just bacteria liking that surface and flow

 

[wsanley]

I carbon dose and get a lot of bacteria in my return lines. I shut the returns off every nite for a couple seconds to cloud the reef and feed the coral.
Cheers! Mark

Good to hear that it's a positive thing. I was worried it was indicative of a clog somewhere.

 

[wsanley]

Algae growing along the piping wall?

I'm adding an algae scrubber this week. I'll be interested to see if it has any effect on this occurring.

 

[Daddy-o]

Does it look like snot?

 

[wsanley]

Does it look like snot?

No, it's flaky.

 

[daybreaksky]

do you dose calcium supplements to your sump?

 

[wsanley]

do you dose calcium supplements to your sump?

Nope. Just run carbon and GFO to help with an algae (GHA) problem.

 

[daybreaksky]

ya its just bacteria. dosing calcium would create a hard Ca carbonate on pipes sometimes and it flakes off on smooth pvc.
but it sounds normal, happens especially a lot on canister filters. you would give it a pump to prime and all the gunk flies out like snow lol.

 

[Daddy-o]

Probably not bacteria then. Bacteria is snotty looking

 

[wsanley]

Probably not bacteria then. Bacteria is snotty looking

hmmm. I'll try to get a video tomorrow morning and some pictures of a sample.

 

[krash7172]

I had this happen a bunch when my tank was young. I shut off returns to do WCs and then it snowed when they were turned back on. Doesn't do it anymore but It never caused a problem.

+1 Algae scrubber

 

[mike550]

I've had a similar experience. Some of it looks like brine shrimp that somehow got caught in the pipes. I've put nets in front of a couple of the outflows to try and catch stuff, and might cover two of the outflows with a media bag. I've also heard of folks turning their pumps way down at startup and then using filter floss to catch stuff.