PINK SNOT

Todd A. · Jan 15, 2018

Can someone let me know what this stuff might be? I noticed some in my overflow box 2 weeks ago when doing my every other week cleaning but didn't think much of it. But this time around there was a substantial amount. The pics below are just what I pulled out by hand. I sucked up the majority with a wet vac since the overflow box is about 30" deep and there's no other way of cleaning it out. I'd like to know what it is, is it harmful and what could have caused it. As always, I greatly appreciate all of your opinions.

John3 · Jan 15, 2018

That is gross...lol have no idea.

Crabs McJones · Jan 15, 2018

#reefsquad anyone have this come out of their nose with a cold?

Brew12 · Jan 15, 2018

Todd A. said:
Can someone let me know what this stuff might be? I noticed some in my overflow box 2 weeks ago when doing my every other week cleaning but didn't think much of it. But this time around there was a substantial amount. The pics below are just what I pulled out by hand. I sucked up the majority with a wet vac since the overflow box is about 30" deep and there's no other way of cleaning it out. I'd like to know what it is, is it harmful and what could have caused it. As always, I greatly appreciate all of your opinions.

Wow.. it looks like a prop from a low budget horror film!

I hope I'm not stating the obvious when I say I think it is bacterial. Going back over the last month are you doing anything different in the house? Non-electric heat, burning candles, spraying air freshner, or even carpet cleaning?

Todd A. · Jan 15, 2018

Brew12 said:
I hope I'm not stating the obvious when I say I think it is bacterial. Going back over the last month are you doing anything different in the house? Non-electric heat, burning candles, spraying air freshner, or even carpet cleaning?

Nope, they only changes have been daily dosing of Red Sea Reef Energy A/B & Algae Management. I've struggled with high Nitrates (30-40 ppm) since the DT was new, just short of 2 years, but seem to have it under control with the NO3

O4-X treatment (2 -5 ppm over the last month). Could this be a result of that? Everything in the tank (fish & misc corals) seem to be doing better than ever.

Todd A. · Jan 15, 2018

Not sure why the emoji popped up. I was referencing the Red Se Algae Management treatment.

redfishbluefish · Jan 15, 2018

I've never seen anything like that coming out of someone's tank.....following.

Last time I saw something like that was when my parents took me and a group of friends to see Steve McQueen in "The Blob" for my seventh birthday.

Brew12 · Jan 15, 2018

Todd A. said:
Nope, they only changes have been daily dosing of Red Sea Reef Energy A/B & Algae Management. I've struggled with high Nitrates (30-40 ppm) since the DT was new, just short of 2 years, but seem to have it under control with the NO3O4-X treatment (2 -5 ppm over the last month). Could this be a result of that? Everything in the tank (fish & misc corals) seem to be doing better than ever.

This could definitely be the problem! This kind of carbon dosing is designed to accelerate bacterial growth. Normally the skimmer will remove much of it when everything works right. Not sure why it isn't doing it for you.

Todd A. said:
Not sure why the emoji popped up. I was referencing the Red Se Algae Management treatment.

I wrote a very long post once and was shocked when I saw a bunch of emoji's in it. I learned to add a space making it NO3: PO4. The : next to the P creates the emoji. Very unfortunate!

Tommy's Reef · Jan 15, 2018

So it's sitting in the bottom of your overflow box?

FartyParty · Jan 15, 2018

Do you, by chance, have a deadbeat roommate who perhaps got drunk and potentially puked in the overflow at some point during the night?

Cnidoblast · Jan 15, 2018

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofilm

Nola Bear · Jan 15, 2018

I had the same situation and the same snot. Super high nitrates>nopox=snot in overflow

Todd A. · Jan 15, 2018

tommyhere said:
So it's sitting in the bottom of your overflow box?

Not really sitting in the bottom, more like suspended in the water column and attached to a plastic mesh I added to the top of the box to keep my fish from visiting the overflow area.

Brew12 said:
This could definitely be the problem! This kind of carbon dosing is designed to accelerate bacterial growth. Normally the skimmer will remove much of it when everything works right. Not sure why it isn't doing it for you.

The skimmer seems to be doing it job. Actually had accelerated and darker skim in the cup for the first month of dosing and it's backed off the last few weeks. All my water parameters seem to be good, with Mg being slightly high (1420) and Alk being a bit low (7.8). Should I be concerned about this? What potential issues can this cause?

Sea MunnKey · Jan 15, 2018

For a moment I thought that was fresh caramel being made ....

Brew12 · Jan 15, 2018

Todd A. said:
Not really sitting in the bottom, more like suspended in the water column and attached to a plastic mesh I added to the top of the box to keep my fish from visiting the overflow area.

The skimmer seems to be doing it job. Actually had accelerated and darker skim in the cup for the first month of dosing and it's backed off the last few weeks. All my water parameters seem to be good, with Mg being slightly high (1420) and Alk being a bit low (7.8). Should I be concerned about this? What potential issues can this cause?

I wouldn't be overly concerned. My guess is that the skimmer has backed off because more bacteria is growing in this cluster and less is making it to the skimmer water. I would cut back on dosing both of those products and clean the plastic mesh really well. See if the skimmer activity picks up.