Pink Stuff in HOB skimmer

[CjAmaryllis]

Okay, so this happened overnight.
I have a 40 gal tank that is currently fishless cycling. I had been cycling for about 3 weeks, but I had to mostly empty my tank due to really high nitrates and the tank was not level (rookie mistakes). It has restarted the cycle about a week ago.
There's no noticable algae or cyanobacteria, or anything yet. I didn't use live rock.
My parameters (as of a week ago) are:
Ammonia: 1.2 ppm
Nitrite: .05 ppm
Nitrate: 10 ppm
pH: 8.2
Alk: 8 dkh
Ca: 400
Mg: 1330
Salinity: 1.026
Water temp is 82 while it cycles.

The only thing I've added was ammonia to start the cycle and bacteria. My best guess is I have an overgrowth of a pink bacteria.

 

[aquaman67]

I know a pink bacteria grows on wet surfaces but I don’t know if that includes salt water.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

@ISpeakForTheSeas? Bacteria or chemical?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

@ISpeakForTheSeas? Bacteria or chemical?

I'd guess bacteria, but I don't know for sure (it's a bit out of my wheelhouse at the moment).

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

I'd guess bacteria, but I don't know for sure (it's a bit out of my wheelhouse at the moment).

Hello! Any new leads on the mystery nem?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Hello! Any new leads on the mystery nem?

Not yet. Like I said, I've found a few that are similar on 1 or 2 out of 3 points. I think I'm going to have methodically sort through the Metridioidea superfamily to try and track it down, and there's a decent chance that they may be bleached specimens.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Not yet. Like I said, I've found a few that are similar on 1 or 2 out of 3 points. I think I'm going to have methodically sort through the Metridioidea superfamily to try and track it down, and there's a decent chance that they may be bleached specimens.

Good luck! I'll try and help out!

Metridioidea - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

While I would usually avoid Wikipedia for this sort of thing, I did find a list of all the families in Metridioidea, though I'm pretty sure you already have a list

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Not yet. Like I said, I've found a few that are similar on 1 or 2 out of 3 points. I think I'm going to have methodically sort through the Metridioidea superfamily to try and track it down, and there's a decent chance that they may be bleached specimens.

Anyway found another lookalike, probably not what they have but nemanthus nitidus looks similar, unfortunately its a gorgonian wrapper species so it's unlikely that that's what they have

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Not yet. Like I said, I've found a few that are similar on 1 or 2 out of 3 points. I think I'm going to have methodically sort through the Metridioidea superfamily to try and track it down, and there's a decent chance that they may be bleached specimens.

And another unlikely candidate. Hermit crab nems seem to resemble what they have. Though the genus calliactis usually is found on the shell of hermit crabs. Any possibility that that's what it can be?

 

[CjAmaryllis]

Okay, so this happened overnight.
I have a 40 gal tank that is currently fishless cycling. I had been cycling for about 3 weeks, but I had to mostly empty my tank due to really high nitrates and the tank was not level (rookie mistakes). It has restarted the cycle about a week ago.
There's no noticable algae or cyanobacteria, or anything yet. I didn't use live rock.
My parameters (as of a week ago) are:
Ammonia: 1.2 ppm
Nitrite: .05 ppm
Nitrate: 10 ppm
pH: 8.2
Alk: 8 dkh
Ca: 400
Mg: 1330
Salinity: 1.026
Water temp is 82 while it cycles.

The only thing I've added was ammonia to start the cycle and bacteria. My best guess is I have an overgrowth of a pink bacteria.

 

[CjAmaryllis]

Upon further investigation, I found a very small patch of reddish sand in the back of my tank. I am now suspecting cyanobacteria