Solidifying Calcium?

[kayla s]

Hi y’all
I have a 20Long 4 month old tank with 2 new clowns (they moved in a week ago), an emerald crab, a turbo snail, and a nassarius snail! Live rock, live sand, ammonia-0 nitrates read 3 ppm.. (I don’t have a test kit for magnesium/calcium)
in the recent days I’ve had a white substance constantly floating around the tank, never settling and too small to be stopped by filtration.
I’ve done two 25% water changes this week, but no signs of slowing.... actually think it’s definitely worsening.
Anyone else seen this before? Thanks in advance

 

[Crabs McJones]

Are you dosing any supplements for calcium magnesium or alkalinity at all?

 

[Brew12]

Hi y’all
I have a 20Long 4 month old tank with 2 new clowns (they moved in a week ago), an emerald crab, a turbo snail, and a nassarius snail! Live rock, live sand, ammonia-0 nitrates read 3 ppm.. (I don’t have a test kit for magnesium/calcium)
in the recent days I’ve had a white substance constantly floating around the tank, never settling and too small to be stopped by filtration.
I’ve done two 25% water changes this week, but no signs of slowing.... actually think it’s definitely worsening.
Anyone else seen this before? Thanks in advance

Any chance it could be tiny bubbles from a skimmer?

 

[kayla s]

Are you dosing any supplements for calcium magnesium or alkalinity at all?

Not at all! I’ve got no corals that need it, only Xenia....

 

[kayla s]

Any chance it could be tiny bubbles from a skimmer?

I actually don’t run a skimmer, I should, but I have no space to add one. (It’s eventually on the list!)

 

[kayla s]

Almost like amphipods, but I’m 99% sure these aren’t alive..

 

[Crabs McJones]

Does it occur right after a water change and then go away? or is it there all the time?

 

[kayla s]

Does it occur right after a water change and then go away? or is it there all the time?

Seems like it disappears for an hour after water changes. It clogs my intake for the HOB, so it’s a pretty sizable chunks... kinda like ripped up tissue paper floating around

 

[kayla s]

Any chance it could be tiny bubbles from a skimmer?

Also, would micro bubbles be bad or beneficial? I can have or not have them depending on my HOB setting..

 

[Brew12]

Also, would micro bubbles be bad or beneficial? I can have or not have them depending on my HOB setting..

Most people think they are healthy for the aquarium, but bad for viewing. I'm not sure I'm sold one way or the other.

 

[Crabs McJones]

What salt mix are you using and what salinity do you mix It to? how much flow do you have in your tank?

 

[kayla s]

What salt mix are you using and what salinity do you mix It to? how much flow do you have in your tank?

I’m lazy and purchase 5 gal buckets of my LFS saltwater... it looks normal in my bucket!
The tank has a 425 PH on the opposite end of a HOB rated for 50gal (its a 20g tank). Do you think this is not enough flow? I’m afraid more flow might anger xenias

 

[kayla s]

I’m lazy and purchase 5 gal buckets of my LFS saltwater... it looks normal in my bucket!
The tank has a 425 PH on the opposite end of a HOB rated for 50gal (its a 20g tank). Do you think this is not enough flow? I’m afraid more flow might anger xenias

Oh, and salinity has been surprisingly perfectly stable at 1.025!

 

[JBKReef]

Which HOB are you using? it could be microbubbles formed by the motor on the filter, or the media its passing through.

Also could be detritus you're kicking up from the water change. When you pour your fresh water in, does it stir up the sand?

 

[cracker]

I was thinking it could be some sort bacteria blanketing the sand maybe. Seeing how Miss Kayla's tank is young & all. Could be real silty sand ?

 

[kayla s]

I was thinking it could be some sort bacteria blanketing the sand maybe. Seeing how Miss Kayla's tank is young & all. Could be real silty sand ?

I think y’all might’ve hit the nail on the head with the sand/gross stuff in sand coming up. It just won’t settle!!! I do vacuum my sand bed every 2 days..

 

[cracker]

I think They would tall Ya to vacuum it up as your doing, water change & run carbon. It should pass in time . How long has this been going on ?

 

[kayla s]

I think They would tall Ya to vacuum it up as your doing, water change & run carbon. It should pass in time . How long has this been going on ?

Carbon! Last time I attempted to run carbon (in my older tank with anemones and zoas) it almost killed EVERYTHING. would it anger my current Xenia?
It’s only been happening for about 2 weeks. After adding 3 hermits and a emerald crab...

 

[rkpetersen]

What kind of filtration is running on your system? You could probably grab all that stuff quickly with a 100 micron filter sock, since they're discreet particles and not a diffuse haze as you would see with a bacterial bloom.

 

[cracker]

wow ! I really don't know if carbon would do that . I do know xenia are real tough. They will act all ticked off though. I don't run carbon either because I never really saw any changes while using it.