What is going on here?? #help

joey123 · Jan 16, 2020

Good morning all--not sure if this is the right place to post, so please correct me if I am wrong. I am on day 7 or so of my new tank cycle (Waterbox 220), and yesterday added some Dr. Tim's one and only(turning off skimmer...you'll see why this is relevant in a minute). I added 127 mL, which is a bit more than half the dose they recommend. I have decent nitrates right now, about 15-20 ppm, and will add ammonia every few days, and track how quickly it returns to zero. Since I added the I also have been using nopox, and based at least the beginning of my cycle on the red sea reef mature kit(once I missed some of the parameters, I just went back to a basic cycle of running it and checking the water parameters). This morning I woke up and my sump had a lot of this light pinkish slime in it - it actually had clogged a filter sock so much that the water was going through the overflow and not through the sock. I switched out the sock and turned back on the skimmer this morning. Only saw it in my refugium and sump, but the lights will come on in the DT today and so I'm wondering if it will start showing up there.

Tough to see in the pics, as it's somewhat translucent and stringy. What is this stuff? Any ideas? Good/bad/what should I do?

Thanks to all for your help.

homer1475 · Jan 16, 2020

best guess, Bacterial bloom from dosing the NOPOX. Slow down the nopox and see what happens.

Raege · Jan 16, 2020

On a new tank cycle shouldnt need nopox or skimmer running. Just a food source to feed bacteria get it started ghost feeding the table shrimp method or dosing ammonia. As for nitrates are you getting a reading on nitrites? Nitrites will mess with the nitrate test not give a real reading.
what do you have for lbs of rock
what are you feeding for bacterial to grow
are you running lights on display and or refugium?
If ya can give a little more info will tag #reefsquad to help
THere are a few great threads in beginner section on cycling as well that may help
Welcome 2 R2R and the salty adventure

SPR1968 · Jan 16, 2020

Hi and welcome to R2R

If your using one of the bacteria in a bottle products you need to follow the exact instructions and use the full dose as they are providing the bacteria to complete the nitrogen cycle. If you don't add enough for the volume of water it possibly wont be effective straight away and could cause issues.

As far as Nopox is concerned you should only start adding this when its needed, to control high nitrates, and its not in a new tank.

Your probably experiencing some form of bacterial bloom from Nopox and whatever else has been added

You need to decide what method your going to follow and then stick to it, don't try mixing Dr Tims with Red Sea Mature as from memory their different methods.