What is this stuff all over my rocks

Tuffloud1 · Jan 21, 2015

Hello,

I've had my tank up and running now for about 10 months.

I started with dry rock and have been using nothing but my own RO DI 0 TDS water and mixing my own salt from day 1.

Nitrates 0
Phosphates 0
alk 8.5
calc 425
mag 1350
ph 8.05 - 8.2
Temp 77.5 - 78

My parameters are rock solid, everything is on dosers through my Apex.

I am changing out 1.5 gallons of water everyday using an auto water change system, which drips every 10 minutes.

I am trying to figure out what all these "hairy" looking things all over my rocks.

I am also trying to figure out why my sps are growing/encrusting, however the colors have faded and the polyps no longer come out, only barely at night if at all.

Please see my pictures, any advice would be appreciated.

Tuffloud1 · Jan 21, 2015

Here are some more pics.

Tahoe61 · Jan 21, 2015

Are you using Bio-pellets or dosing carbon?

Tuffloud1 · Jan 21, 2015

Tahoe61 said:
Are you using Bio-pellets or dosing carbon?

No, do you think it would be beneficial with nitrates and phosphates testing at 0? I thought it was for people with excessive nitrate levels.

saltyphish · Jan 21, 2015

Carbon dosing can cause a similar issue you are having I've read. People dosing carbon can get a white stringy bacteria growing on rocks and such.

Tuffloud1 · Jan 21, 2015

Ya, I'm trying to figure out what people mean whey they say "your tank is too clean". When I'm fighting unwanted growths of random stuff on rocks, I thought that I was supposed to get rid of more nutrients.

Then I read Randy's parameter article which he recommends keeping nitrates and phosphates as close to 0 as possible.

Sps like clean, then no SPS like a "little" phosphate and nitrate. I'm confused. Lol

Tahoe61 · Jan 21, 2015

No insult intended but your sps look pale too me. No I would not run bio-pellets on an already ultra nutrient low system.

fishroomlady · Jan 21, 2015

it looks like a bacterial bloom to me. everything I've read lately seems to indicate that sps do like a little nitrate and phosphate - with a little being a tiny amount.

425nm · Jan 21, 2015

I have the exact some problem! It is not bacterial growth from carbon dosing. I have this stuff in my tank and it predates the carbon dosing (I have also hit that dosing limit where you get the bacterial strands on your rock work and it is for sure different).
Alk 7.7 | Ca 415ppm | pH 8.5 | Nirate 0 | Phosphate 0

My corals, however are growing and encrusting still.

Tuffloud1 · Jan 23, 2015

425nm said:
I have the exact some problem! It is not bacterial growth from carbon dosing. I have this stuff in my tank and it predates the carbon dosing (I have also hit that dosing limit where you get the bacterial strands on your rock work and it is for sure different).
Alk 7.7 | Ca 415ppm | pH 8.5 | Nirate 0 | Phosphate 0

My corals, however are growing and encrusting still.

Yep, that's the stuff, I can't believe that nobody knows for sure what it is.

onetire · Jan 24, 2015

I also have a similar issue with algae growth like that and my sps are having the same issues growth and color wise . I have been also reading a lot about the (water to clean ) situation . All these years I thought I was doing good with perfect prams and now newly getting into sps more with lack of growth and color seeing prefect prams may be wrong .?

Tahoe61 · Jan 24, 2015

Look at Chrysophytes.

Bacterial and Algae Hitch Hikers

It's difficult to get any definitive information on the topic. I know that you can transfer it from tank to tank so be careful. I have heard that treating just like Dinoflagellates has shown some success. Google Chrysophytes in reef tank and you'll get some hits.

425nm · Jan 24, 2015

Tahoe61 said:
Look at Chrysophytes.

Bacterial and Algae Hitch Hikers

It's difficult to get any definitive information on the topic. I know that you can transfer it from tank to tank so be careful. I have heard that treating just like Dinoflagellates has shown some success. Google Chrysophytes in reef tank and you'll get some hits.

That looks to be it! Thank you good sir! Now to figure out if I'm inadvertently putting silicates into my reef. I'm looking at you Seachem salt or DI resins >:l