What is this stuff??

[alindell]

I've noticed this clear and transparent hairlike structure covering my reef rocks. It doesn't seem to bother my corals other than the soft corals including zoanthids and Clove polyps.

When I touched it, it is slimy and some of it seems to come off fairly easy while most of it stays in place. It's been in my tank for awhile. It seems to grow on areas where it can get a foothold like on coraline algae in the back or on reef rock, but not on glass. It also does not grow where the light does not shine for the most part although some areas it's growing on the underside of the reef rock. Anyone have any idea what this is?? I've read some other forums that think it might be a bacterial bloom or fungus bloom. I don't want to dose toxic chemicals or tear up the reef since it's not causing too many issues right now. Any suggestions on benign wayd to get rid of it?

 

[blaxsun]

I can't tell anything from the images, sorry. Try to get some clearer ones under white light.

 

[alindell]

It's hard to see but on the one frag the hair like structure stands straight up from the top of the frag. It is colorless

 

[alindell]

The first pic is a more accurate representation of the stuff.

 

[alindell]

It's enveloping the outside of the disk frag as a almost halo-like outline of the frag. Here is a video

 

[alindell]

Any idea?? I would like to get rid of it?

 

[Sleeping Giant]

looks like GHA

 

[alindell]

Maybe these pics help show it better. It's not green and it doesn't look like algea and im pretty sure it's not gha.

Does anybody have any recommendations on chemicals I can add to the tank. I'm going to run a uv sterilizer on the tank for a little bit too I think

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

Could be chrysophytes.

 

[alindell]

Update: I did a three day black out period, started dosing micro bacter 7, and started adding neo phos and neo for low nutrient systems. The white fuzz seems to have been reduced and is less noticeable. Some spots have seemed to go away.

I may do another black out period to see if it all goes away.