What is this?

[kevin_e]

It's a fine hair like algae/bacteria(?), but it is white. It has also created a thick mucus/sponge like matting on parts of rock.

 

[kevin_e]

I'll also add that I was cleaning my sump yesterday and the rocks had a sulfur smell to them. Discarded them. I think they were contributing to whatever the heck is happening.

 

[El_Guapo13]

Did that happen overnight?

My guess would be bacteria bloom, but I am no expert.

#reefsquad

 

[Flippers4pups]

Looks to be a bacterial bloom. Was the rocks cured?

 

[kevin_e]

Did that happen overnight?

My guess would be bacteria bloom, but I am no expert.

#reefsquad

No. I have neglected this tank for a very long time for financial reasons but kept it running. I am motivated to get it going again. This has been an ongoing issue for moooonths.

 

[kevin_e]

Looks to be a bacterial bloom. Was the rocks cured?

The rocks are rocks I have used for years over many tank transfers. This issue has been going on for a very long time. Do you think the buildup of organics and the sulfur smell in the sump was fueling this?

 

[Flippers4pups]

The rocks are rocks I have used for years over many tank transfers. This issue has been going on for a very long time. Do you think the buildup of organics and the sulfur smell in the sump was fueling this?

Quite possible. Transferring rock from a old system to a new system may have released organic compounds into the water column. This may have fueled a bacterial bloom.

 

[Flippers4pups]

UV, GAC, GFO and water changes will clear it up quick.

 

[kevin_e]

Quite possible. Transferring rock from a old system to a new system may have released organic compounds into the water column. This may have fueled a bacterial bloom.

It's been about 3 years since I transferred. But it has also been a battle for a long time.

 

[kevin_e]

Testing for phosphate and nitrate with a Hanna ULR and Nyos, I was reading 0 for both this past week. These past couple days I've been scrubbing my rocks and cleaning my sump. I installed a filter roller as well. Still reading 0 for both a week later without much algae available to uptake nutrients. Scrubing everything and cleaning everything resulted in half a roll of the filter being used in 4 days! That's a lot of nutrient export ha.

Anyways, research seems to indicate my problem is golden alage...chyrsophytes. That's the only thing that I can find that looks similar and a result of low nutrients. I bought some food grade pottasium nitrate to dose, as that seems to be the general suggestion. I'm shooting for 3-5 ppm. Anything less than 10 ppm is probably fine. We'll see how that goes.