brown yuckiness?

• Oct 24, 2012

• #1

joshlegs

Reefing newb

So I'm wondering what this stuff is in my tank. I don't know how to describe it other than a kind of brown looking slime. I don't THINK it's algae, but I could be wrong. It seems like it grew on some of the dry rock that i put in there (wich had a lot of old growth on it that i didnt scrape off or anything). I moved the rock, and now its growing all over the sand bed. I assume if it was algae it'd be on the glass too, but idk. heere's a pic

 

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• Oct 24, 2012

• #2

Ted

Living one day at a time

Your signature says three weeks? If its that new and it was dry rock...diatoms....feeds on silicates in the tank. Once what the eat is gone they will be gone....Makes sure you are using rodi water or distilled or you will just keep feeding them....

 

• Oct 25, 2012

• #3

joshlegs

Reefing newb

Cool. Thanks for the input! I thought diatoms were different than that, but I'll take your word for it :) Hopefully that's all it is, cuz it's sure ugly

 

• Oct 27, 2012

• #4

G_Beck_87

Reefing newb

Trust me i know it's hard not to mess with your tank, and as reefers we wanted it done yesterday. But give it time and do your normal water changes and eventually the diatoms will reside, i've been fighting this stuff in all my tanks for years. Just up until my last water change i can finally see this stuff residing from my newer tank,give it time like ted said once what they eat is gone it will be gone.

 

• Oct 27, 2012

• #5

Mr.D

Reefing newb

The stuff on the sand isn't diatoms. Just tank "dust" per se after all the sand has settled. Which probably means- need more flow. Diatoms maybe on the rock. Although I can't see the rock very well.

 

• Oct 27, 2012

• #6

Amba

Ol' Salty

Siphon it out, add some flow to move the stuff at the bottom of the tank and keep it from settling.

 

• Oct 27, 2012

• #7

joshlegs

Reefing newb

Thanks for the input folks! In the last couple days, it seems the whatever-it-is has started clearing out a bit. It's thinned out, and I can see little brown specks in it (it looks like little poop nuggets or somethig, but i have no clue).

here's an updated pic

 

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• Oct 27, 2012

• #8

yote

In Memoriam

What I'm seeing in that pic is silt. You can just siphon it out.
That rock look to be lava rock. If it is, it can lead to water chemistry problems.
Lava rock contains heavy metals that can cause problems in a marine tank.

 

• Oct 29, 2012

• #9

joshlegs

Reefing newb

So I got in there and started playing around, and that stuff does seem to be some sort of silt. It's like a powdery kind of substance. I got some of it out, but I've stirred up the sand a little too much =\ (i should get some sort of vaccuum or something). There's still more to get out, but I just didnt want to get in there and start fiddling with the sand without having some sort of knowledge what i'd be up against.

Thanks for all the help!

 

• Oct 29, 2012

• #10

G_Beck_87

Reefing newb

get a turkey baster and blow it off the sand and rock, works good without stirring a lot of it up.