What is This?!?

[Virgs0608]

It looks like mold on my sand? My zoas were all closed up today, and I discovered this patch at the back of the tank. I would just vaccuum, but I have a DSB and I'm concerned what I'd release into the water column would be worse than whatever this is.

Tank has been up since November, 2g water change weekly on a 13.5 Fluval EVO, stock is two clowns, two baby urchins, and lots of snails/hermits. Corals are zoas, cloves, candy cane, and a toadstool. I don't have all of my parameters handy, but they've been stable for months aside from an unusual .5 nitrite reading this past weekend (Salifert). Ammonia was negative, nitrates around 10, phos is high at about 1.8 - 2, but it's been stable there for months no matter what I try to do to get it down. Using stock lighting, ceramic biomedia, floss, carbon, and chemi blue for filtration.

 

[Dan_P]

It looks like mold on my sand? My zoas were all closed up today, and I discovered this patch at the back of the tank. I would just vaccuum, but I have a DSB and I'm concerned what I'd release into the water column would be worse than whatever this is.

Tank has been up since November, 2g water change weekly on a 13.5 Fluval EVO, stock is two clowns, two baby urchins, and lots of snails/hermits. Corals are zoas, cloves, candy cane, and a toadstool. I don't have all of my parameters handy, but they've been stable for months aside from an unusual .5 nitrite reading this past weekend (Salifert). Ammonia was negative, nitrates around 10, phos is high at about 1.8 - 2, but it's been stable there for months no matter what I try to do to get it down. Using stock lighting, ceramic biomedia, floss, carbon, and chemi blue for filtration.

Looks sponge-like

 

[crazyfishmom]

Have you treated for cyano recently? They look like dead biofilms to me.

 

[Virgs0608]

Looks sponge-like

Would sponge grow that quick? I did tank maintenance on Sunday and there was nothing.

 

[Virgs0608]

Have you treated for cyano recently? They look like dead biofilms to me.

No, I haven't treated for anything in this tank since I used Reef Flux back in mid January. The only additive I've put in this month is chaeto grow.

 

[crazyfishmom]

Do you have any sand sifting snails? Like Nassarius? They might help in this situation.

 

[Virgs0608]

Do you have any sand sifting snails? Like Nassarius? They might help in this situation.

I do, I actually just restocked like two weeks ago - there are about 10 of the little buggars in there. Could this be the reason my corals are all mad? I have a second tank at the tail end of the cycle (nitrites down to .2) and I'm seriously debating moving them there with some Prime and cleaning whatever this is. I'm really concerned there is something toxic in the water.

 

[crazyfishmom]

I am by no means an expert but if your parameters are good (would be good to post all of them if possible) then it sounds like maybe it’s time to consider that this may be dinos or something like that. Some dinos can be toxic to coral though most just clear up on their own without any negative impact on coral. Your phosphates being so high may have something to do with it as a nutrient imbalance tends to fuel dino outbreaks.

 

[twentyleagues]

If you touch it with something what does it do? ie break up easily, smoosh a little, separate.....

 

[KrisReef]

Your deep sand bed appears to be growing a slug of bacteria from the sludge that has accumulated in the sand.

Does the tank have any dank smell to it? I would be concerned about the oxygen levels in the tank.

 

[Virgs0608]

I am by no means an expert but if your parameters are good (would be good to post all of them if possible) then it sounds like maybe it’s time to consider that this may be dinos or something like that. Some dinos can be toxic to coral though most just clear up on their own without any negative impact on coral. Your phosphates being so high may have something to do with it as a nutrient imbalance tends to fuel dino outbreaks.

I didn't have them, I wasn't at home - this is what they were on Sunday: ammo 0, nitrite .1, nitrate 20, Mg 1270, Ca 420, Ph 8, Phos .15, Alk 9.28

While phos is high, I've been working to get it down and it's been between there and .2 for about 6-8 weeks, it's not a swing or anything different for the tank. I cannot figure out the source to eliminate it.

I didn't consider dinos, as it isn't stringy and there aren't any bubbles on it. It doesn't look anything like any dino pics I've seen.

 

[Virgs0608]

Your deep sand bed appears to be growing a slug of bacteria from the sludge that has accumulated in the sand.

Does the tank have any dank smell to it? I would be concerned about the oxygen levels in the tank.

No smell at all that's different than normal. It always smells a bit like the beach, but not the beach at high tide.

 

[Virgs0608]

If you touch it with something what does it do? ie break up easily, smoosh a little, separate.....

It almost shredded? Like if it was wet tissue paper that ripped apart when you tried to touch it. I tried to suck some up with the syringe and it turned to tiny particles, when I poked it, it floated up in shredded little irregular pieces and settled right back down within seconds.

 

[twentyleagues]

It almost shredded? Like if it was wet tissue paper that ripped apart when you tried to touch it. I tried to suck some up with the syringe and it turned to tiny particles, when I poked it, it floated up in shredded little irregular pieces and settled right back down within seconds.

Bacteria. Siphon it out and whatever is causing it below.

 

[Virgs0608]

Bacteria. Siphon it out and whatever is causing it below.

Thank you!

With it being a DSB, would it be better to move the coral and fish to the other tank even though it's not 100% cycled? I have Prime, and I'm sure with all of the added biodiversity from the transfer itself it would finish in a day or so, anyway.

I just don't want to make it worse trying to make it better. The plan was to eventually move this stuff to the bigger one, anyway.

 

[twentyleagues]

Thank you!

With it being a DSB, would it be better to move the coral and fish to the other tank even though it's not 100% cycled? I have Prime, and I'm sure with all of the added biodiversity from the transfer itself it would finish in a day or so, anyway.

I just don't want to make it worse trying to make it better. The plan was to eventually move this stuff to the bigger one, anyway.

Just do that small section. It shouldnt hurt anything.
Ready for the shocker......Prime wont help. It neutralizes chlorine it does nothing for ammonia. I know when I came back to this hobby I was like what you gotta be kidding me! We used it on transshipped fish at the lfs to take the ammonia out of the bag when drip acclimating, it seemed to work. This was years ago you know there is ammonia in a bag of fish that just spent 3+days in transit. During acclimation we would loose quite a few fish before we started putting a few drops of prime in the acclimation buckets. Losses were cut in half. But I am not a chemist and those who did the study are so what do I know.

 

[EricR]

Out of curiosity, how deep is your "deep sand bed"?
*I think I'm understanding that you're at 6 months in a 13 gallon AIO w/undisturbed DSB,,, not sure if that means anything for the DSB experts though

 

[Virgs0608]

Out of curiosity, how deep is your "deep sand bed"?
*I think I'm understanding that you're at 6 months in a 13 gallon AIO w/undisturbed DSB,,, not sure if that means anything for the DSB experts though

Yes, that's correct. Sandbed is about 3ish inches deep, a little more shallow in some areas, and a little deeper in others because of flow and rockscape. So, not crazy deep but definitely deeper than most and deep enough I think there is potential for pockets.

 

[Virgs0608]

Just do that small section. It shouldnt hurt anything.
Ready for the shocker......Prime wont help. It neutralizes chlorine it does nothing for ammonia. I know when I came back to this hobby I was like what you gotta be kidding me! We used it on transshipped fish at the lfs to take the ammonia out of the bag when drip acclimating, it seemed to work. This was years ago you know there is ammonia in a bag of fish that just spent 3+days in transit. During acclimation we would loose quite a few fish before we started putting a few drops of prime in the acclimation buckets. Losses were cut in half. But I am not a chemist and those who did the study are so what do I know.

That bottle lies!

 

[Dan_P]

Would sponge grow that quick? I did tank maintenance on Sunday and there was nothing.

I agree with the suggestion it is bacteria.