Hello!
I will summarize at the end and provide photos if you don't want to read my initial tank journey from start to now, but here we go! I included the journey only because maybe there was a misstep I took that can explain things. Look for the colored markers if you want quick notes, and ultimately the quick question is the last sentence of the post - just look at the picture first if it helps.
I'm still pretty new as a returning member to the hobby. I've fully cycled my tank and my levels (ammonia and nitrite) all read 0 except for a small amount of nitrates - on my test kit it's between 0 and 5, very light yellow. It's been cycled for a few weeks I think because I used Dr. Tim's one and only initially (and added 2 small clowns); and then when I found out a few days later you shouldn't have Carbon and GFO that came with (or any) my IM Peninsula 20g in the tank with that bacteria culture happening, I removed the Carbon and GFO and added another beneficial bacteria in the form of Bio-Spira. I did this to make sure the whole initial Dr. Tim's culture didn't just attach to my carbon and GFO. Go ahead about a week or so and things are good. Convinced my cycle is done (and it is with also helpful confirmation from this thread) I did my first water change with no issue (This was probably day 12-14, I forget, once I was convinced beneficial had taken over with my double dose). This went perfectly fine, heated my water and stirred it a day before, sucked out what little gunk I saw, no issues or stir up that seemed abnormal. I then added back in the carbon and GFO (that I had set aside in pure RODI water for the week I removed it - BRS chat said this would be fine). Water was clear and everything was great until I noticed when I was prepping for the next (2nd overall) weekly water change that there was string white things hanging on my rock and swaying in the waves from my return pump. I have no lights, so I didn't think algae and it wasn't green. Didn't seem to only be in well lit areas (some in the dark holes in my rock). It's maybe slightly yellowish/super light brown, but mostly just white and filamentous/gunky. When I noticed this I setup for a water change right away, that was due regardless. I sucked whatever I could out with the handheld gravel vac, sucking the rocks and the substrate where I saw any. My wife helped out and said "a lot of boogers are coming out" so I've got that going for me, which is nice. After this I went after it with a fish net and a turkey baster for probably 30 minutes at least - caught a lot more. When I did my water change I also added the recommended dose of Microbacter Clean - for the per week dose rate. I had planned on starting this regimen anyway adding it with my weekly water change on the advice of the BRSTv channel to avoid the ugly phase. Well maybe I've already found the ugly phase without lights, I have no idea which is why I'm reaching out. I changed my fiber balls (cotton ball like filter floss), and I also turned on my new NuvoSkim DC Protein Skimmer. This is my first time with a skimmer ever and right now I know it needs to break in but I'm getting very light skim, very watery, and I'm having it sit pretty high on the cup. That was yesterday and today I can still see some that I missed, but I don't think it's replicating fast or growing more yet - hoping I stopped it somehow. It's still there again mostly on the rocks and substrate (not on the glass), and it also
If you didn't want to read my story, I totally understand - I wouldn't either. For the seasoned vets and people short on time out there, here are the quick details:
Issue:
Just for reference, this is how everything is setup (~1 Month Old):
I've done a bunch of research, so here are my thoughts from random and frantic research for a couple days:
Yesterday was when I really noticed it and went to town cleaning everything during that water changed. Doesn't look like it's gotten worse in the 1 day since, stayed about the same as after it settled after the water change last night.
I'm looking for advice on what this is mainly. Many people fix a lot of these types of issues with Dr. Tim's Re-Fresh, and then Waste Away (which correct me if I'm wrong is essentially the same thing as Microbacter Clean that I just started the first does of (using the per week dose)). I'm just concerned that maybe I'm a super noob again and it's not Vox, or algae yet, and that it's just detritus (unlikely but maybe), or a bacterial bloom (possible, but the wrong type of bacteria it sounds like).
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What do you all think this is in the picture? Way easier to see with the eye
How should I get rid of it? Just keep doing water changes, getting after it with the baster, and adding Microbacter Clean? Should I start a Dr. Tim's regimen, should I avoid candles. Is it just detritus, or a random other bacterial bloom that will go away? I really hope it's not the candles lol.
Thank you!
I will summarize at the end and provide photos if you don't want to read my initial tank journey from start to now, but here we go! I included the journey only because maybe there was a misstep I took that can explain things. Look for the colored markers if you want quick notes, and ultimately the quick question is the last sentence of the post - just look at the picture first if it helps.
I'm still pretty new as a returning member to the hobby. I've fully cycled my tank and my levels (ammonia and nitrite) all read 0 except for a small amount of nitrates - on my test kit it's between 0 and 5, very light yellow. It's been cycled for a few weeks I think because I used Dr. Tim's one and only initially (and added 2 small clowns); and then when I found out a few days later you shouldn't have Carbon and GFO that came with (or any) my IM Peninsula 20g in the tank with that bacteria culture happening, I removed the Carbon and GFO and added another beneficial bacteria in the form of Bio-Spira. I did this to make sure the whole initial Dr. Tim's culture didn't just attach to my carbon and GFO. Go ahead about a week or so and things are good. Convinced my cycle is done (and it is with also helpful confirmation from this thread) I did my first water change with no issue (This was probably day 12-14, I forget, once I was convinced beneficial had taken over with my double dose). This went perfectly fine, heated my water and stirred it a day before, sucked out what little gunk I saw, no issues or stir up that seemed abnormal. I then added back in the carbon and GFO (that I had set aside in pure RODI water for the week I removed it - BRS chat said this would be fine). Water was clear and everything was great until I noticed when I was prepping for the next (2nd overall) weekly water change that there was string white things hanging on my rock and swaying in the waves from my return pump. I have no lights, so I didn't think algae and it wasn't green. Didn't seem to only be in well lit areas (some in the dark holes in my rock). It's maybe slightly yellowish/super light brown, but mostly just white and filamentous/gunky. When I noticed this I setup for a water change right away, that was due regardless. I sucked whatever I could out with the handheld gravel vac, sucking the rocks and the substrate where I saw any. My wife helped out and said "a lot of boogers are coming out" so I've got that going for me, which is nice. After this I went after it with a fish net and a turkey baster for probably 30 minutes at least - caught a lot more. When I did my water change I also added the recommended dose of Microbacter Clean - for the per week dose rate. I had planned on starting this regimen anyway adding it with my weekly water change on the advice of the BRSTv channel to avoid the ugly phase. Well maybe I've already found the ugly phase without lights, I have no idea which is why I'm reaching out. I changed my fiber balls (cotton ball like filter floss), and I also turned on my new NuvoSkim DC Protein Skimmer. This is my first time with a skimmer ever and right now I know it needs to break in but I'm getting very light skim, very watery, and I'm having it sit pretty high on the cup. That was yesterday and today I can still see some that I missed, but I don't think it's replicating fast or growing more yet - hoping I stopped it somehow. It's still there again mostly on the rocks and substrate (not on the glass), and it also
If you didn't want to read my story, I totally understand - I wouldn't either. For the seasoned vets and people short on time out there, here are the quick details:
Issue:
- I have this white (sometimes yellow/tan) goop/stringy substance that is attaching to rocks and substrate. Not on the glass it seems, but can be seen floating through the water column. After what I've done so far I don't see it as much in the water column - pretty clear actually, but still some on the rocks and substrate.
- Picture attached - I can try better shots if you need it
Just for reference, this is how everything is setup (~1 Month Old):
- Nuvo Peninsula 20G - Standard MightyJet (i think 360 GPH) return pump.
- Included Media from IM of Fiber Balls (cotton ball like filter floss), Carbon bag, GFO bag)
- All water is RODI, every piece of equipment was at least rinsed in RODI, and my ATO runs RODI only.
- No additives except the initial bacteria (Dr. Tim's one and Only, and then Bio-Spira)- and as of yesterday Microbacter clean.
- Only Fish in the tank, 2 small clowns. They are healthy, eating, and hanging out not impacted.
- I feed once a day, and make sure all/most all of it is eaten before the pump goes back on. I feed a couple small pinches of New Life Spectrum - Thera-a right now.
- CaribSea LifeRock Shapes (Dry man-made rock with the purple bacteria paint on it)
- CaribSea AragAlive Live Sand (20lb bag - unwashed (why would you but some might ask)).
- Reef Crystals for Salt and I use a Refractometer.
- 78 degrees, salinity at 1.025, only small nitrates measurable.
- I have a Wave pump I mix saltwater with, but right now I'm just using the return pump but set it pretty high.
- NuvoSkim DC Protein Skimmer (added yesterday).
- My tank is about a month old - this happened a week-ish after my first water change after the initial cycle, so I did the water change as scheduled, sucked out everything I could until I ran out of space in my dump bucket to properly refill the tank. I then went after the goop/strings with a turkey baster and fish net and caught a lot more.
- I also added the weekly dose recommended of Microbacter Clean.
- Started up my new Protein Skimmer (yesterday), which I've never owned, and I'm getting some very clear (ever so slight yellow when looking at it sideways through the light) skim even when the cup is high, but something is coming out - I know they need a break in.
I've done a bunch of research, so here are my thoughts from random and frantic research for a couple days:
- DETRITUS: I'm a noob again, and this is what detritus looks like and I'm overreacting. When it's safe I plan on getting a shrimp and some hermits.
- VOX/SCENTS: from Candles and some sort of bacteria that likes this? I've read a lot about that and I do like candles, but they are at least a room away usually. I don't have any plugin scent variety things or alcohol based ones that I know of, but I do mix my RODI water and salt in the laundry room with no lid on my (food safe) bucket. I suppose other vox like things and scented things could be getting in there from the laundry room. I plan on rigging a top to my bucket to at least minimize this and I've stopped candle use (only today thus far) until I can figure out if that's a real thing or not.
- BACTERIAL BLOOM: most likely of a kind I don't want? Again not sure just wondering - my water isn't specifically cloudy like would dictate a full on bacterial bloom like I've researched and seen in videos.
- ALGAE: I find hard to believe. No lights on the tank yet - and not possible for sunlight since it's in the basement and like a good hermit I have blackout curtains, but I do have a strong LED light for my main ceiling light, but I doubt that's enough. Also, this stuff just seems to collect wherever, doesn't seem like it's plant growth like algae or anything. Sits mostly in crevices in the rockwork, I see some in my rear AIO back compartments,
- SNAILS: One post mentioned snails leaving this, but I have literally nothing in my tank but 2 fish, and no corals or anything to produce a secretion.
Yesterday was when I really noticed it and went to town cleaning everything during that water changed. Doesn't look like it's gotten worse in the 1 day since, stayed about the same as after it settled after the water change last night.
I'm looking for advice on what this is mainly. Many people fix a lot of these types of issues with Dr. Tim's Re-Fresh, and then Waste Away (which correct me if I'm wrong is essentially the same thing as Microbacter Clean that I just started the first does of (using the per week dose)). I'm just concerned that maybe I'm a super noob again and it's not Vox, or algae yet, and that it's just detritus (unlikely but maybe), or a bacterial bloom (possible, but the wrong type of bacteria it sounds like).
--------------------------------------------------
What do you all think this is in the picture? Way easier to see with the eye
How should I get rid of it? Just keep doing water changes, getting after it with the baster, and adding Microbacter Clean? Should I start a Dr. Tim's regimen, should I avoid candles. Is it just detritus, or a random other bacterial bloom that will go away? I really hope it's not the candles lol.
Thank you!
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