Need help with ID??

[josh torbett]

All the research I have done I can not figure out what this is. I have even shown pictures to some experienced people who were unable to identify this as well. Any help would be greatly appreciated. It looks almost like white snot but breaks apart when you grab it. It started approximately a week ago. It can be blown off the rocks but comes back. It doesn't seem to bother the fish or the coral except for getting in their way. When it does break free it does seem to clog the sponges I have in my sump. Thanks for any help.

Water parameters:

Seachem Test

Total Ammonia: 0
Free Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
PH: 8.1
Alkalinity: 3.5 meq/L

API Test
Calcium: 400
Phosphate: Maybe slightly over 0 but less than 0.25 (hard to tell)

Did just add Aquavitro 8.4 from Seachem to bring up Alkalinity and PH


Josh
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[jdavid]

whoa. There is a creature that makes a similar "snot web" to catch food. It is called a vermetid snail. You would have to have a lot of them for that much of it though. Instead this appears to be a bacterial or fungal infection. I don't really have anything helpful to add.. except siphon as much as you can out asap.

 

[shanepike]

How long has the tank been up? Where did the rock come from?

 

[josh torbett]

ShanePike;871367 wrote: How long has the tank been up? Where did the rock come from?

Its been up for over 2 months. The rock is dry rock from BRS, its their reef saver.

 

[jamescook]

I've never used the dry rock, but that looks very unusual. I'd probably take out and wash the rock. Hopefully you haven't added fish. Did you have a cycle? Ammonia spike and gradual decrease in nitrates etc.

 

[josh torbett]

jamescook;871383 wrote: I've never used the dry rock, but that looks very unusual. I'd probably take out and wash the rock. Hopefully you haven't added fish. Did you have a cycle? Ammonia spike and gradual decrease in nitrates etc.

The tank did go through a cycle and I do have fish and coral. From the research I did on the dry rock no one ever mentioned any problems especially like this.

 

[jdavid]

Josh Torbett;871395 wrote: I do have fish and coral

anybody recommend medicating the tank? I'm no expert but this looks like a bacterial/fungal infection that is thriving. Either one could infect the fish or coral while the cause is investigated, which could be anything. Some actually thrive off chemicals found in things like air fresheners, or even alcohol.

I don't think this is something that you will get identified easily, but If I were you I would be posting elsewhere as well.

 

[jamescook]

Yeah, I would think the reason to use dry rock is to avoid the mystery crap. I've gotten every pest known to man, from other peoples liverock.
I'm in Athens if you want to come by with a sample and a water sample. We can look at it under the microscope and maybe figure it out. Regardless, I'd clean it out and increase water flow, wc and charcoal

 

[josh torbett]

I do have a bag of charcoal in the sump. I'm not doing any carbon dosing or adding any bacteria. There are no air fresheners in the house or anything being sprayed around the tank. I might take James Cook up on taking a sample and looking at it under a microscope if you think that would help. I will go ahead and siphon off as much as I can. Hopefully we can get to the bottom of this.

Josh

 

[jamescook]

we might. It really looks like the bacterial slime one might see growing off a dead fish, not dry rock.

 

[jdavid]

jamescook;871438 wrote: we might. It really looks like the bacterial slime one might see growing off a dead fish, not dry rock.

+1

 

[josh torbett]

jamescook;871438 wrote: we might. It really looks like the bacterial slime one might see growing off a dead fish, not dry rock.

When would be a good time for you? I can be off at 4 tomorrow. Just give me a call 770 seven eight nine 0791.

Thanks
Josh

 

[jamescook]

I'm always here, so anytime before 8. My address is on the member map.

 

[jamescook]

look at what I just saw in my sulphur denitrator!
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[dball711]

Kind of looks like slime from a coral or anemone?

 

[jamescook]

Yes it does, but it'snot...

 

[josh torbett]

jamescook;871561 wrote: look at what I just saw in my sulphur denitrator!

That does look like what I've got. I have a sample and would like to come by today if that still works for you. It looks like I could make that way around 5 or 6.

 

[josh torbett]

James, thanks for taking a look at it under the microscope and for giving me pointers as well.

Josh

Edit: Unfortunately, we're still not sure what it is but I have some ideas on what to do to reduce the damage hopefully.

Josh

 

[jennm]

jamescook;871565 wrote: Yes it does, but it'snot...

I saw what you did there

I've seen something similar to this a time or two, and I'd say it's a bacterial bloom.

Are you adding any bacterial "starter" supplements? How did you get dry rock to go biological?

Unsightly - but most likely harmless. That's the biggest bloom I've seen.

Jenn

 

[josh torbett]

JennM;871733 wrote: I saw what you did there

I've seen something similar to this a time or two, and I'd say it's a bacterial bloom.

Are you adding any bacterial "starter" supplements? How did you get dry rock to go biological?

Unsightly - but most likely harmless. That's the biggest bloom I've seen.

Jenn

That,s just it we think it might be a bacterial bloom but we can't figure out what would have caused it. I did use stability to help it cycle when I first stated the tank but none was used at least a month before this started. I do imagine that I do over feed but not to that extent and for it to be all over all the rock just doesn't make sense. When James and I looked at some under the microscope it had no color or pigment and it looked like a fibrous spider web. James did not quite know what to think about it. He said it kind of looked like algae and at the same time it didn't and the same for it looking like bacteria. So who knows. I hope your right about it being harmless though.

Thanks
Josh

Edit:

JennM;871733 wrote: I saw what you did there

I've seen something similar to this a time or two, and I'd say it's a bacterial bloom.

Are you adding any bacterial "starter" supplements? How did you get dry rock to go biological?

Unsightly - but most likely harmless. That's the biggest bloom I've seen.

Jenn

That,s just it we think it might be a bacterial bloom but we can't figure out what would have caused it. I did use stability to help it cycle when I first stated the tank but none was used at least a month before this started. I do imagine that I do over feed but not to that extent and for it to be all over all the rock just doesn't make sense. When James and I looked at some under the microscope it had no color or pigment and it looked like a fibrous spider web. James did not quite know what to think about it. He said it kind of looked like algae and at the same time it didn't and the same for it looking like bacteria. So who knows. I hope your right about it being harmless though.

Thanks
Josh