Dust on Live Rock

[flameangel]

I've got one piece of live rock in particular (although all are affected) that looks like someone has dumped a full vacuum cleaner bag of dust on top of it. I mean, if this was an end table, it would be like not dusting for a couple of months. What is it exactly? Can I clean it off or should I leave it on there? It doesn't seem to be a problem except for the fact that its probably covering up some pretty coraline algae.

 

[maryc137]

If you have a powerhead, you can use it to blow off the the dust, or I have also used a turkey baster to blow it off.

 

[dragonuwrasse]

Do you have any fish in there? Alot of fish will take a mouthful of sand and spit it out wherever they feel it would work out best.

 

[flameangel]

So that's all it is? Dust? The only fish I have in the tank right now are 2 firefish gobies. They live in the rock on the other end of the tank. Thanks for your responses!

 

[kelly]

There is a snail that is kind of interesting, it looks like a little stick coming out of the rock, with several long strands of fishing line coming out of it. It drags these along the substrate picking up debris, and then excretes the waste. It will look like dust in a pile right below where it lives. I can't remember the name of it (I think I have old timers disease), but I have a few in my tank, I call them my fishermen.
You can vacuum it out if you like. If all your rock is are affected, it most likely is not this. Do you have a slight cloud of dust in the water, not on top, if so, it could be from too much water movement, moving the sand.
It could be like Dragonuwrasse said, it may just be fish moving sand around.

 

[nm reef]

Without more info I'd be afraid to guess why your LR is covered in dust.....maybe add some sand recently?Power heads blowing substrate around?In any case I've used a turkey baster to gently blow debris off of my rocks.......especially after adding sand.

 

[wrassecal]

I have the same thing you are describing in my tank. Have you changed your lighting lately. I upgraded mine and I have had one rock turn brown and looks just like I haven't dusted in a couple months and one rock turned white and another one had some of the dust on it. I just left it all alone and now it is disapearing and I can see that the coraline is starting up. It's been about 2 weeks since I upgraded lights. I keep good water conditions. My snails and crabs work on it some but not much, but I'd give it 2 - 3 weeks before you worry, unless it clouds the water or does something other than just clinging to the rocks

 

[flameangel]

Right now I just have a 50/50 light. We are waiting on our new lighting to arrive. Our new lights were supposed to be here a week ago, but they are backordered. They should be here this coming Wednesday. Will better lighting help in some way? There is no sand in my tank, only aragonite substrate. I think I may try the ole turkey baster trick. The dust has been on this rock for a couple of months and just keeps getting worse, so I'm ready to see if I can do a little house cleaning!

 

[car guy]

it's probably detrius, just blow it off with a few powerheads put in your tank

 

[blackdog]

It may be due to how your powerheads are set up. For example, I have one PH blowing across the top of my tank, so that any time dust is kicked up from the substrate, it goes into the PH, then blows across the tank, then settles on the rock on the far end.

 

[cyn]

I get the same thing, partially from my diamond goby who is always moving the substrate. I use the turkey baster like NM does and it works great.
Good Luck!
cyn

 

[devante]

I have the same thing also. I sometimes see things in my LR spitting dust out of my LR. I belive it's some kind of worm that digs it's self in the rocks, something like ants do to dirt and puts the debris outside of the hole.

 

[flameangel]

Well it's a little more comforting to know that I'm not the only one with this "bad housekeeping" problem!