Red "Powder" coming from Liverock

[bridgette_rae8]

I have had my 36G Corner tank set up for about 2 months now. I have one large piece of live rock in it that is giving off this red type of powder that is beginning to cover the sand around it. All my levels are 0, ph is 8.2 and salinity is 1.023. I have no idea what this is or if it is good or bad. I have done research on it and it doesn't really look like the red slime algae that is commonly talked about. What could this be? I just put a cleaner shrimp in there this week, I'm not sure if he might help with this or not? Also, is it ok to have an airstone in a saltwater tank? Any ideas would be helpful, thanks for your insight!!

 

[fraggle rock]

a pic would help out alot

 

[bridgette_rae8]

Ok, I will try to get one up tonight sometime.

 

[spanko]

Sounds like a diatom bloom. Common in new tanks. Look like this?

Airstone will be okay just remember that each and every bubble breaking at the water surface is spraying saltwater everywhere, and when the water evaporates the salt is left leaving an unsightly residue all over the place. Called saltspray, hee hee.

 

[spanko]

Sounds like a diatom bloom. Common in new tanks. Look like this?

Airstone will be okay just remember that each and every bubble breaking at the water surface is spraying saltwater everywhere, and when the water evaporates the salt is left leaving an unsightly residue all over the place. Called saltspray, hee hee.

 

[bridgette_rae8]

Ahh, I looked up the diatom bloom and I think that might be what it is...is there something that this is caused from? I had a makeshift light on my tank until my new one came in...could that have caused it? Also, I read that maybe some crabs/snails would help it go away, is that true?? Thanks so much!

 

[spanko]

Normally they come from silicates in the sand. They will go away on their own given some time. Florida fighting Conch love to eat this stuff also.

 

[bridgette_rae8]

Is this what a Diatom Bloom looks like?? I got home tonight and there are strange bubbles in the sand, these wern't there this morning... I have attached 2 pictures, the one of the bubbles in the sand is blurry but all I had was my phone camera... My tang doesn't seem to be doing well, he looks kinda flushed and is swimming on the bottom. Could this diatom bloom hurt him?! My shrimp seems fine on the other hand. Yikes!

 

[meowzer]

YUP...that looks like diatoms
what do you have in this tank A TANG? and what else....what size and type tang?
any clean up crew? any powerheads? What do you have for filtration? what do you use for water top offs? what do you feed?

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by bridgette_rae8
http:///forum/post/3137581
Is this what a Diatom Bloom looks like?? I got home tonight and there are strange bubbles in the sand, these wern't there this morning... I have attached 2 pictures, the one of the bubbles in the sand is blurry but all I had was my phone camera... My tang doesn't seem to be doing well, he looks kinda flushed and is swimming on the bottom. Could this diatom bloom hurt him?! My shrimp seems fine on the other hand. Yikes!

You said red...if it is red then it is cyano...brown is diatom...the pictures look brown.

 

[bridgette_rae8]

It is more brownish, i just described it as red cuz it has a red tint...

I just have 1 small tang and a cleaner shrimp. I have a marineland 200 filter, I feed frozen formula 2 and salt water flakes. I use my tap water after it has been dechlorinated for my water source. I also have a coral airstone. What is the best way to go about getting this stuff off of everything? I'm rather new at this, I'm sure you can tell...

 

[meowzer]

You need to get a cuc (clean up crew)...nassarius snails, cerith snails to start with
The airstone needs to go, and you need to look into Koralia powerheads for water movement
Diatoms are normal, but you are bound to have algae issues with no CUC, and no water movement

 

[luvmyreef]

a lot of the time this is caused from your water source..
and oh yeah, definitely get some water movement going..

Did you say you had a tang in a 36g tank,,,uh oh....

 

[bridgette_rae8]

I have a powerhead on the way, and am planning on getting rid of the airstone so that the salt creep doesn't get bad. I was just keeping that in there until the powerhead comes.
I guess I'm learning not to trust the people who sell the fish, they told me he would be fine in there. He is small, but I know he will grow and I will have to find a new home for him. I think he was just sleeping when I got home...lol.

 

[meowzer]

what kind of tang....in reality NO tang is ok in a 37G....and you know...it sucks, but most lfs are just looking to make a buck
what kind of powerhead did you order???

 

[bridgette_rae8]

It is a yellow tang. The powerhead I ordered is the kind that is magnetic and can go anywhere in the aquarium.

 

[meowzer]

That is probably a koralia....do you know which one...a 1, 2, ?????
The yellow tang will not be able to stay in your tank for very long...how big is it now?
also...look into the snails...you need to get something in there munching on the algae

 

[luvmyreef]

You wrote that you use dechlorinated tap water....RO/DI is better...But I would atleast switch to distilled. I wonder what you phos levels are?

 

[bridgette_rae8]

I believe I can get the RO/DI water from LFS so that is what I will do from now on. Is that water ready to go right into the tank after you mix it with salt when you do your water changes? I believe I ordered the 2 on the Koralie...what type/how many snails should I get? the tang is about 1 to 1.5 inches.

 

[btldreef]

You definitely need a CUC, IMMEDIATELY!
Also, IMO don't trust dechlorinated water. RO is much better, but if that is not an option, at the very least use distilled. I have actually put Poland Spring in my tank in a pinch. Most LFS's sell RO/DI water, some sell pre-salted RO/DI water. If you want to make the water yourself, I highly recommend this filter, we've used it for over a year on our tanks with great results: http://www.aquariumpharm.com/Product...x?ProductID=97 we paid like $50 for it at our LFS, but they are available online, just not on this site, the "doctors" sell it for $42.99.
The tang has to go, he's going to get far to big for that size tank, I hope he's a baby, but ultimately he can't stay in a tank that size, especially without a CUC. I'm sure when you return him, your LFS will tell you to stick with Damsels, DO NOT GET A DAMSEL!!!!! There are numerous fish you can have in that tank, but research. This site has a great list of fish and the minimum tank size they need.
Diatom blooms are normal to new tanks, and I've had it happen after adding large pieces of LR, even after they were fully cured and spent time in my QT. (Waiting for it to occur in my 155G

) And in both our 14G and 40G when we'd add rocks and have it happen, we were able to control it with Coralife Marine Tank Clarifier. (that stuff is a miracle!)
Good luck!