White dust on live rock

[dmitry]

Just recently I finished cycling my tank (took water to be tested at LFSs just to make sure!) All I have now are 6 turbo snails and 6 hermit crabs in there. But what concerns me is that whenever I whip out a turkey baster and blow at the rocks some sort of "white dust" keeps coming off of it. Now perhaps it's all the same dust that just settles back...then again perhaps not! Anybody know what this could be?? The rock is also covered by some brown stuff, but that's probably algae. Good thing I got the clean-ups in there! :jumping:

 

[salty cheese]

Do you have a sand bed?

 

[dmitry]

I have coral sand. But this was happening before I put the sand it. (I put in the sand after the tank cycled.)

 

[dmitry]

You know, I think the white stuff may actually be algae that's being blown off the rocks. Is this possible? If so...then I have a lot of friggin algae in there! I did just get 6 each of hermit crabs and snails. Hopefully they'll help.

 

[dmitry]

Just bumping the thread, perhaps somebody has new ideas on this?? Let me ask you this way: when you blow water on the rocks...what happens?? What comes flying off of it? I have no fish yet, so there's no detritus. Just snails and hermits in there. And just now when I took out a turkey baster to blow off some air-bubbles under live rock I got stuff flying off there I couldn't believe! It was like a massive storm in there, with sutff flying off the rocks like crazy! The water looks like I just threw a bucket-full of, I don't know, baking soda in there. What's going on with this thing?! :scared:

 

[loon]

Do you add any supplements? If so what and how often? What are your water parameters?

 

[dmitry]

I haven't put any supplements in there in weeks. And all the readings come out fine.

 

[ophiura]

Do you also test alkalinity and calcium?

 

[dmitry]

Okay, finally go the tests done: Alkalinity is "High" and Calcium is "390."

 

[tizzo]

Well, snails poop white.
Is the rock live rock? Pretty much every hitch hiker on LR will emit some waste so I think it IS detritus. It is also tiny pieces of rock. The pieces that get removed when a peanut worm or a bristle worm or clam or crab or or or... When they dig holes in your rock those pieces gotta go somewhere!!
I have a ton of white "flurries" come off of my rock when I turkey baste it, and when I think I got it all, I put the turkey baster closer and still more comes out!!

 

[dmitry]

I did see the hermits dig away at the rock. I was not amused! From what you describe about your rocks I get the same thing, so it's a normal thing...which makes me feel better. :yes: Is the calcium level normal or should it go higher??

 

[tizzo]

I didn't read the whole thread but I saw you said your alk was "high" does that mean you add buffer?? Do you have corals or have/want coralline algae??

 

[dmitry]

I did the test for Alkalinity and it came up as "High." I haven't added anything for it! It just happened. I don't have corals, but do want coraline algae. It's perty!

 

[thejdshow]

Did you "cure" your LR? If not you could just have huge amounts of die off. I dont know how white the die off would be.. just a thought though. Also any power heads or anything that causes circulation?

 

[dmitry]

Yep, I cured the rocks myself. The smell is gone and the readings are (relatively) normal right now, except for some Ammonia (.25,) but I've read here Red Sea test kits can give false readings there. And the readings were fine earlier in the month - I took the water to two LFS to compare and make sure.