White stuff on LR??

[aj1au]

Well, I have started cycling 5 days ago and i have been staring at the rocks and there is nothing going on yet.......

 

But on one of the rocks there is this white film (goo) that seems to be spreading over the rock, any ideas what it is, good, bad??

 

Ill try to post a pic later today

[tinyreef]

is it filmy/gooey? (bacteria)

 

is it fluffy, kinda like webbing? (sponge, altho it could also still be bacteria)

 

could be snow but it's probably snot. jk

 

if it's gooey i would siphon it out, it'll just add to the cycling time as it decays/degrades. if it's spongy or somewhat hard i'd leave it as it adds to the bio-diversity.

[aj1au]

thanks for the tip, its slimy but like a web. When i poked it it tore apart fairly easily so i might take it out. I already have alot of decay from the live rock, it seems to have died back a little - just wasnt sure if it was good or bad to have it in there.

 

Dont think it's snow - im in Australia and its a very hot day outside. Looking forward to going for a swim this afternoon after work

[MaryHM]

If it's on a piece you can easily pull out, do that and smell it. If it's rotten smelling, you need to rinse it off really well and increase the flow around the rock substantially.

[ryz]

I have that on my LR too! don;t know what it is. It's not possible to pull it out as they tear into small pieces upon contact. It's sorta a web like film i supposed. a silkish layer with few holes here and there. PLease tell me what it is. Is it good? bad?

[tinyreef]

ryz,

yours sounds more like a leuconoid sponge (i believe that's the type). looks like a mass of cobwebs with intermittent holes (outflows). there could be occasional uprising tubes. i view sponges as beneficial water filtering organisms. others view them as potential water-foulers waiting to die.

 

aj's sounds more like a decaying mass of something (fungus or rotting biomatter). :x you can try mary's method of plucking a bit and whiffing it too.

[ryz]

Are you sure those are sponges? They're so fragile. could break it even with a slight jet of water. tears so easily. COuld you post a picture of this leuconoid sponge that you're talking about? SO that I can ID it. I don't have my digital camera with me now so I can't post a picture

[jocole37]

it sounds to me like its the same stuff that forms on lew live rock that hasnt been cured yet, its part of the curing proses and will help start the cycle. basically its the die off from the rock, dont worry to much about it, itll probly go away by itself within the next couple of weeks.

[tinyreef]

ryz,

here's a link to a quick definition of the three basic types. the picture listed in the document is of a red encrusting type of leuconoid tho (not white like yours but should look similar, white typically have longer protuberances).

 

Are you sure those are sponges? They're so fragile.

i'm not sure, even with a digital pic i'd hesitate to be definitive. but your description of "a silkish layer with few holes here and there" makes it sound like a sponge. some sponges can be fragile but if it breaks apart at the slightest breeze of water it may more likely just be fungus or a decaying sponge (a water fouling issue then) rather than a helpful living filter like a sponge.

[aj1au]

thanks for the replies,

 

ryz, it does sound very much like what you wrote. It would tear and disapear with the lightest touch - mine however is going away. A little re-direction with the power head and its history

 

only problem is that i dont know if that is a good thing or a bad thing.............

[kennerd]

Sounds like encrusting sponge dieoff. NOt bad, just a condition of shipping and cycling.