White fuzz on rocks

[rocksmom]

Hey guys, I hate starting threads like this, but I think I've come as far as I can on my own. For a couple months now I've had this white fuzz growing on the rocks in my 3 gallon. At this point I'm thinking some type of fungus. It reminds of what happens on driftwood in freshwater tanks, but that obviously isn't the case here. The tank has been running just shy of six months, so while not long-established in reefing terms, it's not brand new either. Here are a couple pictures I took tonight:

 

DSC01102 by rocksmom9, on Flickr

 

DSC01099 by rocksmom9, on Flickr

 

DSC01092 by rocksmom9, on Flickr

 

Whatever the stuff is, it doesn't actually release bubbles. Those are just caught in it from the wc I just did.

 

Things I've tried:

• I started out just scrubbing and doing water changes, but it doesn't really come off, I'm just kind of knocking off the detritus that gets caught in it.
• I cut back on feeding to basically nothing. There are no fish in there, so I just target feed the acans every other week or so with mysis.
• Tried dosing peroxide, but not sure I stuck with it long enough. No ill effects to corals.
• Added gfo which was quickly removed. I thought the rock might be leaching phosphate, but the corals were not happy and lost color overnight even using less than recommended. Nitrate and phosphate both read 0 with red sea test kits and there really isn't any gha, cyano, or other problem algaes to speak of in the tank.
• Tried using chemiclean with absolutely zero change. I was hoping it was some type of bacteria.

The corals seem fine. Acans are big and puffy. Good PE on the single acro. Birdsnest and stylo are still pale from when I added the GFO but otherwise seem fine. The only thing it seems to bother are the zoas because it's basically smothering them.

 

I read an older thread on reef central about a problem that sounds like this and AlgaeFix Marine was recommended, but wanted to see if anyone here had any answers before throwing another chemical in the tank.

[teenyreef]

I don't know the answer but I'm following so I can learn

[rocksmom]

I don't know the answer but I'm following so I can learn

 

I just checked out your tanks and your 4g in particular is beautiful. Makes me want to throw in my towel and admit defeat. I think some people have the reefing equivalent of a green thumb, and I am not one of them.

 

ETA: Just saw that it was featured as totm. Well deserved, congrats!

[teenyreef]

Aw, thanks There's an awful lot of luck and quite a few setbacks in this little tank

[ndrobey]

Is it possible to remove the rocks and give them a peroxide dip?

[dillct]

I've had issues with that in my old 60 gallon.It had been setup for 3 years. Like you I tried chemipure, peroxide, algaefix. I was scared to try the anti-fungals. I ended up selling the tank, never really getting the white stuff in check.

 

In hindsight, I wish I would have completely removed and refreshed my sandbed...maybe 4-5 days lights out and some massive water changes. I'm pretty sure the stuff I had was photosynthetic, because it didn't grow on the undersides of rocks. Kinda of looks that way from your first pic. I would also occasionally get bubbles in it, but not as many as you typically see with dinos, it was different.

[teenyreef]

Disclaimer: I don't know what the white stuff really is, and I don't have the years of experience others do on NR.

 

But if nobody else has a better idea, I would try direct application of peroxide (not dosing). If you can remove the rocks, dip them in diluted peroxide. If you can't, remove enough water from the tank to expose the rocks and try using a dropper to drip as little peroxide as possible directly to the white stuff. Leave it for a few minutes and put the water back in.

 

I'd try this on a sample spot just to see how it works and to make sure it doesn't hurt anything else. And you might have to try doing it more than once, a few days apart. Shrimp are sensitive to peroxide so you don't want to get too much of it in the water if you can help it. That's why a dip would be better.

 

You can check Brandon's very long peroxide thread for more details and ideas.

[afyounie]

Is it slimy to the touch? Does it fall off or wipe off, but return? If so, then its bacteria. Since the tank has been up for 6 months, I'd say this isn't too out of the ordinary. Peroxide and such won't get rid of it. You will have to get your nitrates down. Just realize that if the bacteria is growing, that stops nuisance algae. If you remove the bacteria, the algae will grow in its place. You can maybe try dosing a bacterial supplement like MB7 to get a different bacteria culture in the tank that doesn't grow in such thick mats.

[rocksmom]

I've had issues with that in my old 60 gallon.It had been setup for 3 years. Like you I tried chemipure, peroxide, algaefix. I was scared to try the anti-fungals. I ended up selling the tank, never really getting the white stuff in check.

 

In hindsight, I wish I would have completely removed and refreshed my sandbed...maybe 4-5 days lights out and some massive water changes. I'm pretty sure the stuff I had was photosynthetic, because it didn't grow on the undersides of rocks. Kinda of looks that way from your first pic. I would also occasionally get bubbles in it, but not as many as you typically see with dinos, it was different.

If it's any consolation I don't have sand and do nearly 100% water changes. It's only a 3 gallon tank and I do 2 gallons, which after what is displaced by the rock and powerheads is pretty much all of it.

 

Disclaimer: I don't know what the white stuff really is, and I don't have the years of experience others do on NR.

 

But if nobody else has a better idea, I would try direct application of peroxide (not dosing). If you can remove the rocks, dip them in diluted peroxide. If you can't, remove enough water from the tank to expose the rocks and try using a dropper to drip as little peroxide as possible directly to the white stuff. Leave it for a few minutes and put the water back in.

 

I'd try this on a sample spot just to see how it works and to make sure it doesn't hurt anything else. And you might have to try doing it more than once, a few days apart. Shrimp are sensitive to peroxide so you don't want to get too much of it in the water if you can help it. That's why a dip would be better.

 

You can check Brandon's very long peroxide thread for more details and ideas.

The tank basically consists of one rock so while I couldn't take out individual rocks and treat them, I could try the drain and spot treat. The only inhabitant other than the coral is one very fiesty pom pom crab, who could easily be rehomed to my husband's tank.

 

Is it slimy to the touch? Does it fall off or wipe off, but return? If so, then its bacteria. Since the tank has been up for 6 months, I'd say this isn't too out of the ordinary. Peroxide and such won't get rid of it. You will have to get your nitrates down. Just realize that if the bacteria is growing, that stops nuisance algae. If you remove the bacteria, the algae will grow in its place. You can maybe try dosing a bacterial supplement like MB7 to get a different bacteria culture in the tank that doesn't grow in such thick mats.

Yes it is slimy, but no it does not wipe off. I scrub the rocks with a toothbrush and all it does is clean the stuff out of the fuzz that gets caught. I don't know where nitrates would be coming from in the tank though. Like I said, I only feed once every other week or so and the tank gets weekly 100% water changes. No fish, no liquid coral foods or anything like that.

[amphipod]

Dude one word fungi. You got something rotting, or something to bring that much nutrients in the tank

Cut out the extra nutrients

[afyounie]

Dude one word fungi. You got something rotting, or something to bring that much nutrients in the tank

Cut out the extra nutrients

 

Nutrients aren't easy to bring down when you don't have much in the tank and don't feed much.

 

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1590050

 

Seems like this link may explain something for you. A picture came up about similar stuff you have when I searched for white fuzzy algae. Seems like it may be a fungus as amphipod said. Most likely your rocks are leaching nutrients. For the first 6 months of my tank, I had algae growth and such because my rocks leached excess nutrients. I let it run its course, now I have no algae issues. Just keep an eye on it and once it starts to die due to using up all its available nutrients, start using aggressive mechanical filtration and try to manually remove it. Else it will just rot in the tank and feed the cycle.

[amphipod]

There are some freaky fungi I have encountered, one was a peculiar one that soon became my partial nemesis. It looked like white strings, almost as cotton and it would go in the bones and leave it as a sponge of crumbly bone stained yellow, any bones that this got a hold of I could not use in my collection. Your fungi could be eating parts from the rock its self, or be very good at getting the small amount of free nutrients. The issue has to be waited out, some fungi are very strong and won't be too susceptible to your treatments. This problem may never be fully gone depending on what feeds the fungi.

[ndrobey]

Is it possible to throw the rocks out and get new ones?

[rocksmom]

 

Nutrients aren't easy to bring down when you don't have much in the tank and don't feed much.

 

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1590050

 

Seems like this link may explain something for you. A picture came up about similar stuff you have when I searched for white fuzzy algae. Seems like it may be a fungus as amphipod said. Most likely your rocks are leaching nutrients. For the first 6 months of my tank, I had algae growth and such because my rocks leached excess nutrients. I let it run its course, now I have no algae issues. Just keep an eye on it and once it starts to die due to using up all its available nutrients, start using aggressive mechanical filtration and try to manually remove it. Else it will just rot in the tank and feed the cycle.

That wasn't the thread I had referred to, but they did reference that one. I just read through the entire thing and it doesn't sound promising. They seem to think it is a bacteria after all, and not a fungus. Also that it thrives in low nutrient systems, which makes sense considering my tank. I don't think I have a bunch of rotting organics as amphipod seems to suggest. Not sure he read my posts much Heck my ochotodes can't even grow from lack of nutrients.

 

At this point I think my best bet would be to either try dosing the bacteria supplement or treating with peroxide. I may just end up doing a peroxide dip on the coral, bleaching the tank and filter, and stealing a small piece of liverock from my husband's tank to turn this into a qt. I definitely want to make sure the peroxide kills whatever this stuff is before relocating the coral to another tank or truly restarting this one.

[amphipod]

Is it possible to throw the rocks out and get new ones?

yeah, but that's a waste. I don't like ever destroying any tank crashers no matter how bad they are, I like to make them flourish, then build unique systems around the challenge. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder though, I have several systems of microbes that I have never posted since they are kinda boring, but I like them. Like my pine wood bacterial film tank, its a wrinkly bacteria mat feeding off some stuff leaching from the wood, I like it but it is boring to some. There are others though.

[ndrobey]

But rocksmom doesn't like the white fuzz. That's what counts.

[afyounie]

That wasn't the thread I had referred to, but they did reference that one. I just read through the entire thing and it doesn't sound promising. They seem to think it is a bacteria after all, and not a fungus. Also that it thrives in low nutrient systems, which makes sense considering my tank. I don't think I have a bunch of rotting organics as amphipod seems to suggest. Not sure he read my posts much Heck my ochotodes can't even grow from lack of nutrients.

 

At this point I think my best bet would be to either try dosing the bacteria supplement or treating with peroxide. I may just end up doing a peroxide dip on the coral, bleaching the tank and filter, and stealing a small piece of liverock from my husband's tank to turn this into a qt. I definitely want to make sure the peroxide kills whatever this stuff is before relocating the coral to another tank or truly restarting this one.

 

I'd say try peroxide dipping the coral and moving them to another tank then possibly try culturing a new type of bacteria in your tank. It will take a couple months, but will work. If it doesn't, then you can always try bleaching the rocks and starting over.

[reefrox]

That wasn't the thread I had referred to, but they did reference that one. I just read through the entire thing and it doesn't sound promising. They seem to think it is a bacteria after all, and not a fungus. Also that it thrives in low nutrient systems, which makes sense considering my tank. I don't think I have a bunch of rotting organics as amphipod seems to suggest. Not sure he read my posts much Heck my ochotodes can't even grow from lack of nutrients.

 

At this point I think my best bet would be to either try dosing the bacteria supplement or treating with peroxide. I may just end up doing a peroxide dip on the coral, bleaching the tank and filter, and stealing a small piece of liverock from my husband's tank to turn this into a qt. I definitely want to make sure the peroxide kills whatever this stuff is before relocating the coral to another tank or truly restarting this one.

Did you ever manage to rid youself of the white fuzz? I have the same issue and can't get rid of it...

[brandon429]

this would be very easy to fix with todays approach.

The error was doing only action to the water and not the target. all 3 gallon tanks can be fully parted out, rocks on the counter on a towel, and that stuff hand removed and then peroxide applied *to the cleaned areas* then the tank put back together, over purely cleaned sand not one spot of detritus, skip cycled, then it will be fixed.

 

a repeat of once or twice more, relative to the hesitation time that allowed the invader to gain footing, w be required.

 

its the non nano tanks that have it rough (hard to access as well)

 

taking no action on the target, only the water, stressed the corals here and proliferated the target. most do not know you can access a 3 gallon outside the aquarium, for true cure, because they think it will kill bacteria or their corals...they perceive a harm vs a total cure which is easy to attain in nanos and picos due to their access. These are all normal animals that can come and go in a home system, hand guiding them out always works.

 

its possible this invasion was beaten but it took longer than the time a parted out cleaning would've taken, and this isn't a powerfully-rooted invader anyway it very easily could be bac or fungal.

[MrJoel]

I have the same stuff in mine. Still no solid answer as to what it is.  I removed a good deal of rock and put in some new pieces. 

[ReefEng]

I have the same stuff in my reef tank and am also in search as to a solid answer.  The pictures in the original post are nearly identical.  Can someone please help the others and I positively ID what this white fuzz stuff is?  The attached scope pictures show some of the stuff off of my sump wall.  The pictures may contain some other algae so there's a chance the white fuzz looks entirely different.

[mcarroll]

The opening photo (from 2015) looks like maybe Chrysophytes.

 

@ReefEngthat looks like a type of hair algae to me.  Is it green in person?  Can I see a non-closeup/full tank shot?  May as well post your NO3 and PO4 test results too if you can.  Age of tank.  Anything else relevant while you're at it.  (If you wanna make your own thread, just post the link here instead.)

[12scanlon]

I also have this in my 2 gallon tank which I do 100% water changes on every week. The rock i started with was dry so it can’t be leaching nutrients, and I only spot feed my pom pom crab a piece of mysis every 3-4 days. i’ve seen a couple people post about this in the past on various forums and no ones has been able to come up with a solid answer. 

[mcarroll]

@12scanlondo you have a thread of your own on this?  If not, you should make one, post your most recent test results for no3, po4 and anything else you test, as well as the relevant parts of the tank's history in it, and post the link to the thread here for posterity or just PM it to me.

[12scanlon]

On 2/4/2019 at 9:44 PM, mcarroll said:

@12scanlondo you have a thread of your own on this?  If not, you should make one, post your most recent test results for no3, po4 and anything else you test, as well as the relevant parts of the tank's history in it, and post the link to the thread here for posterity or just PM it to me.

Sorry I didn't respond sooner...

 

Right now the white fuzz seems to be decreasing compared to what it used to look like. My pod populations have also exploded and i’m wondering if this has something to do with the decrease in fuzz. 

 

As of right now I do not have a thread of this of my own. I will make a thread and post it here in the near future. Right now I am extremely busy and barely have time to do anything for my tanks other than basic matenence.