Strange white coating on tubing??

[MarkW19]

I have my spraybar from my Eheim connected to the plastic U-bend tube (over the side of the tank) with a small 3" piece of tubing (normal filter tubing). For some reason, since my tank has been cycling for 3+ weeks, this small piece of tubing (and nothing else) has become coated with a white flakey coating. I didn't really notice this, until I disturbed it today (changed my spraybar position) and it basically all flew off into the water - it's currently suspended in the water, and looks like quite thick white flakes - a lot of them. My filter/powerheads are currently having fun trying to get rid of it.

What on earth is it??

 

[Aztlan]

It's Salt Creep. Salt creeps up there by evaporation. Water probably get on tubing then water evaporates leaving the salt.

 

[MarkW19]

Ahh!!

Great, thanks.

So, as long as I don't disturb the tubing when I've got my fish in, is it ok just forming on there? Is it harmful to fish?

 

[Aztlan]

No, Ideally you don't want to have salt creep. I would flake it off and make sure it doesn't fall on any fish or coral, etc. You want it back in, or your SG will go down over time. Small amount of missing salt adds up.

 

[MarkW19]

OK...so I should wipe it off and get it back in the water? Even though it stays in the water and doesn't seem to dissolve??

Isn't there some stuff you can spray on to eliminate it or something? This piece of tubing is always under the water (apart from during water changes of course) so it's a bit weird isn't it? Nothing else has it on but this 3" piece of tubing!

 

[Aztlan]

There might be stuff you can spray on it. I'm no familiar with it, maybe some one else can suggest something. When I flake salt creep back in, it usually takes a few minutes to dissolve with good water flow. You can break of the flakes to smaller pieces to help in the dissolving. I seem to get more salt creep on tubing as well.

 

[MarkW19]

OK, cool, thanks for you help Aztlan

You learn quickly in this hobby don't u??

 

[Anemoneman]

Disagree slightly. I wouldn't redissolve the precipitated salt back in the tank water. When tank water precipitates it forms undissolvable minerals. It is not the same as new SW mix which is carefully prepared to be entirely soluble. I'm so chemist but I remember reading it. If I find a link I'll post it.
I remove the precipitate and discard it. Periodic measurement of salinity or SG will tell if SW needs to be added to increase it.

 

[MarkW19]

OK, thanks.

Will be hard to discard it without getting it into the water though...

 

[Aztlan]

Yeah, I have leared a lot. Read a lot of books, plus read all the forums I can find on the net. You can never know enough.

Anemoneman good info, I'll keep an eye for that link. But with regular water changes it shouldn't cause any harm.

 

[XXFirefighter]

vasoline !
light coat on stuff ABOVE water line !
If water hit it is just drips off, water repenllent !

 

[MarkW19]

This little piece of tube is under the water surface, not above it...

 

[pufferman]

i have the same prob with my eheim ecco, the return hose has this flaky stuff on the inside of the hose and whenever i pinch the hose, the flakes just come bursting out from the output.

P-MAN

 

[MarkW19]

Mine seems to be on the outside of the hose...

Oh well