What is all this crap?

[AaronW]

Just stirred up my tank. What's all this shenanigans growing all over everything?

 

[Convict2161]

How old is the tank? What to you mean you stirred it up...

 

[AaronW]

How old is the tank? What to you mean you stirred it up...

I literally stirred my tank water so that stuff would float.

 

[AaronW]

It's about 5 months old. Cycled for 3

 

[Convict2161]

Looks like diatoms. Can you vacuum it up?

 

[AaronW]

Looks like diatoms. Can you vacuum it up?

I'm doin it yeah. Could I be experiencing some kind of mini cycle? I have no nitrates and I had ammonia

 

[AaronW]

It was low ammonia though. But I got it

 

[Rivercats]

The particles are just detris that has settled. It's in all tanks. But you do appear to have diatoms as Convict said. Have you always had diatoms since setting up the tank or is this something new.

 

[AaronW]

The particles are just detris that has settled. It's in all tanks. But you do appear to have diatoms as Convict said. Have you always had diatoms since setting up the tank or is this something new.

I've had some algae issues before. But not regularly. It was on occasion. Maybe twice before

 

[Rivercats]

If your getting off and on again diatoms and are using tap water for WC's it "could" be that your tap water occassionally has more silicates in it. Diatoms have to have silicates.

 

[AaronW]

If your getting off and on again diatoms and are using tap water for WC's it "could" be that your tap water occassionally has more silicates in it. Diatoms have to have silicates.

That would make sense. My filter is spitting out what looks like dust. So I cleaned out my media with old tank water. 2 weeks later it's doing it again. It's a fluval 405

 

[Rivercats]

I run 4 of these 406's on my 220 and when they do that you need to open the cansiter and remove the piece on the bottom of the lid that houses the propeller and really clean off/out that entire area along with wiping down the magnet/propeller, etc. I do this about every other month.

 

[AaronW]

I run 4 of these 406's on my 220 and when they do that you need to open the cansiter and remove the piece on the bottom of the lid that houses the propeller and really clean off/out that entire area along with wiping down the magnet/propeller, etc. I do this about every other month.

Thanks! I will definitely be doing that. Because its been making my tank look dirty

 

[Rivercats]

Forgot to tell you but it can also come from a build up in the black hosing. You might have to replace or flush it really good if cleaning the top piece doesn't work.

 

[AaronW]

Forgot to tell you but it can also come from a build up in the black hosing. You might have to replace or flush it really good if cleaning the top piece doesn't work.

Yeah. I haven't gotten around to it today. I'll take a look at it though. Should I use old tank water? Or is tap alright

 

[Rivercats]

Use tap or for the tubing a hose if it's not too cold where your at use a garden hose so you get a harder force of water spray.

 

[AaronW]

Use tap or for the tubing a hose if it's not too cold where your at use a garden hose so you get a harder force of water spray.

I'm in Southern california so it's all good here

 

[Rivercats]

Honestly the thing that works great on that tubing is a power washer... that is if someone can hold onto it when you turn the washer on with the head in the tube... lol!

 

[AaronW]

Honestly the thing that works great on that tubing is a power washer... that is if someone can hold onto it when you turn the washer on with the head in the tube... lol!

I have a high pressure nosel on my garden hose. I think that's gonna work.