It's Not Sand--Some Kind of Algae?

[demodiki]

This stuff has been showing up on my glass...I take the mag float out and take it off and the next day it's back. It kinds of waves in the current...



and



Thanks for looking!

 

[Fluff]

Is this a pretty new system? Looks like silt (not sure that's what it's really called) created from die off of the rocks and sand. It should eventually go away on it's own.

 

[demodiki]

The system is about 6 months old.

 

[Fluff]

Hmm. And you haven't recently reaquascaped or anything?

 

[demodiki]

Nope...nothing recently. Lots of weird things going on with my tank lately.

 

[Fluff]

I don't know then. Some type of bacteria maybe. Maybe a few extra water changes would get it under control. What other things are going on?

 

[demodiki]

The only new thing that I have done with my tank is the addition of new PC lighting. Since then (about 4 weeks ago)....life has kind of exploded in the tank. Pods, worms, snails....they're just everywhere. Now, I know that's a good thing...but for the first time I have also seen an outbreak of cyano and this "stuff" on the glass.

Also, my torch got jelly disease. Boy, fragging that thing at midnight last night was traumatic

 

[Fluff]

Sorry about your tourch but I would suggest extra water changes and if you not already, run some activated carbon. Water changes and plenty of them are gonna be your best defense against the cyano and hopefully take care of the other algae/bacterial issues.

 

[Devilishturtles]

I think I'm gonna go along with the "silt" comment too.

I have something similar to this that I have to wipe off every evening. Do your powerheads hit the rock at all, or in the sand? With all that life in your tank that you mentioned, it is possible that sand is getting stirred up and stuff that was on your rock (regular dirt, that might lay if it isn't getting waterflow) will be propelled into your water column, and sometimes collect on the algae already on your glass. My tank will do this badly after I take the turkey baster to it, or something of the like.

That's my guess. Does it just look like...dust?

 

[demodiki]

Yes it really does...with the exception of it all wiggling in the flow I would not wonder about it at all if it wasn't kind of stringy.

Things just seem to be changing quickly now and the balance just seems off to me.