Rocks are being consumed by detritus..??

[EmilyB]

I have a new phenomenon for me going on here. For some background, I will mention, I did have one fiji rock that just seemed to break down & accumulate a huge amount of detritus, no matter how I positioned it, relative to flow etc.

I have had to do a substrate tear-down in my 72g (20g sump) because of a burrowing trigger, and as this was done, in spite of numerous water changes, the rocks began to take on this horrid, dust-bunny algae. I would blow it off, only to have it somehow regrow.

Some Caribbean rock I purchased seems to show this more than most of the Fiji.

I moved off the worst pieces to a holding tank, this is not the best pic, but it gives you an idea. The "pools" of detritus, can literally be sucked up daily, only to return as quickly. It literally seems the rock is breaking down, but there is a visible growth of some kind on it.

This was a reef tank converted to a FOWLR.

[ November 13, 2001: Message edited by: EmilyB ]

[ November 13, 2001: Message edited by: EmilyB ]</p>

 

[Anonymous]

i don't know emily, just some thoughts though, is your water cloudy after you clean the rocks, if so, then the detritus may be resettling.

do you have any snails to clean the rocks? worked for me. now i need something to help with hair algea.

 

[EmilyB]

I've actually used polyfilter floss to trap and remove the debris, sponges etc, on the powerheads. Never had snails much to speak of before (these guys eat them) and never saw anything quite like this...it's not just detritus, there is almost an algae there trapping it, keeping it, eating it..growing....

 

[Anonymous]

It just might be part of the balance in your tank. Some people have a patch of cyano that grows in one spot and nowhere else. If it is just there I wouldn't worry. If it spreads throughout the tank I would then be concerned. Your water looks clear,so I wouldn't think it is some sort of water parameter problem. It may just be the end product of the nitrification process going on in that particular rock.

GL

Dan

 

[Anonymous]

wow. i honestly don't know. maybe i'll just ^bump^ this on up and see if it catches the eye of someone with more experience.

 

[Mouse]

I think snails would be a good idea, IMO i think corraline needs a semi clean surface to grow. Best of luck to you though.

 

[Gatortailale1]

What is your water flow like? How many powerheads? Sounds like you don't have enough water movement. Do you still have the sponge on the overflow pipe? If so make sure you clean it weekly to increase water flow. Most toss them away.

 

[Carpentersreef]

bump

Deb, I'm still looking. I think I remember seeing this before, now. I'll let you know.
Maybe post it on Dr Ron's forum on RC??

Mitch