white cotton stuff

[holldoll]

Hi Everyone!
I'm new to salt water tanks. I grew up with freshwater and have always had at least a betta (which is nothing compared the systems I've seen here). I got my first saltwater tank last week. We set it up on Friday. It's a 24g nano cube. I put all the water and 24 lbs of live rock and 20 lbs. of live sand in.

Everything was looking great, then on Sunday I noticed a white cotton stuff covering spots of the rock. It's getting worse. It looks like it's covering all the dead stuff on the rocks. I had some turbo snails (the LFS told us to get them to speed the curing process) they all died but one and now the shells are covered in the white stuff. It almost looks like spider webs. I tried to take a picture but you can't see it in the pictures.

Do I need to remove this stuff or should I just let the tank do it's thing?

Oh yeah, I have about 20 blue legged hermit crabs that are doing great and loving all the stuff they have to eat.

 

[tazdevil]

I had some turbo snails (the LFS told us to get them to speed the curing process)

Their deaths probably speeded the curing process! I wouldn't recommend listening to the advice of that LFS anymore. Your LR/LS alone would be enough to cure the tank.

I see 2 possibilities for the "white stuff"

1: Some form of a sponge growth, which would be harmless. Although the sponge I'm thinking of looks like little balls, not spider web like.

2: Mold. If you left the snails in after they died, then they can/will mold if any organic matter is left in them. Although the hermits would usually have taken care of that.


What are your test parameters like?

 

[trido]

Their deaths probably speeded the curing process! I wouldn't recommend listening to the advice of that LFS anymore. Your LR/LS alone would be enough to cure the tank.

2: Mold. If you left the snails in after they died, then they can/will mold if any organic matter is left in them. Although the hermits would usually have taken care of that.


What are your test parameters like?

LOL. IM sure their deaths did indeed speed up the curing process. I'd bet the ammonia went throught the roof. How long have their empty shells been in there? If its just a day or two I would remove them. The hermits may have enough other food to deal with if your curing LR.

 

[trido]

OH, and BTW :welcome:

 

[holldoll]

they have been in there just since Friday, but I don't know when they died. Probably Saturday or Sunday, they never did anything, only the one that is alive ever moved.

I'm not sure on the levels the LFS told us not to bother checking them for 2 weeks since they are going to be out of control with the curing and we aren't going to be adding anything anyway.

Should I take out the snail shells now?

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Everyone!
I'm new to salt water tanks. I grew up with freshwater and have always had at least a betta (which is nothing compared the systems I've seen here). I got my first saltwater tank last week. We set it up on Friday. It's a 24g nano cube. I put all the water and 24 lbs of live rock and 20 lbs. of live sand in.

Everything was looking great, then on Sunday I noticed a white cotton stuff covering spots of the rock. It's getting worse. It looks like it's covering all the dead stuff on the rocks. I had some turbo snails (the LFS told us to get them to speed the curing process) they all died but one and now the shells are covered in the white stuff. It almost looks like spider webs. I tried to take a picture but you can't see it in the pictures.

Do I need to remove this stuff or should I just let the tank do it's thing?

Oh yeah, I have about 20 blue legged hermit crabs that are doing great and loving all the stuff they have to eat.

The white stuff is bacterial growth growing over the dead, decaying organisms on your rock. Since your going through cycling do not put any more live creatures in your tank until all tank parameters (nitrite, nitrate, ammonia) read 0. Siphon off the growth or scrape it off. What are you using for filtration or skimming?

mario

 

[holldoll]

http://www.jbjlighting.com/sys_24g_nanocube.html

Here's the setup that I have.

 

[shavo]

Ok i have predator worms in my tank that leave spider web stuff on the rocks, I can not get these things out there are more than I thought and they are fast and I need to catch them when there not looking. They look similliar to bristle worms but they are not. They eat snails!!! That is all they are eating I noticed shell after shell empty until I caught the predator worm in action. I got one out but noticed another one yesterday but way too fast and went into my live rock. maybe you have predator worms? I notice that they come out at night!

just a thought.

 

[holldoll]

When I first put the LR in I noticed there were a lot of worms on it.
What do predator worms look like?

 

[shavo]

I am sure that the scientific name isn't predator worms but i can not figure out what kinda worms they are. They resemble bristle worms but they are more like centipedes and they are much larger, the one I saw had to be close to 9 inches long. I chopped one in half and I am wondering if that makes 2 worms

so somewhat similiar to bristle worms and more of a tan color and fast as lightning. I never saw a worm move like this. and twice now I have come down n the middle of the night and turned on a dim light by the tank and see them. if you turn on the tank light they are gone the sceond the light comes on. if i catch another one I will take a pic

 

[shavo]

here is a pic? also go look in hitchikers forum and look at the "slime predator post" this is what i have

 

[holldoll]

I don't think that's what it is. I don't see a whole lot of worms. And the fact that is over all the dead stuff it sounds more like what Mario said.

I'm going to the LFS tonight to buy test kits. I'm a little overwhelmed by all the information out there. It seems like everyone has a different opinion!