black "stuff" on rocks getting me down

[YLChik]

alrighty gang I have a mysstery that I need help solving.

Here's the story...
55 gallon tank - set up since June of 06
(4) 54 watt t5's
css125
ton of power heads
I run carbon in a bag in my 10 gallon sump

just went BB like 2 weeks ago
up until then ssb that was changed out every 6 months
rocks have been sitting in sand bed, or close enough that po4 ect could have been sucked up.

sg 1.026
temp 78-81
alk 9
cal 425
nitates 2

growth of corals is good - they encrust ect
color - most would say good there are a few I am not hapy with but in the grand scheme of things they have color so we move on...

For several months now, lets call it 4, I have been noticing a black flocking on my live rock. I can blow it off with a turkey baster easier than a pwer head, and it collects on the bottom - when the pumps are off.

I went BB to help collect this stuff easier. I could easily change out 10 gallons a day trying to suck all this stuff up, it never seems to end.

I am very frustrated and am not really sure what it is, but over the last few months it seems to have increased. It also is attaching to the back wall and frag rack...

I am starting to wonder will this take over my corals?
So I need ideas, what could it be?
Has anyone every had this?

Here is a pic

[Brent Cone]

I think its a form of Cyanobacteria.... i went through the same thing a long time ago... i found this thread..
B~
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Saltwater...lack-algae.htm

[kimsie]

Set up since June of '08 ???

[YLChik]

Originally Posted by kimsie

Set up since June of '08 ???

oops fixed that


Bret.... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I really hope you are wrong...


its "fluffy" not slimy like the cyno i have seen... doesn't mean it's not.

other ideas?

[kimsie]

I wish I had a clue... but I've got nothing - sorry!

[Brent Cone]

Originally Posted by YLChik

oops fixed that


Bret.... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I really hope you are wrong...


its "fluffy" not slimy like the cyno i have seen... doesn't mean it's not.

other ideas?

I hope im wrong to.... but years ago i had a 55 gallon FOWLR tank.. and i had a battle with the black stuff...i will do some more digging..
B~

[crvz]

This isn't a panic, right Amy?

What's the flow like in the areas of this stuff? Is it in zones of little water movement?

[YLChik]

Originally Posted by crvz

This isn't a panic, right Amy?

What's the flow like in the areas of this stuff? Is it in zones of little water movement?

Nope doesn't count as bb panic... I know that going bb didn't "cause" this.

the black stuff is every where - high flow, low flow... more concentrated in lower light areas... but it's pretty much everywhere.

[jph]

here's a silly suggestion, since i can't properly see the details in the pictures, i'm not sure if it's just dust, or actual growth.

i once asked a question like this. i had some black stuff "growing" on my liverock, and even the glass, but it turned out to be carbon dust

take out the carbon for a while, and see if the black stuff stays away.


J.

[YLChik]

carbon dust... ok let's talk about this jph... how did it happen what caused it... ect

can I have more detail on this... 'cause this answer makes sense to me....

did you still have to siphon it out? How did you get rid of it after you took out the carbon?

[jph]

Originally Posted by YLChik

carbon dust... ok let's talk about this jph... how did it happen what caused it... ect

can I have more detail on this... 'cause this answer makes sense to me....

did you still have to siphon it out? How did you get rid of it after you took out the carbon?

well, i only ran carbon for a very short period. i pretty much stopped using it after the "black stuff" incident.

i was running two little fishies hydrocarbon in a "phosban" reactor.

it wasn't a very thick covering, and siphoning didn't really catch it. it was a very thin layer of fine dust, that with some scrubbing would come off. eventually coralline and other random growth covered up the black traces left on the rocks.

a paper napkin was used to just "wipe" it off the glass on the inside.

and it never came back



J.

[YLChik]

Originally Posted by jph

it wasn't a very thick covering, and siphoning didn't really catch it. it was a very thin layer of fine dust, that with some scrubbing would come off.

a paper napkin was used to just "wipe" it off the glass on the inside.

and it never came back



J.

I would say this describes the way it acts when I try to clean it... when I took the sand bed out I scrubbed each rock in a bucket and the water turned coal black after awhile... it was gross... the rocks looked good for 2 days or so and then bam it was back

[crvz]

Originally Posted by YLChik

I would say this describes the way it acts when I try to clean it... when I took the sand bed out I scrubbed each rock in a bucket and the water turned coal black after awhile... it was gross... the rocks looked good for 2 days or so and then bam it was back

Hmm, that's interesting. Where did your rocks come from? I never experienced my bucket water during scrubs turn black.

[chrischris]

id say try leaveing your carbon out for a while see if thats your problem

[YLChik]

Originally Posted by crvz

Hmm, that's interesting. Where did your rocks come from? I never experienced my bucket water during scrubs turn black.

I am POSITIVE it is due to the black "fluff" that is accumulating on the rocks- my water change water has a collection of black flock in it too when I siphon it out.

Rock came from premium aquatics, and really until NOV I had no issues.

Originally Posted by chrischris

id say try leaveing your carbon out for a while see if thats your problem

took it out this afternoon...