While doing my water changes on my 180 i turn off my return pump. When I refill the aquarium and turn it back on I get this fiberous materiel that comes out of the plumbing. What is this stuff?
stringy spongelike material in my plumbing
- Thread starter tdwright1971
- Start date
I think its just some type of bacteria that lives in the plumbing, I also get it in my reef tanks, I thought it was some type of sponge but I doubt that it could live in freshwater. anybody?
It's algae or bacteria or both. I have clear and green tubing and get it quite bad. Some people let their canisters output into a bucket first to try to minimize it. You can also try to stick a panyhose over the output for a little while.
I get it too, it's nothing harmful, I just clean the hoses every few months. I was actually wondering if it causes higher nitrates. Anybody think that's possible?
Since I get it in both my larger systems(180 sa cichlid and 125 reef) and both have 0 nitrates, I dont think it alone causes higher nitrates, but it may contribute to the nitrogen cycle in a way that a wet dry system is so efficient it breaks down the ammonia and nitrites faster than the nitrogen can be dissipated thereby making the nitrates rise. My 29 gallon had a nitrate issue, but then i removed the biowheels, and then the filters, filled the filter area with plants, inlcuding two mangrove trees, added a compact flourescent and got rid of my nitrates, and my phosphates are lower than the tapwater. Now if only my 40 gal would behave...
I was just wondering. I don't have any nitrate problems, but the tank I get that stuff in does seem to have more nitrates than my other tanks if I test before weekly water changes, but that tank also houses my largest fish and they eat more, so it would make sense, but I'm gonna clean the canister hoses today and see if it makes a difference in nitrates at all this week.
shellies215;5163762; said:
Do note that these gunk are not inert. They do break down over time by bacteria to give ammonia, which your established bacteria would convert to nitrate. Hence contributing to the overall nitrate level.