Pvc pipe bacteria?

skyshrimp

skyshrimp

New member
Ok, everytime I cut my return pump off to feed my corals I notice that everytime I cut it back on these little white flecks start to float in the water. I believe its happenning because I have my return pump dialed back by a ball valve about half way. When I ran it wide open I didn't have the white stuff floating when I cut my pump off then back on.

I don't run it wide open because the draining water gurgling was so loud so I had to dial it back. I think that when it is dialed back something settles or grows in the ball valve pipe.But my question is what is the white stuff, bacteria? Also how can I prevent this from happening and has this happened to anyone else?
 
I was just about to create a new post asking the same thing. I also have the white stingy like things floating around after turning my return pump off. Ive been having to filter out the sump with a maxi jet pump into a filter sock before i turn it back on. I have my 120 gallon system hard plumbed with pvc and also have my mag 12 dialed back a little.
Ive tried removing my plumbing to clean it out, but nothing remains in the pvc after the system is off. Im clueless. Any one else?

Alex
 
No carbon here. Dose GFO and alk only. The particles come out looking like mysis without the black eyes. Im pretty sure it was happeneing before dosing aything at all, however I could be wrong.
 
I am vodka dosing, but the white stringy stuff does'nt seem to hurt anything ,but I could be wrong. Any way to stop it from happening?
 
you said it floats, like a pice of plastic would float. When you assembled your plumbing, how did you cut your PVC? Did you sand down the ends of the pipe so that there were no burrs or anything? Could they be slivers of PVC plastic from inside the pipe. ?
 
it could be precipitation building up in your pipes and when you turn your pumps back on the blast of water knocks some lose.
 
+1 bacteria. It happens to me to. Its nothing to worry about. Bacteria grow in your pipes because its a high flow area that gets no light. When you turn the pump back on, the sudden surge dislodges pieces of bacteria thats growing in there, and it gets spit out into your tank. Its harmless stuff.
 
Are you sure it's not just salt? If you turn your pumps off it will still leave a water residue in the pipes & as the water evaporates it may leave salt stuck to the pipe wall, then as you turn the water back the surge may wash it out back into the tank...just a thought though & I may well be wrong.
 
Yes it is some form of bacteria and small organisms that grow in the pipes. I used to work for a service company in high school and almost every tank had this happening to it. I would sometimes see small amounts of sponges in addition to the white flake/film. And as you said it really depends on the flow that you have, I noticed that lower flow allowed some sponges to grow whereas the higher flow really only produced the film.
 
I have both incuding a few other filter feeders. The white stingy things float around for about a hour then I guess they either get sucked into protein skimmer or rock nooks and crannies.
 
My chiller is plumbed outside of my house and every month before I do a water change I close the ball valve to the chiller, then the one to the DT, then I open the one to the chiller wide open (it normally runs about 50%). I blow a quite a bit of 'stuff' out into the DT. But in a few minutes it's either filtered out, skimmed out or settled. I've never had any concerns, but I never really gave it a lot of thought.
Thanks for asking the question Skyshrimp.
 
Sure no problem, I just wondered if the same was happening with anyonelse. Kinda wierded me out but, never saw any negative effects from its. Everyones input also helped me worry less about it.
 
Last edited:
What I have been doing lately is using a maxijet pump to filter out the return section of the sump once I turn my return pump off. All those little floaters come out into the sump once the plumbing breaks siphon. Ill turn the maxijet on and have it circulate in the sump through my filter sock. Within a few minutes its clean and return pump can be turned back on. Doesnt get all of it, but help out alot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

DjPhato
Fluctuating water level in overflow compartment
Replies
6
Views
209
kharmaguru
kharmaguru
R
Ph Control Set Up
Replies
0
Views
236
rdavidw
R
DjPhato
Water leak saver!
Replies
1
Views
70
Paul B
Paul B
wvned
My weir
Replies
6
Views
212
SantaMonica
S
M
40G Breed Sump Setup Advice
Replies
4
Views
111
Vinny Kreyling
Vinny Kreyling
Back
Top