What is this?

[LefkoNJ]

About a month ago this started happening in my sump and overflow. I completely cleaned the pump in the picture about a week ago. There is no odd smell so not sure what this is or how to fix it. I do automatic water changes, dose with 2 part for ALK/CALC and dose NOPOX. Fish and what coral I have look fine. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

ALK 8.01
CALC 400
MAG 1350
Nitrate 4.9
Phos 0.6

 

[kharmaguru]

Looks like chrysophytes or possibly dinos (hope not). Is there other more normal algae in the system?

 

[LefkoNJ]

No none. This is all I am seeing.

 

[cal_stir]

Could be bacteria from the nopox

 

[LefkoNJ]

I haven’t run a UV in years but going to start that up again. I did cut my NOPOX dose in half starting yesterday.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Looks like bacteria to me

 

[LefkoNJ]

So how to solve this fun one? That is the big question.

 

[kharmaguru]

So how to solve this fun one? That is the big question.

The purpose of nopox is to grow bacteria which is then removed by your skimmer. SInce you have excess bacteria you can continue to manually remove it to achieve the same goal, or upsize your skimmer, or reduce or stop the nopox.