White stuff "growing" all over! ID help

[agsprat]

Hello,

I've had a continuous problem with this white stuff accumulating on everything. As fast as I clean the glass it starts to accumulate again. It's not only on the glass but the wave maker, my skimmer pump, rocks. Can anyone ID it, if it is living, and how to treat it? Doesn't seem to be in my fuge. Thanks!

Tank info:
75 gal FOWLR
Running 300 watt maxspect LEDs
Ammonia 0
Nitrates 0
Nitrates 0
Ph 8.4 little high
View attachment 296339

 

[agsprat]

Another picture

 

[gbru316]

Do you dose Ca or Alk?

 

[agsprat]

Last picture

 

[agsprat]

Do you dose Ca or Alk?

I add calcium and ph buffer with water changes

 

[gbru316]

I'm not suggesting it's the root cause of the issue (yet), but why do you add PH buffer? PH is generally something that shouldn't be dosed for.

Control alkalinity and your ph should fall in line.

What, by chance, is your alk level?

 

[agsprat]

I'm not suggesting it's the root cause of the issue (yet), but why do you add PH buffer? PH is generally something that shouldn't be dosed for.

Control alkalinity and your ph should fall in line.

What, by chance, is your alk level?

Tested calcium is 340 ppm

I does ph buffer to bring up the ph of my ro/ di water which is 7.48

Any recommendations to properly control these parameters would be appreciated. I do not run a calc reactor. My ph has been most stable at 8.2ish for the longest only now it is up slightly to 8.4. Though I've had the white stuff problem well before.

My thought was it might be a precipitate of some sort.

 

[gbru316]

I don't think you need to raise the PH of your ro/di water.

The salt should provide all the buffering you need. If you're concerned about top-off, remember that only the water evaporates. The buffering compounds remain in the tank. I've never buffered my top off water. In fact, I've never even tested it for PH.

I'm thinking precipitate as well. Calcium is only one part of the equation. Alk is the other major part and plays a bigger role in PH than calcium. Do you have an alk test kit? Without knowing what your tank is at, it's hard to really provide more help.

 

[W1ngz]

Your salt mix will increase the ph of the water. No need to treat it.

 

[gbru316]

My hypothesis is that by using PH buffer, you've driven your alkalinity sky high and it's now precipitating out of solution. But it's hard to say without a test.

 

[agsprat]

Best hypothesis so far. I will acquire an Alk test ASAP

 

[fredro]

May be a fungus

 

[agsprat]

If I may ask what is the best way to bring ro/di ph up to 8.2 without buffer? Thanks!

 

[gbru316]

If I may ask what is the best way to bring ro/di ph up to 8.2 without buffer? Thanks!

You don't need to do anything. Your salt should contain all the buffering needed as long as you're mixing it up to the correct specific gravity.

 

[agsprat]

You don't need to do anything. Your salt should contain all the buffering needed as long as you're mixing it up to the correct specific gravity.

Thanks for the education!

So I have 30 gals of salt water made already and sitting around with ph buffer in it. Should I just dump it? If I reduce salt water changes and use none buffered fresh ro/di water in my auto top will this slowly fix it? I read that auto top off water should not be buffered either. No quick fix I presume besides huge water change with no buffered salt water. Would rather not dump it.

I should add my coralline algae seems to have been affected by this.

 

[gbru316]

Were you adding buffer before adding salt?

You'll still need an alk test kit (and probably magnesium). Alkalinity, calcium and magnesium are the 3 critical parameters for stony corals. Magnesium "locks" the ratio of calcium and alkalinity so that they are depleted in equal amounts.

For test kits, the API should be fine for alk and calcium. I recommend salifert for magnesium.

To be honest, I only test pH because it's fast and easy. I've never measured below 7.8. Often, just increasing surface agitation or cracking a window in the room containing the tank is enough to raise it above 8.0.

 

[agsprat]

Were you adding buffer before adding salt?

You'll still need an alk test kit (and probably magnesium). Alkalinity, calcium and magnesium are the 3 critical parameters for stony corals. Magnesium "locks" the ratio of calcium and alkalinity so that they are depleted in equal amounts.

For test kits, the API should be fine for alk and calcium. I recommend salifert for magnesium.

To be honest, I only test pH because it's fast and easy. I've never measured below 7.8. Often, just increasing surface agitation or cracking a window in the room containing the tank is enough to raise it above 8.0.

Yeah. I usually make the fresh and then buffer then make the salt. Now I have 30 gal cans for making fresh and Salt. The fresh is empty right now but salt is full unfortunately.

 

[gbru316]

I don't know if the water is salvageable or not. That's a question for Randy (or someone else with a better understanding of chemistry).

 

[Mebbid]

You would need to test the alkalinity of the water to know if it's good to use. Its not going to hurt anything to wait a few days before doing your next water change.

I agree 100% with precipitation of elements in your water.

 

[Nina51]

sir, or ma'am, i have pushed your red triangle in both of your posts. go find somewhere else to be obnoxious.