Help! What is this white stuff getting my coral

stevenhendon · 03/28/2013, 07:09 PM

I have a 220g reef setup with 50 gallon sump full of live rock, and a sump. I have 3 tangs, 7 damsels, a wrasse (reef safe) and a couple clowns. It seemed like it just popped up over the course of 2 days (although I could have just missed it.) It is white and kind of looks marshmallowy if that makes since. It is mostly covering live rock but it looks like it is starting to get on the coral. Please help. Thanks.

You can see a picture here:

http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/St...tml?sort=3&o=0

Sk8r · 03/28/2013, 07:30 PM

your 2nd picture looks a lot like an anemone. You may be undergoing a bloom of some creature that's found your tank full of what it likes. Just be patient and when it's eating it all, it'll probably diminish. Pep shrimp might eat it. Meanwhile see if you can get a clearer picture. Does it have tentacles and a mouth?

stevenhendon · 03/29/2013, 05:57 AM

Sorry. I know the second pic is anemone which doesn't concern me. The shrimp are dealing with the pretty well. It is really the first pic that is crap. I just cant get the camera to focus on it. I will try to get a better pic.

stevenhendon · 03/29/2013, 06:23 AM

Here is a link with multiple pictures. Some are more clear than others. Sorry, my camera work stinks.

http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/St...ibrary/?page=1

DNA · 03/30/2013, 03:05 AM

Some kind of a sponge would be my guess.
Having it on top of the rocks is odd though, unless your tank is poorly lit.

amutti · 03/30/2013, 05:33 AM

I can't really tell from the pictures, but I've had two "white stuff" problems, both in my old seahorse tank, and both due to high nutrients and bad light (old bulbs). One was long algae-like white/gray fillements that would grow like hair algae but break apart into a powder with a little abrasion. The other was a soft white sponge that would eventually snuff out nearby corals. Both required me to physically remove it and tackle the nutrients. The good news is that it was a slow problem, not an emergency.

03/28/2013, 07:09 PM	#1
stevenhendon Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: NC Posts: 5	Help! What is this white stuff getting my coral I have a 220g reef setup with 50 gallon sump full of live rock, and a sump. I have 3 tangs, 7 damsels, a wrasse (reef safe) and a couple clowns. It seemed like it just popped up over the course of 2 days (although I could have just missed it.) It is white and kind of looks marshmallowy if that makes since. It is mostly covering live rock but it looks like it is starting to get on the coral. Please help. Thanks. You can see a picture here: http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/St...tml?sort=3&o=0

03/28/2013, 07:30 PM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	your 2nd picture looks a lot like an anemone. You may be undergoing a bloom of some creature that's found your tank full of what it likes. Just be patient and when it's eating it all, it'll probably diminish. Pep shrimp might eat it. Meanwhile see if you can get a clearer picture. Does it have tentacles and a mouth? __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

03/29/2013, 05:57 AM	#3
stevenhendon Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: NC Posts: 5	Sorry. I know the second pic is anemone which doesn't concern me. The shrimp are dealing with the pretty well. It is really the first pic that is crap. I just cant get the camera to focus on it. I will try to get a better pic.

03/29/2013, 06:23 AM	#4
stevenhendon Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: NC Posts: 5	Here is a link with multiple pictures. Some are more clear than others. Sorry, my camera work stinks. http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/St...ibrary/?page=1

03/30/2013, 03:05 AM	#5
DNA Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Iceland Posts: 1,516	Some kind of a sponge would be my guess. Having it on top of the rocks is odd though, unless your tank is poorly lit.

03/30/2013, 05:33 AM	#6
amutti Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: MA Posts: 357	I can't really tell from the pictures, but I've had two "white stuff" problems, both in my old seahorse tank, and both due to high nutrients and bad light (old bulbs). One was long algae-like white/gray fillements that would grow like hair algae but break apart into a powder with a little abrasion. The other was a soft white sponge that would eventually snuff out nearby corals. Both required me to physically remove it and tackle the nutrients. The good news is that it was a slow problem, not an emergency.