White stuff from inside vinyl tubing ALL OVER tank, please help!

cab395 · 09/20/2013, 09:05 AM

Hey guys, if you have been following my threads, I recently began using vinyl tubing to wire my reactor. This vinyl tubing started to turn white with some sort of coating inside of it. After checking the connections of the tubing today by pushing hard on it, the white coating came off and ejected right into my tank through my reactor.

Here is where I pushed the connect tight:

[IMG]http://i43.*******.com/14x0w49.jpg[/IMG]

You can see the white coating came off the inside of the tubing and went up the tubing into my tank.

Here is the tank with the crud in it:

[IMG]http://i41.*******.com/swg6y8.jpg[/IMG]

Anyone have any idea what this white stuff is? Or know if it's harmful? Its slowly being removed by the skimmer, and I got as much as I could out with my net, but does anyone know what it is? This is the outflow of the reactor, if that makes any difference. Please help! Thank you!

Tangaroa · 09/20/2013, 09:11 AM

What is the reactor for?

It looks like it is a bacterial mulm. Releasing too much into the tank at once isn't a good idea but the skimmer should pull it out.

cab395 · 09/20/2013, 09:16 AM

It is a BRS dual GFO/Carbon reactor. Bacterial mulm would make sense since they are colonizing the tubing, correct? I guess the danger without a skimmer would be it breaking down into ammonia? Is it okay if the fish eat it? They went crazy thinking I fed them and just started eating. I don't know how much they actually swallowed, but I did see a lot of "gumming" of it, LOL.

Tangaroa · 09/20/2013, 09:29 AM

In the quantity that I can see in the picture it will be fine. Corals love the stuff too.

I don't know of this particular reactor but I guess that it has very slow flow through it so that it only fluidises the gfo very slowly and the carbon not at all.

cab395 · 09/20/2013, 10:01 AM

Thank you for your quick help. The directions that came with the reactor say to adjust the flow so the GFO only tumbles at the surface. The carbon is held between two sponges and so is not able to tumble at all. I have no GFO in the reactor yet (it's coming in the mail), only carbon, but I have my flow rate kind of slow (half of a MJ 1200's power), because I don't really trust the quick connect fitting yet.

Could the slow flow rate be what's causing this bacteria to build up?

Tangaroa · 09/20/2013, 10:37 AM

Yes, but it is the nature of the beast. You could increase the flow a little as long as the carbon is held by the sponges.

Out of interest, is there any particular reason you are running carbon? Your tank looks quite new.

cab395 · 09/20/2013, 10:53 AM

It is very new. About to turn three months old actually. I am going slow as I've been told countless times that "Nothing good happens fast in a reef tank." All that is in there right now are two clowns and a mushroom. I started running carbon last week and will start GFO this week because I want my water to be as clean as possible from the get-go. There really is no reason I'm running the carbon besides wanting crystal clear water.

Tangaroa · 09/20/2013, 11:19 AM

Ok, cool. There are a few different camps regarding the use of carbon. Carbon can strip some of the "good stuff" out of the water column so some folks only recommend running it a few days a month, others run it permanently. It looks like you've got your head screwed on so you can make your own judgement.

Good luck & Happy Reefing.

09/20/2013, 09:05 AM	#1
cab395 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Northeast Posts: 324	White stuff from inside vinyl tubing ALL OVER tank, please help! Hey guys, if you have been following my threads, I recently began using vinyl tubing to wire my reactor. This vinyl tubing started to turn white with some sort of coating inside of it. After checking the connections of the tubing today by pushing hard on it, the white coating came off and ejected right into my tank through my reactor. Here is where I pushed the connect tight: [IMG]http://i43.*****.com/14x0w49.jpg[/IMG] You can see the white coating came off the inside of the tubing and went up the tubing into my tank. Here is the tank with the crud in it: [IMG]http://i41.*****.com/swg6y8.jpg[/IMG] Anyone have any idea what this white stuff is? Or know if it's harmful? Its slowly being removed by the skimmer, and I got as much as I could out with my net, but does anyone know what it is? This is the outflow of the reactor, if that makes any difference. Please help! Thank you! __________________ 38 Gallon Reef Tank with softies, LPS, and SPS. Current Tank Info: 38 gallon reef tank

09/20/2013, 09:16 AM	#3
cab395 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Northeast Posts: 324	It is a BRS dual GFO/Carbon reactor. Bacterial mulm would make sense since they are colonizing the tubing, correct? I guess the danger without a skimmer would be it breaking down into ammonia? Is it okay if the fish eat it? They went crazy thinking I fed them and just started eating. I don't know how much they actually swallowed, but I did see a lot of "gumming" of it, LOL. __________________ 38 Gallon Reef Tank with softies, LPS, and SPS. Current Tank Info: 38 gallon reef tank

09/20/2013, 10:01 AM	#5
cab395 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Northeast Posts: 324	Thank you for your quick help. The directions that came with the reactor say to adjust the flow so the GFO only tumbles at the surface. The carbon is held between two sponges and so is not able to tumble at all. I have no GFO in the reactor yet (it's coming in the mail), only carbon, but I have my flow rate kind of slow (half of a MJ 1200's power), because I don't really trust the quick connect fitting yet. Could the slow flow rate be what's causing this bacteria to build up? __________________ 38 Gallon Reef Tank with softies, LPS, and SPS. Current Tank Info: 38 gallon reef tank

09/20/2013, 10:53 AM	#7
cab395 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Northeast Posts: 324	It is very new. About to turn three months old actually. I am going slow as I've been told countless times that "Nothing good happens fast in a reef tank." All that is in there right now are two clowns and a mushroom. I started running carbon last week and will start GFO this week because I want my water to be as clean as possible from the get-go. There really is no reason I'm running the carbon besides wanting crystal clear water. __________________ 38 Gallon Reef Tank with softies, LPS, and SPS. Current Tank Info: 38 gallon reef tank

09/20/2013, 09:11 AM	#2
Tangaroa Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Hereford - UK Posts: 115	What is the reactor for? It looks like it is a bacterial mulm. Releasing too much into the tank at once isn't a good idea but the skimmer should pull it out.

09/20/2013, 09:29 AM	#4
Tangaroa Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Hereford - UK Posts: 115	In the quantity that I can see in the picture it will be fine. Corals love the stuff too. I don't know of this particular reactor but I guess that it has very slow flow through it so that it only fluidises the gfo very slowly and the carbon not at all.

09/20/2013, 10:37 AM	#6
Tangaroa Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Hereford - UK Posts: 115	Yes, but it is the nature of the beast. You could increase the flow a little as long as the carbon is held by the sponges. Out of interest, is there any particular reason you are running carbon? Your tank looks quite new.

09/20/2013, 11:19 AM	#8
Tangaroa Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Hereford - UK Posts: 115	Ok, cool. There are a few different camps regarding the use of carbon. Carbon can strip some of the "good stuff" out of the water column so some folks only recommend running it a few days a month, others run it permanently. It looks like you've got your head screwed on so you can make your own judgement. Good luck & Happy Reefing.