Short strands of mucus(?) on my live rock?

NTP66 · 06/30/2013, 01:47 PM

This may be nothing, because the tank appears to be doing very well, but I figured I'd ask anyway. Around a lot of my live rock - mainly, in areas of flow from the powerheads - I'm seeing a lot of short strings of what looks like mucus. I have no vermetid snails in the tank, fir those wondering, just some nassarius, nerite, and dwarf ceriths.

Any ideas?

Picture:
[IMG]http://i42.*******.com/24qjmfl.jpg[/IMG]

Video:

bnumair · 06/30/2013, 01:54 PM

i am not sure but i am leaning towards hair algae. but i could be wrong.

NTP66 · 07/01/2013, 10:55 AM

I'll just keep an eye on it for now. I can't really match this to anything else I've searched for on the forum (bacterial bloom, etc.), and it doesn't seem to be doing much. I'll try siphoning it out the next time I do a water change.

oscarinw · 07/01/2013, 12:50 PM

A 'touch' test will help in determining what it is. If it's consitency is 'mucusy' then we can think of bateria/cyano/dynoflagellates... If it's stringy/coarse, then those would be ruled out and it'd likely be a case of algae. Color is another good help and finally, are those things attached air bubbles or debris?

Fizz71 · 07/01/2013, 01:04 PM

It looks like algea to me...with the air it's producing stuck to it.

NTP66 · 07/01/2013, 01:20 PM

I'll take a closer look once I get home this afternoon. The things attached to it all appear to be particles/debris, not bubbles. As for color, it's white, bordering on transparent.

li_newb · 07/01/2013, 05:14 PM

i would like to know as well. i have some on my newer rock. i thought they were like a filter feeder or even a micro feather duster. mine does not look like algae

edit: watched the video. your are like 5 times longer than mine. hmm

NTP66 · 07/01/2013, 05:49 PM

Most of it in my tank is under 1/4" in length, if that helps with perspective.

06/30/2013, 01:47 PM	#1
NTP66 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: PA Posts: 975	Short strands of mucus(?) on my live rock? This may be nothing, because the tank appears to be doing very well, but I figured I'd ask anyway. Around a lot of my live rock - mainly, in areas of flow from the powerheads - I'm seeing a lot of short strings of what looks like mucus. I have no vermetid snails in the tank, fir those wondering, just some nassarius, nerite, and dwarf ceriths. Any ideas? Picture: [IMG]http://i42.*****.com/24qjmfl.jpg[/IMG] Video:** __________________ Nick Current Tank Info: 90g FOWLR, Reef Octopus NWB-150 skimmer, MP40wES x2, Eheim 1260 return, BuildMyLED 20,000k XB LEDs, Apex Jr.

06/30/2013, 01:54 PM	#2
bnumair Dr. Reef at ur service Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tulsa, Ok, USA Posts: 7,751 Blog Entries: 15	i am not sure but i am leaning towards hair algae. but i could be wrong. __________________ Water Quality: NO3 0,Phos 0,Cal 440,Alk 7.5,Mag 1300 "Reef Fast, You Crash, Reef Slow, You Pass" Mike's Reef 3:16 Current Tank Info: 350g DT,95g sump, 50g Frag tank, 4800gph return 4x Sea swirls. 6x AI Vega Color. 200# Pukani rock, dual recirculating skimmer, Biopellet, GFO Carbon rx's, Cal rx. Closed loop. 1.5hp chiller, genesis renew. Apex & RKE

07/01/2013, 10:55 AM	#3
NTP66 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: PA Posts: 975	I'll just keep an eye on it for now. I can't really match this to anything else I've searched for on the forum (bacterial bloom, etc.), and it doesn't seem to be doing much. I'll try siphoning it out the next time I do a water change. __________________ Nick Current Tank Info: 90g FOWLR, Reef Octopus NWB-150 skimmer, MP40wES x2, Eheim 1260 return, BuildMyLED 20,000k XB LEDs, Apex Jr.

07/01/2013, 01:04 PM	#5
Fizz71 FragSwapper Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: West Lawn, PA Posts: 5,800	It looks like algea to me...with the air it's producing stuck to it. __________________ --Fizz Current Tank Info: Current system is 8x2x2 240g peninsula setup with a single "chamber" 100g sump in the basement with an RDSB. All corals are 100% home grown from frags of fellow reefers (low natural reef impact).

07/01/2013, 01:20 PM	#6
NTP66 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: PA Posts: 975	I'll take a closer look once I get home this afternoon. The things attached to it all appear to be particles/debris, not bubbles. As for color, it's white, bordering on transparent. __________________ Nick Current Tank Info: 90g FOWLR, Reef Octopus NWB-150 skimmer, MP40wES x2, Eheim 1260 return, BuildMyLED 20,000k XB LEDs, Apex Jr.

07/01/2013, 12:50 PM	#4
oscarinw Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Western Massachusetts Posts: 1,091	A 'touch' test will help in determining what it is. If it's consitency is 'mucusy' then we can think of bateria/cyano/dynoflagellates... If it's stringy/coarse, then those would be ruled out and it'd likely be a case of algae. Color is another good help and finally, are those things attached air bubbles or debris?

07/01/2013, 05:14 PM	#7
li_newb Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Suffolk County Posts: 127	i would like to know as well. i have some on my newer rock. i thought they were like a filter feeder or even a micro feather duster. mine does not look like algae edit: watched the video. your are like 5 times longer than mine. hmm __________________ -Dave 46 bowfront. mixed reef.

07/01/2013, 05:49 PM	#8
NTP66 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: PA Posts: 975	Most of it in my tank is under 1/4" in length, if that helps with perspective. __________________ Nick Current Tank Info: 90g FOWLR, Reef Octopus NWB-150 skimmer, MP40wES x2, Eheim 1260 return, BuildMyLED 20,000k XB LEDs, Apex Jr.