white long hairy material.

[fernando]

Hello to all,
My name is Fernando and I'm from Miami in Fl.
i had been reading all over the INTERNET for few days now and I'm not getting close to a solution or an answer.
i have set up a 65 gal. salt tank for three weeks and waiting for the cycle to complete. all the water parameters are correct.
i placed 80 lbs of caribbsea Bahamas pink sand them i place the rocks and last i let the sea water inn without making to much noise in order not to disturb the sand.
the tank was cloudy for a couple of weeks, i was told that i should have rinsed the sand a little before putting it in the tank but i didn't do it,after it clears i have noticed a white slime hairy algae attached to the rocks. i was able to blow them away with a new small paint brush and it will fly all over the tank but it will return again and it is all over the tank except the glass.
I'm new on this forum and I'm notice while i was reading that there are a lot of knowledge individual in here and maybe i get close to a solution.
i have a 29 gal nano for a year or so without any problem but this 65 gal is giving me a hard time. if i can't control this white slime thing, i will take it down and do everything all over again.
Hope i can get some answer and thank you all in advance for your time and for accepting me in this forum.

[liv]

your algea is most likely cyano or hair algea with a cover of silt from your sand in it. Cycling a tank takes several weeks to months. Patience

at worse, since its still in the new stage pretty much, you might want to rince the rocks and the sand properly and start over.

Oh.. and welcome to Aquaria Canada !

[a4twenty]

to Aquaria Canada

where did you get the rock???

was there a lot of die off??

are you running any lights??



some algae turn white and dies in the presence of NH3.....but i can't think of any white algae that grows, unless like liv suggested it's just covered in silt. i would consider doing a large water change and rinsing / brushing all your LR in the old tank water before returning it to the tank.

any chance of a pic???

[fernando]

Thank you both for getting back to me....
i got the rocks from a trusted local place but i have them cure in a plastic tank with two power heads for at least two month before putting them in the new tank. i just was waiting for all the parameter to be OK before commence to transfer very slowly some of the rock and everything else i have in the 24gal. nano.
the lights i have them on for two hrs. and yes i have picture but i need to find out how to upload them so you could see.
now, the other thing that i would like to know.... is it OK. to rinse with salt water the sand before putting it in the tank?
i have a fish store that saids that it will kill all the live stuff that is in the bag and i have another store owner that suggested for the sand to be rinse of all that milky solution because there is nothing alive in there and that life will come with the time.....
i did empty the bag from all the water that brings before putting it in the tank but never rinse to the point to see the water clear.
if i can't get rid of this hairy thing, i will put every thing down, clean the rocks and put them in platic tank with the power heads for a while. i will get new sand just to be on the safe side, wait a couple of weeks and start all over..... and pray!

[ShipWreck]

Welcome to AquariaCanada!

By your description of the sand I assume you bought the "live sand" that is sold in bags at the fish store? The only real advantage of this sand is that you shouldn't need to wash it as much. I wouldn't spend the extra money on this sand as the amount of actual live bacteria is very small and easily replaced as the tank matures.

Now if you already have the sand in the tank running then I would just leave it be. Sand, even well washed when first put in the tank is very light and easily floats around the tank. As the tank matures the sand will become live and grow bacteria all over as well as bugs and what not that will weight the sand down.

Either pull the sand out and rinse it again or leave it in but in either case the most important part of a saltwater is patience. Good luck.

[ShipWreck]

and yes i have picture but i need to find out how to upload them so you could see.

Here is a great article to help you with this.

How to Post photos on AC