White Fluff On Sand

[Creature Seeker]

I'm doing a cycle with fish and have just added them after having the tank set up for a month or so (change the water a number of times over this period for one reason or another0. It has black sand with a cement sculptured cave background.

I put some cycling fish in yesterday and came home tonight to fine the water very cloudy. I initially thought it was the algae on the background (which was bright green) making the water cloudy but then noticed white patches on the sand inside the caves of my background. When I disturbed the white patches white flakes floated around and made the water cloudier.

Anyone know what's going on?

Thanks.

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[WILDER]

Take the cave out and see if its flaking.
Does it look like cement dust, run some black carbon and fresh filter floss.

Sorry its the cement back ground is it inside the tank or out.

I would remove the back ground it not right.

 

[Creature Seeker]

Take the cave out and see if its flaking.
Does it look like cement dust, run some black carbon and fresh filter floss.

Sorry its the cement back ground is it inside the tank or out.

I would remove the back ground it not right.

I can't move the background as it's stuck inside the tank with silicone and was a very big effort to get it in there (I can post a pic up later so you can get an idea).

I don't think it's cement dust as before I added fish the water was cloudy from cement dust so I did numerous complete water changes to correct this. It looks a bit like mold.

What is fresh filter floss? I have carbon in my internal filter, shall I add one to my external also?

Thanks for your help.

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[WILDER]

Ok, but is the cement flaking off.
Filter floss or matting the stuff you put in the top of your filter for fine particles.

 

[Creature Seeker]

No the cement is not flaking off.

I think it may be that the sand has had water in it for around 3 months and it hasn't been moved much so maybe some kind of mold has been able to grow on it. I've disturbed the patches now and the fish still all seem happy.

The stats are:

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0.1
Nitrate 10
PH 7.5

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[WILDER]

Ok thats good then.
Never seen them type of back grounds.

 

[hogan53]

This mould grows on structures that dont have much water movement around them even sand.
Best cure good water turn-over every hour, or couple of air-stones each end of the set up. hope this helps.