What is this?

Rborgia · Dec 2, 2005

Well as I mentioned in 2 previous post my tank has been rather cloudy since I filled it with water and added the salt (IO). I got fed up today and emptied the take, the sump and this is what I found...

This is the section just below the Lifereef SVS24 Skimmer's collection cup:

This is what it looks like on my finger... It's definately not carbon or fish junk... There is only water and salt in the tank.

Now, does anyone have any idea? I am going to completely rip this thing down and scrub ever piece I can get to.

Rich

jhale · Dec 2, 2005

?
well that's kind of strange.

the skimmer is new, and the tank is new, and there was just water and salt in a empty tank?

John · Dec 2, 2005

It looks too dark to be skimmate. It almost looks like grease

hannahsmom · Dec 2, 2005

Did you have a pump explode? Rios I have heard are sometimes filled with oil?! If there is nothing in the tank you shouldn't have thick gunk like that.

Rborgia · Dec 2, 2005

Yeah, the tank was ONLY water, RO/DI and IO Salt nothing at all beyond those ingredients. I am leaning towards saying its from the Silicone. I used the GE Type II Window and Door Silcone as recomended.

I have never added anything to the tank as treatment or livestock. I was waiting for the LR to arrive to start the cycle.

Now i'm not sure if I should pull the cutting board out and clean the bottom of the tank as well, clean the cutting board, and resilicone it back it.

hrmmmm....

Pumps are both Mag 9.5 (return and Skimmer feed).

Deanos · Dec 2, 2005

Rborgia said:
It's definately not carbon or fish junk...

Looks like carbon AND fish junk.

Rborgia · Dec 2, 2005

:banghead:
:headache:

noooo I'm sure... and it is as think as tar.

Deanos said:
Looks like carbon AND fish junk.

Deanos · Dec 2, 2005

In a previous thread, you mentioned you used carbon in a Whisper and phosban reactor. Even though you rinsed it, some will get into the tank. It seems it has now ended up in the skimmer. Don't let the consistency fool you; some nasty stuff appears in the neck of skimmers, especially if you skim dry.

If you're 100% sure it's not carbon, then I'd vote for the black cuttingboard leaching out.

jhale · Dec 2, 2005

cutting board should not leach anything, it's inert, if it did then you need to get rid of it.

It does look like a mix of carbon and other stuff.

I would not be happy till I found out exactly what it was.

Rborgia · Dec 2, 2005

jhale said:
cutting board should not leach anything, it's inert, if it did then you need to get rid of it.

It does look like a mix of carbon and other stuff.

I would not be happy till I found out exactly what it was.

I'm not going to be.... Well what I think I am going to do is reseal around the outside edge of the cutting board, wait for about 3 days to let it cure. Then I'm going to clean the entire inside of the tank again, and fill with tap water and let it circulate like that for a few days.

What stinks is I have 50 pounds of LR coming Tue. I believe. It will have to go into the basement tank and be put through the move in another week.

I guess the black stuff could be carbon mixed with what.... I dont know.

well... I will fill yas in, in about a week.

Rich

Tonyscoots84 · Dec 2, 2005

looks like the carbon and some other gunk. if i had to take a stab at it i would say silicone is leaching out. hmmmmmmm.

jackson6745 · Dec 2, 2005

looks like carbon + organics

House of Laughter · Dec 2, 2005

looks like the rubber ring that keeps the VS-24 collection cup sealed and air tight broke down and melted.

House

Rborgia · Dec 3, 2005

House of Laughter said:
looks like the rubber ring that keeps the VS-24 collection cup sealed and air tight broke down and melted.

House

Yeah I checked the ring first. I ran between my fingers and nothing came off. It is still "rubbery", "flexible" it seemed ok. Plus the outside of the inner tube that the ring sits on had zero build up, so it appears the ring did its job.

Well, I have the tank empty, The sump is empty and scrubbed down, the skimmer is scrubbed down. I need to get a bottle brush, to clean out all the plumbing and, then wash down the inside of the tank and overflow.

Rich

coralcrazy · Dec 3, 2005

wow that wierd man..looks like oil to me...anyway best of luck

Tonyscoots84 · Dec 3, 2005

that has to be silicone in with a mix of sumthing. by the way did u fix the problem yet.

Rborgia · Dec 3, 2005

No, I had to go into the office today... 5am - 8pm... baH!

I will be drying it and sealing again tomorrow.

Rich

Tonyscoots84 · Dec 3, 2005

tell ya the truth if it was me and i just went through all that crap i wouldnt bother siliconing it again. i see it as it could happen again. just lay the board down and put the live rock on top of it. it will be heavy enough.

Rborgia · Dec 3, 2005

I have been thinking about that idea... I'm gonna pull it out tomorrow to clean it really well, whatever the black stuff is, left a coating on EVERYTHING!. So I need to remove it before resealing (if I reseal) and clean the bottom glass too.

Rich

Kedd · Dec 3, 2005

I don't think that is silicon,true silicon would not bind like that with other stuff.
It would be chunky unless it was water base.

Jackson works on boats what do you think?

Kedd

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