Help! my rocks are developing black heads!

[pwrpufguy]

Tank Dimensions (LxWxH, specify units):
20cm x 20cm x 25cm

Lighting Intensity(No of Watts) :
no idea but i calculated that its about 2.3W
56mW (1 mW = 0.001W, thus 56mW = 0.056W) X 42 pieces LED = 2.352W
anybody can recommend good place to get better lights?
been to C328, C329 and NA but dunno which type to look for




Number and type of Lighting (FL/PL/MH) : LED
Age of light bulbs : 1 month
No. of hours your lights are on : 0830am to 6pm (9.5 hrs)

CO2 Injection Rate (bps) : -
Type of CO2 (DIY/Cylinder) : -
Method of Injection (e.g. Diffusor/Reactor) : -

Liquid fertilisers Used (Product name. E.g. Seachem Flourish) : -
Fertilization regime (Frequency and amount per dose) :

Other fertilisers (Product name. E.g. Root Monster) : -

Other additives (Product name. E.g. Seachem Prime) : -

Type of Filter (overhead/internal/canister, Product name/model if possible) :
sponge filter with air pump



When was the filter last washed : not washed before
Filter media used : -
When was the media last changed : -
What was changed : -

Age of setup (i.e. since initial setup or last major re-do ) :
first set up since 11th Feb, approx. 1 month

Water change frequency : 2 times per week
Amount changed : 20%~ 30% per change

Water surface movement (None/gentle/turbulent) : gentle
Circulation (None/gentle/turbulent) : gentle

Tank Temperature : 26~27 degree C

Chemical Properties (Fill what you can)
-------------------------------------
KH (dKH): -
GH (dGH): -
pH : 6.6
NH4 (ppm):4.0
NO2 (ppm): -
NO3 (ppm): 5.0
PO4 (ppm): -
Fe (ppm): -

Bioload (Number and type of fish and plants)
------------------------------------------
water wisteria and glosso, havent input the shrimps i intend to rear as ammonia and nitrite hasnt hit 0.

Describe your problem :


Hi ppl, im new here... well not actually, just that i havent been posting but looking at ppl's thread. need some advise from the pros here.

As you can see from the picture, my aquarium rocks are forming this black specks on it quite evenly. at first i tot it might be the soil settling, but as days passed, these black specks started forming EVENLY on the sides and even the bottom of the rocks! (bottom but not as in the portion under the soil)

the top left corner shows another rock stacked on it. the reason why its free from the black specks is because when i decided to take out to rinse it, those black specks fall off, quite easily i would say. should have taken a photo of it before i do so. really gives me the goosebumps...

hope anyone can gimme some advice, thank you very much in advance!

i hope its really just the soil and its just me being paranoid.
(soil is ADA amazonia + power sand)

[felix_fx2]

It looks like the substrate/or the sponge from the filter? Can just brush it off using fingers when inside the tank?
not sure why you choose sponge filter, a cheap hang-on would do a better job when your doing a lightly planted tank. a sponge filter might not be sufficient.
if that is answered easier way to understand what was the cause of the "black heads"

BTW, best avoid using sms lingos. Read the below link for more information what to avoid and why. (under "Reasons for This Policy")
SMS and IM Lingo Rules

[pwrpufguy]

hi felix, thanks for your prompt reply.
yes those "black heads" can be brushed off easily, just curious how its formed though and whether its bad for the tank.

you mean a sponge filter with air pump is not recommended? why is it not sufficient?

[limz_777]

looks like fish waste or power sand residue , if its bba then thats something to worry about , sponge filter agitation might be too harsh

[felix_fx2]

to determine take some old tank water and squeeze the sponge in it.
it's just a guess it might be from the sponge filter, but if it is substrate i don't really have a clue how they will end up there.

the flowrate around the tank might not be too good, then your toxins (i refer this in the steed of ammonia , nitrites and nitrates.) may not be well "cycled" and removed efficently. especially in a planted tank with fast mid/background plants like water wisteria. then the so called "dead spots" will more likely occur. i am not stopping you of course, i do have tanks with no filter at all but do have some water movement to help out.

will leave the rest so you'll still have curiosity and do some further digging.

[pwrpufguy]

hi Lim, thanks for your prompt reply.
cannot be fish waste la, haha, no livestock in it yet. if its bba im gonna faint (but i did bought an excel), that is what i thought initially too but they can be brush off easily.

[pwrpufguy]

to determine take some old tank water and squeeze the sponge in it.
it's just a guess it might be from the sponge filter, but if it is substrate i don't really have a clue how they will end up there.

the flowrate around the tank might not be too good, then your toxins (i refer this in the steed of ammonia , nitrites and nitrates.) may not be well "cycled" and removed efficently. especially in a planted tank with fast mid/background plants like water wisteria. then the so called "dead spots" will more likely occur. i am not stopping you of course, i do have tanks with no filter at all but do have some water movement to help out.

will leave the rest so you'll still have curiosity and do some further digging.

yup, thank you once again for your advice! actually water movement can be seen quite gently in the tank.
oh ya, i did start off with adding some mosura BT-9 in the subtrate and weekly dosage as instructed. so i guess bb is not a problem?

[felix_fx2]

should have some movement, not totally saying don't have haha. but to some it will be seen as insufficient.
It should help speed up but bb does not complete the whole Nitrogen process am i correct, Best ask some shrimp pro, since their the ones who frequently use it.

lim, no fish i also felt that way. haha so i am not alone in the end

[|squee|]

Just be thankful it isn't the dreaded BBA

[stormhawk]

pwrpuf, can you have a closer look at the black specks to see if there is anything moving? Detritus worms will form some "dust" piles on them.

[magpie]

The current may have blow those sediment/dust from your soil and settled on the rock. You may want to use tweezers to brush away the sediments/dust.

[pwrpufguy]

@squeel - yeah, if not it will be quite a headache...
@stormhawk - no they arn't moving. i certainly hope they are not worms O_O
@magpie - ya, that was what i thought initially too, but i dont understand how come even on the side/bottom (not in gravel) of the rocks, these particles are also present.
more over, they are "scattered" quite evenly on the rocks. anyway, i will be siphoning them away soon.

thank you for your kind advises!