HELP: White-yellowish crust growing up outside of hood

[pr3ciousroy]

No clue what this is or how to fix it, but i assume it's being caused by an imbalance of something in the tank water that's causing this growth to spread on the outside of the hood. It's spreading pretty rapidly. Also the tank water has started evaporating pretty rapidly as well. About two inches of water evaporate from the tank everyday now and I have to keep refilling it up to the top again.

it's weird cause the tank had seemed to have completely finished cycling and was staying in crystal clear perfection for weeks....then all of a sudden i have a moderate brown algae problem arise (mostly just on the plants inside the tank) and now this crust growth issue. I tried using some nutrafin anti-algae chemical in the water since then but i really haven't seen it clear up any of the already existing brown algae on the plants and rock surfaces.

Also, (and I have no idea how relevant this may or may not be) the water has a strong black pepper-esque odor to it. I don't know how else to describe this, but there ya go.

What's the issue in my tank and how do i go about resolving said issue??

[Lady Hobbs]

Sounds like lime scale to me.

Brown algae is common in newly set up planted tanks and goes away in a few months. I have it also.

[RobbieG]

Not sure if your plants are real or fake - if they are fake both the algae and the scale can just be washed off with tank water when you do your water change.

2 Inches a day sounds like an awful lot of water to lose through evaporation - where do you live?

[MeganL3985]

Yeah I was thinkin 2" a day is craziness! Unless you got the thing outside under the sun...

[zackish]

Lady is right, my tank is about 6 weeks old, 3 weeks with fish in it and I just got my brown algae bloom. Before I got this I had some really thick fluffy type algae but my otoclinus and gouramis ate that all up. The brown algae isn't getting to big, I don't know if the cats eat that or what.

[pr3ciousroy]

Not sure if your plants are real or fake - if they are fake both the algae and the scale can just be washed off with tank water when you do your water change.

2 Inches a day sounds like an awful lot of water to lose through evaporation - where do you live?

I live in New Orleans, though I don't see how that has anything to do with anything being that the tank stays indoors and i keep my house pretty cool at all times.

[zackish]

I live in New Orleans, though I don't see how that has anything to do with anything being that the tank stays indoors and i keep my house pretty cool at all times.
That is still an insane amount. I do a water change every week and I don't even loose an inch a week.

[Drumachine09]

I live in New Orleans, though I don't see how that has anything to do with anything being that the tank stays indoors and i keep my house pretty cool at all times.

Whats the temperature in the room and in the tank?

[pr3ciousroy]

Whats the temperature in the room and in the tank?

ok, the temperature is NOT an issue.

but here are the numbers, so we can move on to the next idea
indoor temp.: Avg. 70 degrees
in tank temp.: 75 degrees

[MeganL3985]

No offense but environmental issues outside the tank can still have an effect. Probably not always, but I imagine these questions coming from knowledgable people aren't asked for no reason.

[pr3ciousroy]

No offense but environmental issues outside the tank can still have an effect. Probably not always, but I imagine these questions coming from knowledgable people aren't asked for no reason.

Yeah, I think it's pretty obvious that environmental issues outside the tank can affect the chemistry inside the tank. I'm trying to get past that idea because I know how temperature works and both environments are kept at a healthy temp. in my house and my tank....can we please move on now?

[zackish]

No offense but environmental issues outside the tank can still have an effect. Probably not always, but I imagine these questions coming from knowledgable people aren't asked for no reason.

I think pr3 is right though. If the outside temp. was 90 then we would have a valid question, but he is right in saying that the outside temp is not the issue.

This is a really bad question but by any chance is the back of your tank in a corner or a wall?
If so have you looked under your stand or in that corner or against that wall? Maybe there is a major leak in your filter or back of your tank...

[Drumachine09]

Yeah, I think it's pretty obvious that environmental issues outside the tank can affect the chemistry inside the tank. I'm trying to get past that idea because I know how temperature works and both environments are kept at a healthy temp. in my house and my tank....can we please move on now?


We are trying to help you. You havnt told us of your experiance level, so as a default, i assume people dont know a whole lot, like most of the people that come here.


Is there alot of surface agitation or an air current that blows across the top of the tank?

[pr3ciousroy]

I think pr3 is right though. If the outside temp. was 90 then we would have a valid question, but he is right in saying that the outside temp is not the issue.

This is a really bad question but by any chance is the back of your tank in a corner or a wall?
If so have you looked under your stand or in that corner or against that wall? Maybe there is a major leak in your filter or back of your tank...


1st: i'm a "she"

2nd: yes, my tank is on a stand backed up against a wall, but there definitely aren't any leaks going on. that much i would have noticed immediately.

[naiku]

Do you have air conditioning running? that will most likely be a part of your water evaporating so quickly. Especially if you also have an air stone, the bubbles break and the water splashes under the hood, it evaporates from there quicker than from the water itself (probably also why the scale/algae is on the hood) and also the a/c will take moisture out.

People here know you understand temperature, but seriously 2" evaporation is a huge amount. Really huge.

[gm72]

pr3, we are all trying to help you and your posts are bordering on being too aggressive in response.

Examples: "though I don't see how that has anything to do with anything being that the tank stays indoors and i keep my house pretty cool at all times", "ok, the temperature is NOT an issue" and "but there definitely aren't any leaks going on. that much i would have noticed immediately" are all a little much.

You are being asked a series of questions to try to problem solve your situation. The ambient temperature and humidity, or lack thereof, has a great deal to do with it. A small drip leak can easily go unnoticed, especially when you have the tank up against a wall. To lose as much water as you are describing is a very unusual amount.

So, let's keep trying to figure out what is going on and please repay our efforts with some basic politeness. If you don't understand why we are asking something, just say so. As Drum further stated, we have NO idea what your experience level is. You would be absolutely amazed at some of the things we have read on here, especially as of late.

So, have you checked all around the base of the tank at the floor to make sure no leaks have developed? Is the air conditioner or other air circulation directed at the tank? Is the lid secure or are there large open areas?

Edit: BTW, what size tank is this?

[Bill M.]

ok, the temperature is NOT an issue.

but here are the numbers, so we can move on to the next idea
indoor temp.: Avg. 70 degrees
in tank temp.: 75 degrees


Hubba Hubba Hubba! First of all, don't get pushy with us. We all have a right to attempt to help people with questions....lol

But anyways, I think that if you are loosing 2 inches of water per day, something durastic is wrong.... You should never loose that much if everything is okay. I suspect a leak. Completely dry off every outside surface of the tank, and let it sit for an hour of so. Then check for any wet spots. This would indicate a leak. Purchase some AQUARIUM silicone, not construction grade, and seal the area of the leak. Repeat process, and seal again if needed....

[sunjwd]

If there is scale building up outside the hood, perhaps something is causing water to spray or otherwise mist. The drying water would explain the scale, and also explain why there appears to be a slow loss of water.
It would also explain why there isn't enough water pooling outside the tank.
Up north in Canada, we run humidifiers that work on this principle in the winter.