jwokmuba2

what is this,

Tony G.

could be evaporation... hmmm i dont know for sure

jwokmuba2

i wipes off when i touch it, but takes along time to reapear. i think its in my filter spong to cause when i move my filter a little i jar some loose and a cloud of it goes into my tank

Tony G.

huh? i got lost in I think its my sponge filter...

jwokmuba2

yea it confuses the heck outa me, i think its a mineral buildup or mabey some alge, but the biospong i have in my filter is covered in it to, i just asked about the heater cause it seems to be attracted to the heat as the picture shows

Iron waffle

If it's attracted to heat I do think it's some mineral buildup like calcium or dissolved salts(l in some municipal water systems) these can cause higher pH. and with the heat they bond together and stick to surfaces. that's just my guess.

jwokmuba2

so its some sort of mineral, what can i do about this? will it hurt my tank?

aquarist48

Good morning. What your tank is experiencing, the build up on the heater is pretty common to the hobby. It will not harm your fish or your tank. Just keep it wiped off when you do your water changes and everything should be fine. Remember to unplug for about 20 minutes before you remove it from the water.
Ken