what is snowing

I have read about the tank snowing or having a snowball affect. Can someone please explain what exactly this is.

I did my ca test tonight 3 times.
2 x with the american pharm, 1 x it said 460ppm, 2nd x it said 440ppm.

I then used my seachem test kit and it said 400ppm. I have not added any supplements since early last week and that was a small amount of ca. I notice I have been getting a ton of coraline (not complaining it's gorgeous) but I also have those white spots (i think from calcium) all over my glass.

Any ideas.

 

Personally I dont trust aqua pharm, used it in the past ditched it and never looked back. Now im no expert but im pretty sure you have to get more than 460ppm to get a snow storm in your tank. NSW is around 425ppm. I would trust your seachem before trusting aqua pharm. JMHO.

Marc.

 

The snow would be calcium precipitating out of the water. If you added esv part 2 to the tank right after adding part one, or you added too much part one in an area of low flow, you'd get "snow"

 

A carbonate snowstorm looks like someone shook up a snow globe and there are particles floating around in the water. Eventually, the "snow" lands on the rock and sandbed.

Can you take a picture of the spots on the glass? It's probably a calcareous featherduster like a spirobid polychaete.

 

Oh good to hear. Never had "snowing" in my tank. I think the white dots are some sort of calium build up. I see it in the stores, it scrapes off when I use my magnet. it's not feather dusters, I can scrape it with my nails, it's the same consistancy as algea just white. Thanks so much for explaining snowing to me.