[Franman]

I don't think its my nitrates their low in my tank or the light. Now cilicates from tap water could be the cause. I don't know what cilicates are, but I notice that every time I change my water the tank gets this whitish residue on my plants, rocks... Then the next day the algea that I cleaned up starts coming back. If this is exess cilicates could a water softining pillow work. It removes calcium, magnesium and heavy metals. My KH is 3ppm but my GH is 7.5ppm if it helps in anyway. Is there anything to measure cilicates.