0 phosphate and almost 0 nitrates but still have algae

[senorsancho]

So I have a 20g nano reef which has been up for around 5 weeks now so really new reef tank. I currently just have two astrea snails and then soft corals (zoas, palys, a leather) and then a few frags of frogspawn. There are 2 frogspawn that are relectant to come out but seem to be warming up to the tank little by little but still observing this.

However, I do have lots of algae on all rock right now and a constant film of a brown algae that grows on the tank that I have scrub off numerous times throughout the day to see clearly in the tank. This does not make sense since I did salifert tests and all parameters are as follows.

Params:
Salinity - 1.025
Temp - 79
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Phosphate - 0
Nitrate - 1
Alkalinity - 8.4

Could it be that the algae is consuming all of the phosphates and nitrates and making it not come up on my test kits?

 

[Tony616]

New rank syndrome. It will get worst before it gets better. Cut down your light to 7-8 hours a day and less feeding might help.

 

[senorsancho]

New rank syndrome. It will get worst before it gets better. Cut down your light to 7-8 hours a day and less feeding might help.

Oh okay well actually i looked today because yesterday I added some purigen and phosguard and did a water change and looks like it went down a bit. Also, I just added a new chemi pure blue because the other one was really brown and just dirty and the carbon was probably already exhausted. Also, yeah I have had my lights going for 10 hours a day so will probably cut back. Also, I do not feed anything right now because I do not have any fish yet. I did have a clown but it died a little while ago it only lasted like 4 days I think because the tank was not stable enough.

 

[VKP01]

The description sounds like diatoms, perfectly normal for a new tank. (Plenty of pictures online you could use to confirm this ID)
They consume the silicate in new tanks, once they eat most of it they should die off. Reducing your lights like stated above will also help. Just wait it out

 

[senorsancho]

The description sounds like diatoms, perfectly normal for a new tank. (Plenty of pictures online you could use to confirm this ID)
They consume the silicate in new tanks, once they eat most of it they should die off. Reducing your lights like stated above will also help. Just wait it out

Alright sounds good will do that! Pretty sure it is just diatoms. Could my frogspawn frags jusy also be not wanting to open since they were taken from an established tank and put in this still new maturing tank?

 

[VKP01]

Alright sounds good will do that! Pretty sure it is just diatoms. Could my frogspawn frags jusy also be not wanting to open since they were taken from an established tank and put in this still new maturing tank?

Yep, that’s most likely why. It takes some time for them to adjust.