Another "What's this" thread ....

[peterS]

We're still pretty new to this pastime, and still very much in learning mode. We have a smallish (132L) tank which cycled a couple of months ago. We've got a light load (2 clowns, 1 royal gramma and 1 goby, 6 snails, a cleaner shrimp). The chemistry is really stable

Ammonia & Nitrites : 0
PH : 8.2
Alkalinity : 9
Salinity : 35
Nitrates : 2-3ppm
Phosphates : 0.5ppm

We've got blooms of something growing on the sand and some of the rock. We siphon it off once a week, which helps but also just mixes sand over the top and it's back in a couple of days.

I know "it's a new tank", but I could really use some guidance on what this is and what we should do to accelerate its demise. These photos are about 4 days after cleaning the sand. It's also covered in bubbles most of the time if that helps.

I know these aren't great photos - I can take more detailed tomorrow with a bit of luck, but any pointers very gratefully received.

thanks

pete S

 

[dank reefer]

Welcome to R2R @peterS

Do you notice the algae disappear when the lights go off?
From the photos it looks like a diatoms to me. Ill let the other algae Gurus chime in on it.

 

[peterS]

Thanks for the welcome. I'll try and take some better pictures in the morning.

Hmmm - not sure on the lights off. Will take a look tonight and report back.

 

[peterS]

BTW @dank reefer , what happens when the lights go off if it's diatoms?

 

[dank reefer]

Diatoms will stay. If the lights go off and it lind of goes away, then its Cyano

 

[shred5]

It looks like green cyano.

Normal in a new tank and could take months to go away.

I had the stuff like crazy in my reefer 250 and 6 months later you cant find any. It had got really bad after a few months and in a few days it all was gone. I should have taken pics of it.

Right now I am going through it in my 120 gallon which is now up a few months.. Every couple of days a blow some off and catch what I can or siphon some off. It will eventually disappear after it removes some of the bound phosphates.

You can see some red cyano on my rock and green on the sides of my 120. that was actually a little while ago, it is far worse right now. It will eventually go away.

 

[peterS]

Looking at the tank last night after it had been in the dark for a couple of hours, there's still the same stuff on the sand and rock, although without the lights on, it looks different of course. This is a quick sample at night - sorry about the reflections from the glass.

Then, here's some more pictures with the lights on today

There's quite a lot of bubbles on the rock, and on some of the sand. We've also got a bit of a snail population going on - we had 6 trochus, but have recently got about 25-30 little ones as well. We're only feeing half a cube once a day.

Any ideas and comments gratefully received.

pete S

 

[vetteguy53081]

I believe cyano. using a turkey baster, blow gently and see if seperates or is stuck to the surface. Seperation like film is cyano and sitting there is diatom or algae

 

[peterS]

Turkey baster now ordered In the mean time, we're growing some strands as well now, also with a bubble on the top, if that makes identification any easier.