First Algae/Bacteria - Should I Panic?

[splunty]

Do I need to be concerned with any of this, or should I just clean/siphon if it expands?

The photo below is today, day 90 since the cycle started.

It's been about 3 weeks since my tank exploded with diatoms and added snails as first CuC.

- Pink/Purple spots. Does NOT brush off or blow off at all. Seems way too early for coralline.
- Brown spots. I'm sure this is still diatoms. The snails love it.
- Black and white. Seems like a fungus and is isolated to this one spot.
- Dark green algae. A bit fuzzy, brushes off easily.
- Neon green algae? Does not blow off but brushes off with force.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: trace
Nitrate: 5-15 (different kits)
Phosphate: .03 - .5 (different kits)
Calcium: 365
KH: 8.3
pH: 8.25
Salinity: 1.025
O2: ~8 (Salifert)
Temp: 78f
Livestock: 2 juvi clowns, 3 nerite snails
Tank: 14g AIO
Flow: 220gph

Changing 2.5 gallons/week.

Thank you for any advice!

 

[musel101]

Do I need to be concerned with any of this, or should I just clean/siphon if it expands?

The photo below is today, day 90 since the cycle started.

It's been about 3 weeks since my tank exploded with diatoms and added snails as first CuC.

- Pink/Purple spots. Does NOT brush off or blow off at all. Seems way too early for coralline.
- Brown spots. I'm sure this is still diatoms. The snails love it.
- Black and white. Seems like a fungus and is isolated to this one spot.
- Dark green algae. A bit fuzzy, brushes off easily.
- Neon green algae? Does not blow off but brushes off with force.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: trace
Nitrate: 5-15 (different kits)
Phosphate: .03 - .5 (different kits)
Calcium: 365
KH: 8.3
pH: 8.25
Salinity: 1.025
O2: ~8 (Salifert)
Temp: 78f
Livestock: 2 juvi clowns, 3 nerite snails
Tank: 14g AIO
Flow: 220gph

Changing 2.5 gallons/week.

Thank you for any advice!

I wouldn’t panic that’s nothing it’ll starve out and die on its own. When you build up a decent biodiversity, they will be the best cleanup crew you can get.
Time and patience is your friend. Another option is if you want it done faster which is hard to do in this hobby is to add beneficial bacteria, Dr. Fritz, pristine, etc..

 

[vetteguy53081]

Do I need to be concerned with any of this, or should I just clean/siphon if it expands?

The photo below is today, day 90 since the cycle started.

It's been about 3 weeks since my tank exploded with diatoms and added snails as first CuC.

- Pink/Purple spots. Does NOT brush off or blow off at all. Seems way too early for coralline.
- Brown spots. I'm sure this is still diatoms. The snails love it.
- Black and white. Seems like a fungus and is isolated to this one spot.
- Dark green algae. A bit fuzzy, brushes off easily.
- Neon green algae? Does not blow off but brushes off with force.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: trace
Nitrate: 5-15 (different kits)
Phosphate: .03 - .5 (different kits)
Calcium: 365
KH: 8.3
pH: 8.25
Salinity: 1.025
O2: ~8 (Salifert)
Temp: 78f
Livestock: 2 juvi clowns, 3 nerite snails
Tank: 14g AIO
Flow: 220gph

Changing 2.5 gallons/week.

Thank you for any advice!

This is diatoms and the algae is from your very bright white intensity. Lower intensity slightly and for diatoms, this is merely a brown algae that typically appears in a reef tank that has just completed its cycle but they can also appear in an established reef tank. They cover most surfaces and look ugly but in most cases they are harmless so the key is to not panic when you see them.
Diatoms feed mainly off of silicates but also consume dissolved organic compounds, phosphate and nitrates. Tap water can contain silicates and is a good way to jump start a bloom if you use it to mix salt or to replace water that evaporated . The best way to prevent this from happening is to filter water through a RODI unit, although you can still get a diatom bloom when the RODI cartridge that removes silicates expires.
Diatoms are typically harmless to a reef tankand can be beaten once their food source is gone. Once you put the end to the source, the outbreak should last a couple of weeks and it will pass.
You can snails to help with this such as astrea, cerith, nerite,turbo and even ytochus

 

[splunty]

I wouldn’t panic that’s nothing it’ll starve out and die on its own. When you build up a decent biodiversity, they will be the best cleanup crew you can get.
Time and patience is your friend. Another option is if you want it done faster which is hard to do in this hobby is to add beneficial bacteria, Dr. Fritz, pristine, etc..

Thank you! Everyone here repeats the patience mantra but sometimes it's difficult. When I cycled I used both Microbacter and Fritz Turbo. I have leftover Microbacter and can dose that weekly after water changes for a bit. It's a bare bottom nano.

 

[musel101]

Thank you! Everyone here repeats the patience mantra but sometimes it's difficult. When I cycled I used both Microbacter and Fritz Turbo. I have leftover Microbacter and can dose that weekly after water changes for a bit. It's a bare bottom nano.

Wouldn’t hurt to put some ceramic media in there in the filter compartment so you can get a decent biodiversity. And when you clean the media in the future and try to rinse it off, use tank water from your water changes. Tapwater will kill the beneficial bacteria.

 

[splunty]

This is diatoms and the algae is from your very bright white intensity. Lower intensity slightly and for diatoms, this is merely a brown algae that typically appears in a reef tank that has just completed its cycle but they can also appear in an established reef tank. They cover most surfaces and look ugly but in most cases they are harmless so the key is to not panic when you see them.
Diatoms feed mainly off of silicates but also consume dissolved organic compounds, phosphate and nitrates. Tap water can contain silicates and is a good way to jump start a bloom if you use it to mix salt or to replace water that evaporated . The best way to prevent this from happening is to filter water through a RODI unit, although you can still get a diatom bloom when the RODI cartridge that removes silicates expires.
Diatoms are typically harmless to a reef tankand can be beaten once their food source is gone. Once you put the end to the source, the outbreak should last a couple of weeks and it will pass.
You can snails to help with this such as astrea, cerith, nerite,turbo and even ytochus

It's all RODI mixed with Aquaforest Sea Salt. I might be introducing the silicates by some other means.

I just brought the light intensity down from 80% to 70% and will drop again 10% each day down to 50% and see how that does.

Thank you so much for the advice!

 

[splunty]

Wouldn’t hurt to put some ceramic media in there in the filter compartment so you can get a decent biodiversity. And when you clean the media in the future and try to rinse it off, use tank water from your water changes. Tapwater will kill the beneficial bacteria.

Perfect. I already have some that I can drop in the bottom chamber. There is actually a substantial space under the chambers but it's too hard to get any media there and I suspect the flow is awful. (It's an innovative marine tank if you're familiar with their AIO.)

And thank you for the suggestion to use the tank water from the water changes to rinse.

 

[musel101]

Perfect. I already have some that I can drop in the bottom chamber. There is actually a substantial space under the chambers but it's too hard to get any media there and I suspect the flow is awful. (It's an innovative marine tank if you're familiar with their AIO.)

And thank you for the suggestion to use the tank water from the water changes to rinse.

Just make sure the media is in the bag. It makes it for easier access when you do have to rinse it with tank water.