Green algae on glass and rocks

[DraggingTail]

The brown algae is going away. Now I have ugly green algae starting on my glass and the brown algae on the rocks is turning green.

I recently switched to a radium 20000 K MH.

How do I get it to turn purple?

 

[mta_morrow]

How new is your tank?

Do you have your water parameters available?

 

[DraggingTail]

How new is your tank?

Do you have your water parameters available?

Going on 8 weeks old. I just let the tank sit for 3 weeks with 2 shrimp and a bottle of biospira.

Here is last check. I record my reading every Saturday before 10% water change.

Not checking reef parameters yet. But my LFS said my calcium was low so I started dosing Kent Purple Tech. 10 ml per night.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...RdChcCXN_XPrurixjkQD8e_pVVA/edit?usp=drivesdk

 

[mta_morrow]

Ok. Your LFS is selling you stuff that you do not need right now.

We will get to that.

First, your tank is going through the early stages, often called the ugly stage.

It is normal and expected for your tank to turn brown, which is typically diatoms.

Then as you start getting nutrients (nitrates and phosphate), you will see you green algae start to grow.

These are all good things!

Have you tested for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates yet?

Are you planning on keeping coral?

And now to your LFS. you do not need to adding anything at this point. You do not need to maintain calcium at all except thru water changes if you have no LPS or SPS coral in your tank.

The purple coralline will come in time, off of a frag in 3-6 months.

 

[Fudsey]

Also if the green on the rocks doesn't come off easily, it could be the start of coralline. Try using a old toothbrush on it. If it doesn't come off easily, it's more than likely the start of coralline.

 

[Mal11224]

Your tank is new and coralline algae is usually introduced to a tank. Will take a while for you to see coralline algae since your tank is new and you are not stabilizing your parameters. It will come in time. Just scrape the algae off of the glass and start thinking about stability. Your rocks are fine.

 

[DraggingTail]

Ok. Your LFS is selling you stuff that you do not need right now.

We will get to that.

First, your tank is going through the early stages, often called the ugly stage.

It is normal and expected for your tank to turn brown, which is typically diatoms.

Then as you start getting nutrients (nitrates and phosphate), you will see you green algae start to grow.

These are all good things!

Have you tested for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates yet?

Are you planning on keeping coral?

And now to your LFS. you do not need to adding anything at this point. You do not need to maintain calcium at all except thru water changes if you have no LPS or SPS coral in your tank.

The purple coralline will come in time, off of a frag in 3-6 months.

Hopefully I don't have to visit the LFS as often now...

 

[DraggingTail]

Ok. Your LFS is selling you stuff that you do not need right now.

We will get to that.

First, your tank is going through the early stages, often called the ugly stage.

It is normal and expected for your tank to turn brown, which is typically diatoms.

Then as you start getting nutrients (nitrates and phosphate), you will see you green algae start to grow.

These are all good things!

Have you tested for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates yet?

Are you planning on keeping coral?

And now to your LFS. you do not need to adding anything at this point. You do not need to maintain calcium at all except thru water changes if you have no LPS or SPS coral in your tank.

The purple coralline will come in time, off of a frag in 3-6 months.

Yep. Plan to add coral in a couple months. NH4 0, NO2- 0, NO3- 20

 

[Mal11224]

Hopefully I don't have to visit the LFS as often now...

Definitely worth it.

 

[DraggingTail]

Also if the green on the rocks doesn't come off easily, it could be the start of coralline. Try using a old toothbrush on it. If it doesn't come off easily, it's more than likely the start of coralline.

I got this little guy. I scaped it once already. Where I scaped it grew back over. Been in since day one.

 

[mta_morrow]

Looks like a nice source of coralline.

Just needs time.

What are you doing for nutrient export?

Are you running a skimmer?

You will soon need to start controlling your nutrients.

 

[DraggingTail]

Looks like a nice source of coralline.

Just needs time.

What are you doing for nutrient export?

Are you running a skimmer?

You will soon need to start controlling your nutrients.

10% water change once a week.

I don't have a sump. Can I put a skimmer in my tank?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

It’s just an ugly phase and also the precursor to corraline.
It’s fine.
Don’t sweat any of the numbers.

 

[lapin]

10% water change once a week.

I don't have a sump. Can I put a skimmer in my tank?

Water changes are all you need for a long time. Forget the skimmer they are only 30% effective anyways. You can start adding a few snails once you get a little more algae for them to eat.

 

[DraggingTail]

Water changes are all you need for a long time. Forget the skimmer they are only 30% effective anyways. You can start adding a few snails once you get a little more algae for them to eat.

There are some algae eaters in there for a couple weeks not. Every since brown algae started. Emerald crab, zebra snails, pointy snails, hairy pointy snail, hermits and a conch.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

there are hang on the back skimmers of you don't have a sump. there are very few reefers that don't have a skimmer.

I guess if you had a really light bioload. But man, the stuff that gets skimmed in my tank is the stuff of serious nightmares.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

there are hang on the back skimmers of you don't have a sump. there are very few reefers that don't have a skimmer.

I guess if you had a really light bioload. But man, the stuff that gets skimmed in my tank is the stuff of serious nightmares.

I didn’t have a skimmer for about five years.

 

[DraggingTail]

I just scrapped last night. And the glass was covered again tonight?

 

[Dsnakes]

I just scrapped last night. And the glass was covered again tonight?

My glass gets cleaned every other day. Could do it every day, but I’m lazy it’s just part of the game. Especially with a newer tank.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

If it was the brownish stuff , likely diatoms.