Is this the infamous ugly stage

[OceansinAZ]

I have a 30 gallon tank that has only been up since the new year. Is this the ugly stage (dino) that I read so much about or something else. Does this look normal or excessive and is there anything I can do to speed it along? It slowly came on for two weeks and has been like this for about a week.

I do 10% water changes weekly using RODI water and Fritz reef salt. I test weekly and record my results. They are always around the following: amonia/nitrites 0, nitrates 5, phosphate 0 to .03 (I run some GFO), and Alk 8.3. I have added three Trochus snails, 2 hemit crabs, 1 cerith snail, and a cleaner shrimp (I know he doesn't eat algea, but he is just cool). Other than that I have 3 chromis and as of last week, a fire fish.

 

[Anchor]

I would say it isn't Dinos. Looks Silica based to me.. Diatoms maybe.. they go away eventually.. Expect your hermits to go after the Cerith snail. I personally skip the crabs and just get snails early on.. I forget off hand but I think Cerith will eat diatoms and Cyano.. don't quote me on either of those.

 

[SteveEreef]

Looks like diatoms. Yes normal ugly stage . Will go away. You can brush it off the rocks. Nice aquascape!

 

[Bpb]

Don’t think of it as an ugly stage. Think of it as the base layer of color on your rocks. Sorry to get poetic, but your rocks are a canvas and nature is the painter. A white canvas is sterile and lifeless. Diatoms are just the first strokes of the brush. Lots of other colors will show up over time. And you should basically panic about none of them

 

[vetteguy53081]

Diatoms and the uglies - yes. Lightly comb bedding to churn, (siphon if needed), reduce whites a little and add liquid bacteria such as bacter 7 for control. A few red or blue leg hermits will turn the bedding over for you also.

 

[OceansinAZ]

Looks like diatoms. Yes normal ugly stage . Will go away. You can brush it off the rocks. Nice aquascape!

thanks

 

[OceansinAZ]

Don’t think of it as an ugly stage. Think of it as the base layer of color on your rocks. Sorry to get poetic, but your rocks are a canvas and nature is the painter. A white canvas is sterile and lifeless. Diatoms are just the first strokes of the brush. Lots of other colors will show up over time. And you should basically panic about none of them

I like the way you are thinking about it. I am excited to watch the tank progress, but want to make sure I wasn't crashing the tank.