New Tank Syndrome? Cyanobacteria?

[Reefer_Rob]

Hi all. My tank is 1 month old post cycle. Life is good. Diatoms came and went. I think im in a red Cyanobacteria phase right now. Kind of red hair mixed with burgundy colored on the glass and rocks.

Is this normal? How long will it last and is there anything I can do? I dont want to throw chemicals at it. What are my next steps? Ride it out?

RS 425XL
Tropic Eden Reef Flakes
Carib Sea Life Rock
Tropic Eden Pro Salt
BRS 6 stage RODI

2 Clowns
3 Cardinals
1 Lawnmower
1 Purple Firefish
6 small frags - hammer, bubble coral, torch, acan are ok. My GSP hates it

All livestock is doing well

77.5F
1.023 SG (in the process of raising it via ATO)
Calcium 400
Mag 1260
PH 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
Alk 6.5dKH
P04 0

Im not over skimming and im just running socks.

Advice?

 

[Reefer_Rob]

edit: double post

 

[Crossfire]

That is cyanobacteria, maybe some diatoms too. No big deal and nothing to worry about. An easy way to test it is to use a turkey baster to blow some water on it. If it blows right off its cyano.

This is very normal in a new tank and will take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to clear up. When you do water changes vacuum it out. It's very easy to remove. No chemicals are needed, just patients and some work siphoning it out.

Something I noticed in the beginning was direct sunlight doesn't help the situation at all- seems to fuel it. Also stay away from coral foods like reefroids and amino acids for a month or so. You'll usually see bubbles coming off algae growth. People will hear bubbles and say it's Dinos right away, but dinoflagellates are very different from what you have.

 

[Reefer_Rob]

That is cyanobacteria, maybe some diatoms too. No big deal and nothing to worry about. An easy way to test it is to use a turkey baster to blow some water on it. It it blows right off its cyano.

This is very normal in a new tank and will take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to clear up. When you do water changes vacuum it out. It's very easy to remove. No chemicals are needed, just patients and some work siphoning it out.

Something I noticed in the beginning was direct sunlight doesn't help the situation at all- seems to fuel it. Also stay away from coral foods like reefroids and amino acids for a month or so. You'll usually see bubbles coming off algae growth. People will hear bubbles and say it's Dinos right away, but dinoflagellates are very different from what you have.

Got it. I have fed Roids twice. Ill back off. You are totally right though. I used the baster and it came right off my GSP like nothing!

Thanks! Ill clean and ride it out!

 

[Crossfire]

Don't worry if you clean it up and the next day it's back. It happened to me around the same time as your tank- that 2-3 month mark. The process that I've seen with cyano is you clean it, it comes back, clean it, etc..... Eventually it will go away. Don't temped with chemiclean or chemicals. In time it will go away. It's all part of the process.

For the sand bed, nassarius snails work really well. I don't think they eat the cyano, but they help get rid of anything there that is helping it grow. If you don't have a few, I highly recommend them.