Newbie need help. What is this?

[Macu84]

Hi wondering what this is? I'm running a 36g tank 45 days after the tanks 1st cycle. Nitrates are a little high at 10-20ppm because I originally used treated tap water (tap water tested 40ppm) I invested in ro/di system a few weeks ago and have done multiple water changes. I'll promptly run some more test as suggested. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ying yang]

Start of the " uglies" i would say and would say its diatoms.
At begginning of reef tank we go through cycles.
First the nitrogen cycle
Then different kind of algae cycles like diatoms,neon green algae i had then brown algae and now green algae,my tank 8 months.
But i dont sweat it i just add cuc when needed at each stage and the algae is free food for them and cuc members are interesting and cool ro watch.
Hermits
Urchins
Snails
Shrimps

 

[Macu84]

Start of the " uglies" i would say and would say its diatoms.
At begginning of reef tank we go through cycles.
First the nitrogen cycle
Then different kind of algae cycles like diatoms,neon green algae i had then brown algae and now green algae,my tank 8 months.
But i dont sweat it i just add cuc when needed at each stage and the algae is free food for them and cuc members are interesting and cool ro watch.
Hermits
Urchins
Snails
Shrimps

Wonderful. I only have a couple hermit crabs. I wasn't sure how many I should put In my tank this early. Any suggestion as to how many I should add at this point in a 36g?

 

[ying yang]

At this point with what algea/ diatoms you got me personally i wouldn't add anymore yet as they will have nothing to eat and could eat each other or you will need feed them.
Just wait till get more then add appropiate cuc member.
Some eat diatoms
Some eat hair algae.
Some eat corraline algae.some eat red slime algae etc etc
Just google what cuc member eats what and when your ugly stage ( algaes) gets little worse then add few at a time.
Imo i would be saying for a 36 gallon ....
3 red legged scarlet hemits
3 blue legged hermits
5-8 mini hermits
4 nassariius snails
4 trochus snails
1 tuxedo urchin
1-2 cleaner shrimp just because cool

Would say at maxinum these amount above but add few at a time rather than all at once.
Like what i do is buy a fish then i buy say 5 hermits then 3 weeks later buy another fish then buy handfull of snails and so on.
This is only what i did and doing but others do other ways so your choice how you do it but i planned my livestock to help me,like blennies for eating algae,wrasse's if get coral pests, and so on.
And i said maximum amount above after stocking them slowly as your tank shows you that you need add more but if you added all them and your rocks still showing more algae than they can keep in check then ovbiously you add more.but just watch your tank and it will tell you what to do.
Good luck

 

[Macu84]

Sounds good. Thank you for the feedback.

 

[ying yang]

Welcome and good luck ^_^ and get ready for them clean white rocks to change all sorts of colours. Some have it bad,some a little and some none but it you do whats needed and try keep tank stable it will sort itself out then if add corals and get all the little hitch hikers its interesting shining light in at night watching them.
Spaghetti worms
Ampripods
Copepods
Spirobod worms and another worm that spelt similar but forget name lol
May get these and more or may get others or none.just research whats good and whats beneficial