Smelly brown/red algae

[Sarah1990]

Hi all I've had my tank set up since December, first fish in January. 5 weeks ago my fish all got velvet and i only managed to save one who has been treated in QT with copper and now is waiting for the 11 week fallow period until he can go back in.
I didn't have a CUC yet and dont wish to restart the fallow period but I've been getting a lot of brown/red sludgy algae all over the sand, rocks, glass and covering the surface of the water.
My pH has gone to 7.6 which is probably to do with this film of nasty ontop of the water? I've angled the return pump to agitate the surface more and done a 20% water change.
Is this all I can do or is there something I can do to eradicate this algae?
In/on the bucket is some of what I got off the top of the water.

 

[ndrwater]

What a lovely combination of diatoms and Cyano!!
Welcome to the ugly of the "new tank uglies"
Water changes will help, but time is the better cure.
You still need an ammonia source in the tank to keep the important biological activity doing its thing, so make sure that is happening.

 

[Sarah1990]

What a lovely combination of diatoms and Cyano!!
Welcome to the ugly of the "new tank uglies"
Water changes will help, but time is the better cure.
You still need an ammonia source in the tank to keep the important biological activity doing its thing, so make sure that is happening.

I have a pistol shrimp in there so I've been dropping a few pellets in every day but I'm never sure how to get enough ammonia without over feeding and causing a big rise in ammonia and algae

 

[ndrwater]

Keeping SOMETHING going in the tank is key.
After the fallow period, just make sure to go slow. Give the tank time to catch up to itself after each new addition.
The good news is, as the tank ages, the uglies give way to pretty and stability. Stay the course. You are doing things the right way!!!

 

[Sarah1990]

Keeping SOMETHING going in the tank is key.
After the fallow period, just make sure to go slow. Give the tank time to catch up to itself after each new addition.
The good news is, as the tank ages, the uglies give way to pretty and stability. Stay the course. You are doing things the right way!!!

Thank you very much.
Would you dose a little ammonia now and there or is the pellet food enough?

 

[ndrwater]

Thank you very much.
Would you dose a little ammonia now and there or is the pellet food enough?

If it were me... No... But have to admit I thought about that for a second...
Reason for no is the shrimp in the tank. I would not want to harm the shrimp because I wanted to go faster. Slow and steady wins the race.
Besides, things wouldn't necessarily go "faster" by adding ammonia without also adding bacteria in a bottle along with. What it WOULD accomplish is a larger population of beneficial bacteria for when it is time to add livestock again.
I still wouldn't do it, but that's me.