What is this?

[NanaPam96]

 

[Waters]

Looks like a combination of diatoms and cyano. How long has the tank been set up?

 

[NanaPam96]

Just a month or two. My husband says it’s normal when it’s turning over and it has to do that

 

[Waters]

Just a month or two. My husband says it’s normal when it’s turning over and it has to do that

New tanks will often go through different phases of algae growth....I wouldn't call it normal, but it does happen. The cyano seems kind of excessive though for a tank of that age. What kind of flow are you running in the tank? Cyano is normally caused by excessive levels of phosphates, nitrates, and other nutrients along with poor water movement.

 

[NanaPam96]

New tanks will often go through different phases of algae growth....I wouldn't call it normal, but it does happen. The cyano seems kind of excessive though for a tank of that age. What kind of flow are you running in the tank? Cyano is normally caused by excessive levels of phosphates, nitrates, and other nutrients along with poor water movement.

That’s what I don’t understand. We have a wave fan thing on each end, good lighting that goes to moonlight in the evening and then off for a couple hours etc. a good protein skimmer and my nitrites and nitrates are 0 or close to it. Same with ammonia. PH is 8.2 and salinity is spot on

 

[Waters]

That’s what I don’t understand. We have a wave fan thing on each end, good lighting that goes to moonlight in the evening and then off for a couple hours etc. a good protein skimmer and my nitrites and nitrates are 0 or close to it. Same with ammonia. PH is 8.2 and salinity is spot on

Need a lot more info on your tank unfortunately. What size tank? What type of power heads (the fan things )? What type of lighting? Did you use live rock or dry rock to start? If you used dry rock, did you seed with any bacteria (either from a bottle or from existing live rock)? Cyano is a bacteria which will colonize and outcompete other desirable growths if given the chance....especially in a brand new tank. Have you checked phosphates by chance? If left alone, it will most likely disappear over time once things balance out in the tank. The diatoms are pretty normal in any new tank and will also disappear as silicates are used up.

 

[NanaPam96]

12k led lighting, not sure on the power heads(thank you for helping with correct name), 4x turnover from sump the tank is 100 gallon tank with 29 gallon sump

 

[Pickle_soup]

That’s what I don’t understand. We have a wave fan thing on each end, good lighting that goes to moonlight in the evening and then off for a couple hours etc. a good protein skimmer and my nitrites and nitrates are 0 or close to it. Same with ammonia. PH is 8.2 and salinity is spot on

Dinos will outcompete other bacteria in a tank with biodiversity and low nutrients. Nitrates of 0 are not a good thing. Have you ever recorded any nitrates during the cycle? I would use Microbacter7 to bring in more beneficial bacteria to your system to compete with dinos. How did you cycle your tank?

 

[NanaPam96]

Need a lot more info on your tank unfortunately. What size tank? What type of power heads (the fan things )? What type of lighting? Did you use live rock or dry rock to start? If you used dry rock, did you seed with any bacteria (either from a bottle or from existing live rock)? Cyano is a bacteria which will colonize and outcompete other desirable growths if given the chance....especially in a brand new tank. Have you checked phosphates by chance? If left alone, it will most likely disappear over time once things balance out in the tank. The diatoms are pretty normal in any new tank and will also disappear as silicates are used up.

We used dry rock and added reef boost live phytoplankton. Then given 2 live rock with a leather cabbage coral and bubble anemone that didn’t make it. I don’t have a way to check phosphate yet

 

[Pickle_soup]

We used dry rock and added reef boost live phytoplankton. Then given 2 live rock with a leather cabbage coral and bubble anemone that didn’t make it. I don’t have a way to check phosphate yet

Did you go through the ammonia spike already? Did you ever record any nitrates?

 

[NanaPam96]

I don’t believe we ever recorded either? We have a saltwater previously years ago and only stopped because of a move 2x’s.! I don’t remember going through this before

 

[NanaPam96]

Did you go through the ammonia spike already? Did you ever record any nitrates?

Thank you for taking the time to try and help me