Algae, Diatoms, Cyano or Dyno

[MindlessToxin]

Hey guys I'm 4 months old here and I feel like everything is in line to what a tank this new should look like. I'm thinking just diatoms and green algae. In your opinion is there anything I should be worried about by the looks? I'm hoping there's no Dyno or Cyano. I'm not 100% how to diagnose that. I'm using RODI water and my parameters are:
Salinity: 1.025
Ammonia:0
Nitrites:0
Nitrates:10-20
Phosphates:0.25
Calcium:380
KH:8
All tested with the API saltwater/ reef master kits

 

[slingfox]

Nice looking tank! At some point you may want to switch over to Salifert and/or Hanna tests. Hanna is more expensive but I like the testing process more. Probably do not need to do weekly testing of ammonia or nitrite or calcium unless you see issues.

To differentiate between diatoms/dinos etc. you can use a student microscope from Amazon (several threads on that on the board).

 

[lmfbs]

It doesn't look like cyano to me, but also that photo is so far away from the nuisance that it's difficult to see

 

[MindlessToxin]

I added some more up close shots

 

[MindlessToxin]

I did see some bubbles and that's what got me thinking it could possibly be cyano/dino

 

[lmfbs]

If you stir it up or just a turkey baster on it, what does it look like?

 

[MindlessToxin]

It blows away like dust. I'm guessing just diatoms then?

 

[monfilsi]

Very difficult to tell the difference between diatoms, Dino and cyano visually. I thought I had cyano for three months before I looked under the microscope to see Dino’s. How you solve the problem varies a lot based on what it is. Suggest you get a microscope to conclusively identify.

 

[Hallowhead]

If it blows away that easy could be detritus / diatoms. Maybe increase flow of its not moving nicely already

 

[brandon429]

that lighting is too bright for the setup, the age of the system. you can't fix this prevent what's coming if you don't decrease that light power overall for a good several months, make it much more blue and hardly any white settings

then lift out each rock and clean off that algae and set it back in

 

[MindlessToxin]

Okay thank you

that lighting is too bright for the setup, the age of the system. you can't fix this prevent what's coming if you don't decrease that light power overall for a good several months, make it much more blue and hardly any white settings

then lift out each rock and clean off that algae and set it back in

I'm using Current USA Dual IC pro lights. I know they are not the best but I figured I could grow some beginner/ lower light requiring coral. Will turning down the intensity like you mentioned starve them?
White was set to 100 but turned them down to 75 about a week ago. I just turned them down to 50 after reading your post. I had some diatoms about a month or so ago but I introduced a Turbo snail and turned the lights to 50 for about a week and it went away. Hopefully 50 is the sweet spot..