Algae ID Please

[djs4him]

I'm assuming the growth in the attached images is .. good news? Is this coralline (which I seeded 1 month ago), diatoms, or something I should be concerned about?

Empty tank running fallow. Tank is about 8 months old.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I'm assuming the growth in the attached images is .. good news? Is this coralline (which I seeded 1 month ago), diatoms, or something I should be concerned about?

Empty tank running fallow. Tank is about 8 months old.

These are diatoms often associated with new tanks containg new sand and dry rock. Diatoms are a brown algae that typically appear in a reef tank that has just completed its cycle but they can also appear in an established reef tank. They can cover sand, rock, pumps, glass, you name it. Diatoms look ugly but in most cases they are harmless so the key is to not panic when they appear.
Diatoms feed mainly off of silicates but also consume dissolved organic compounds, phosphate and nitrates. Unfiltered tap water can contain silicates and is a good way to jump start a bloom if you use it to mix salt or to replace water that evaporated from the tank. The best way to prevent this from happening is to filter water through a RODI unit, although you can still get a diatom bloom when using RODI if the cartridge that removes silicates expires.
Diatoms are typically harmless to a captive reef and can be beaten once their food source expires. Once you put the kibosh on the source, the outbreak should last a couple of weeks so just be patient and it will pass.

For major outbreaks you may want to consider the three day blackout. Diatoms are easily wiped from the glass with a mag float, a turkey baster or a toothbrush can access other areas of the tank. Be prepared for them to re-establish themselves quickly, they are likely to be able to resettle and have exponential growth rates.
To prevent their return, practice good aquarium husbandry by doing regular water changes, keep the substrate clean, don’t overfeed the fish, ensure your skimmer is running at an optimal level and rinse out filter socks and sponges on a regular basis.

Some cleaner crew to help control it are : Cerith snails, Nerite snails and Trochus snails and also Astraea snails are effective at removing diatoms.

 

[Lavey29]

Coraline is not brown like that or typically on the sand bed. If you are fallow you have to make sure nitrates and phosphate don't bottom out. What are your parameters?

 

[djs4him]

These are diatoms often associated with new tanks containg new sand and dry rock. Diatoms are a brown algae that typically appear in a reef tank that has just completed its cycle but they can also appear in an established reef tank. They can cover sand, rock, pumps, glass, you name it. Diatoms look ugly but in most cases they are harmless so the key is to not panic when they appear.
Diatoms feed mainly off of silicates but also consume dissolved organic compounds, phosphate and nitrates. Unfiltered tap water can contain silicates and is a good way to jump start a bloom if you use it to mix salt or to replace water that evaporated from the tank. The best way to prevent this from happening is to filter water through a RODI unit, although you can still get a diatom bloom when using RODI if the cartridge that removes silicates expires.
Diatoms are typically harmless to a captive reef and can be beaten once their food source expires. Once you put the kibosh on the source, the outbreak should last a couple of weeks so just be patient and it will pass.

For major outbreaks you may want to consider the three day blackout. Diatoms are easily wiped from the glass with a mag float, a turkey baster or a toothbrush can access other areas of the tank. Be prepared for them to re-establish themselves quickly, they are likely to be able to resettle and have exponential growth rates.
To prevent their return, practice good aquarium husbandry by doing regular water changes, keep the substrate clean, don’t overfeed the fish, ensure your skimmer is running at an optimal level and rinse out filter socks and sponges on a regular basis.

Some cleaner crew to help control it are : Cerith snails, Nerite snails and Trochus snails and also Astraea snails are effective at removing diatoms.

Will these diatoms prevent my coralline from growing? I seeded several bottles of coralline a month ago and I'm just waiting for it grow.

 

[Lavey29]

Will these diatoms prevent my coralline from growing? I seeded several bottles of coralline a month ago and I'm just waiting for it grow.

Takes a lot more then just a bottle to get coraline to grow.

 

[djs4him]

Coraline is not brown like that or typically on the sand bed. If you are fallow you have to make sure nitrates and phosphate don't bottom out. What are your parameters?

Alk: 9.9 dkH
Ca: 450ppm
pH: 8.0
PO4: 0.25ppm
NO3: 10ppm

 

[Lavey29]

Alk: 9.9 dkH
Ca: 450ppm
pH: 8.0
PO4: 0.25ppm
NO3: 10ppm

Numbers aren't to bad. Phosphate little high. I dosed the bottle stuff to and saw coraline starting 4 months later. Coraline typically starts on plastic parts like powerheads first long before it shows up on rocks. If your tank is 8 months old your rocks sure look new and white? They should have had various colors of film algae forming on them over the last 8 months and then eventually the coraline will outcompete it if parameters and lights are good.

 

[djs4him]

Numbers aren't to bad. Phosphate little high. I dosed the bottle stuff to and saw coraline starting 4 months later. Coraline typically starts on plastic parts like powerheads first long before it shows up on rocks. If your tank is 8 months old your rocks sure look new and white? They should have had various colors of film algae forming on them over the last 8 months and then eventually the coraline will outcompete it if parameters and lights are good.

I worried about my exceptionally clean rocks as well. My lights are pretty abysmal.. they were designed for a freshwater tank. Santa has been notified.

Do you think I need more lighting to stimulate some biological growth? I was thinking I'd have more activity by now.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Will these diatoms prevent my coralline from growing? I seeded several bottles of coralline a month ago and I'm just waiting for it grow.

Should not and if tank is fairly new, it will take some time for formation of coraline. I have had coraline and Never placed elements in tank to force it. You will want to be more concerned right now with water chemistry, prevention of spikes and calcium will contribute to coraline buildup

 

[Lavey29]

I worried about my exceptionally clean rocks as well. My lights are pretty abysmal.. they were designed for a freshwater tank. Santa has been notified.

Do you think I need more lighting to stimulate some biological growth? I was thinking I'd have more activity by now.

Well yes that may be a problem and will prohibit any coraline growth that you would like. Parameters, lighting and flow are the 3 primary components of a reef tank and honestly after 8 months I would expect your white rocks to be all different colors now with various algae growth on them so you may want to look at a used salt water light option pending your Christmas deal.