Algae ID

[Bear Claw]

This algae has suddenly and aggressively popped up in my tank recently. It’s a fairly young g tank and I recently added 3 new fish to it. I just cleaned the sand bed but i’ve been getting firm sheets of red cyano and a green one i’m not sure of. The rest is this slime stuff you see that’s covering everything. I added new corals yesterday and it is already on them. I picked up a pincushion urchin today but i did it more because I like the invert less to clean it up (yes I will feed it i’ve kept them before). If anyone has the id and treatment for this algae that would be very helpful. I just really do not want it to kill my corals. Tahnk you!

 

[StartingATank]

You didn't attach a pic, btw

 

[Bear Claw]

 

[StartingATank]

Looks like Dinos to me………..

 

[BryanM]

Stringy with bubbles usually = dinos.

Can you tell us more about the tank? age, size, water parameters, filtration, flow, light?

 

[EnterName]

I would say it's a mixture of diatoms and dinoflagellates, possibly containing cyanos on the substrate. A microscope would help with the identification.

However, if this really is just a new tank you are probably going through what is known as "the ugly phase". This is totally normal and expected. You don't need to do anything besides keeping nutrient (nitrate and phosphate) levels low and it will pass on its own.

Diatoms are first. Small microalgae that color the sand brown like covered in a rusty dust. They disappear on their own and are harmless.

Sometimes dinoflagellates appear as well. In established tanks they can become a nightmare, but in new tanks they are common. They produce a brown slime that sometimes makes distinguishing them from diatoms difficult.

Later green hair algae takes over. It will deplete nutrients rapidly and adding more will just feed the algae. Depending on the setup it will disappear as well sooner or later and then the ugly phase is finally over.

Corals will not appreciate the current environment. Fast growth of any sort depletes nutrients and trace elements while the slime irritates corals and prevents light from getting to them for photosynthesis.