Algae ID

[BamboozleBean]

Brand new tank of about 2 weeks, I think some of it is diatoms but some off it is almost like brown hair algae. Any ideas? It’s on the sand and glass.

 

[Greg Goby]

As your tank matures it will go through various stages of the "uglies". It is normal and every tank goes through these cycles until the bacteria inside reaches a balance. I recommend waiting it out and not adding any chemical to attempt to fix it. Time is the answer.

 

[BamboozleBean]

As your tank matures it will go through various stages of the "uglies". It is normal and every tank goes through these cycles until the bacteria inside reaches a balance. I recommend waiting it out and not adding any chemical to attempt to fix it. Time is the answer.

Understood thanks for the advice, would you recommend adding some snails or just letting the algae do it’s thing

 

[Greg Goby]

A couple of turbo snails were the first thing I added to my tank. They are not necessary to clean the algae you are experiencing right now, they won't be able to keep up with it. I have also found snails to be pretty sensitive to changes in water quality so I may not recommend them so early on unless you just really want to put something in there. The rocks in your tank will populate with natural beneficial bacteria over the next month or two and you will see that nuisance algae go away. I think the majority of reefers, myself included, deal with nuisance algae at some point or another well after the beginning stages of the tank (like green hair algae, turf algae, bubble algae). Getting comfortable with the chemistry of your tank now via testing will pay dividends in the future in helping you avoid nutrient or chemical issues. The amount of light, its quality, and intensity will also play a large roll in how those types of nuisance algaes do or don't develop in your tank later on.

I'm rambling but what you have now is totally normal and expected. Get quality test kits and a refractometer for salinity if you don't already have it. Happy reefing!