Algae ID

[Baronen]

I’ve got two tanks and both of them have this brown orange algae that grows on the sand and glass. Doesn’t seem to affect livestock and it rarely if ever bubbles.

 

[Spare time]

Is the tank new? If it is, it'll go away if it is diatoms which is what I suspect. If the tank isn't new, then it could be a silicate issue.

 

[Baronen]

One tank is quite new. Like a month or so. The other, the sand is about two months old. I’m hoping it is just diatoms as well

 

[Spare time]

One tank is quite new. Like a month or so. The other, the sand is about two months old. I’m hoping it is just diatoms as well

It'll go away don't worry. As long as you aren't using tap water its no problem.

 

[Baronen]

Here are some more pics when it’s close to water change time. The weird thing is it doesn’t dust off the glass. It more clumps off. Still think Diatoms?? I’ve had Dino’s and they were a lot more strand like and would grow back full force within 24-48 hours where this stuff takes almost a full week to get back to where it was at before removal. I’m just hoping this isn’t a different species of Dino’s or something

 

[Baronen]

Is this just textbook diatoms? I apologize if it is as I've asked the same question a few times now but I always. thought diatoms dusted off things. you can see in that last pic it clumps away when scrapped off. reminds me of cyano a little. would appreciate any insight
Tested params today
No3: 5
PO4: .05-.1 can never really tell
ALK: 7, or maybe even a tad lower. was surprised by this and have started to look into ways to raise

 

[Baronen]

Anybody? The brown film has pretty much completely covered the glass

 

[Spare time]

Unless you see stringy bubbles coming off the algae like snot then I wouldn't worry. I wonder if PNS ProBio would work without lowering nitrate too much. New tanks don't have much microbial life compared to established tanks. Right now your tank if having a battle between/within the protists and bacteria and such as there is a new "ocean" for them to compete over until they balance out.

 

[Spare time]

You can try conchs, cerith, trochus, nerite, and astrea snails if it is diatoms. https://joejaworski.wordpress.com/2013/10/03/whats-the-best-snail-for-a-reef-tank/

 

[Baronen]

So I did a three day black out and things looked good, but it’s back again. Bubbles in some places. No strings, just a film. This must be Dino’s? My anemone is in a tubber ware cause it was angering that paly rock which has slowly recovered a little bit. Coraline growth has been very good recently, but so is this brown algae

 

[Spare time]

Does it seem like hair algae that falls apart to the touch?

 

[Baronen]

Does it seem like hair algae that falls apart to the touch?

It is a film that breaks up into small chunks when scrapped off. I have a pic above where I'm scrapping it off with a card, and then shortly after you can see how it appears