Diatoms or something else?

[Keko21]

I thought my ugly phase might have passed, i had diatoms everywhere, all over the sanf rocks and glass. Lasted about a month. A few days ago I noticed my tank was super clean no diatoms or sand or rock and thought they subsided.
This afternoon I noticed more algae growing only on the rocks- looks a bit more thick than the diatoms I had before. And a bit more yellowy green than brown. Is this ugly phase part 2 or something new?

Below is my tank a little over a month ago:

 

[HankstankXXL750]

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this is probably the start of GHA, green hair algae. What are your nitrate and phosphate levels, and what do you have for a CUC clean up crew?

 

[Glenner’sreef]

You’re right, diatoms part II usually isn’t a thing when starting a tank. Cut your lighting down and make sure you don’t have direct even diffused light from a nearby window hitting the tank. Light, Nutrients, Water = Algae. Agreed with above, check and keep phosphates low. Good luck.

 

[Keko21]

Parameters:
90 gal system (72gal DT)
Temp: 75.8*F
Lights Red Sea 90s: (50% blue, 15% white)
Salt: 1.026
pH: 8.2
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 7-10ppm
Ammonia: 0
Alk: 6.5
Calcium: 480
Phos: .04

tank has been cycled for 3 months.

CUC:
15 various hermit crabs
13 Astraea snails
50 dwarf cerith snails
17 Florida cerith
18 Nassarius Vibex snails
1 scarlet cleaner shrimp
1 Blood Red Fire Shrimp
1 tiger snapping shrimp
1 tile sea star

No natural light hitting hit. I definitely have GHA in the sump which i recently cleaned out and added 2 emerald crabs in the fuge

 

[Lavey29]

Looks like the start of GHA. You do realize you will be dealing with ugly phases throughout the course of most of the first year right?

 

[Keko21]

Looks like the start of GHA. You do realize you will be dealing with ugly phases throughout the course of most of the first year right?

So the legend goes lol

 

[Lavey29]

So the legend goes lol

Starting with dead rock will prove the legend for you too.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

Parameters:
90 gal system (72gal DT)
Temp: 75.8*F
Lights Red Sea 90s: (50% blue, 15% white)
Salt: 1.026
pH: 8.2
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 7-10ppm
Ammonia: 0
Alk: 6.5
Calcium: 480
Phos: .04

tank has been cycled for 3 months.

CUC:
15 various hermit crabs
13 Astraea snails
50 dwarf cerith snails
17 Florida cerith
18 Nassarius Vibex snails
1 scarlet cleaner shrimp
1 Blood Red Fire Shrimp
1 tiger snapping shrimp
1 tile sea star

No natural light hitting hit. I definitely have GHA in the sump which i recently cleaned out and added 2 emerald crabs in the fuge

Looks like your parameters are in line. But GHA is a fact of life. I believed I had it totally whipped in my 210g S1000. Then I added a light on the extra sump compartment to grow frags. Have algae there now. My CUC takes care of it in DT.

Pretty big clean up crew IMO so they should probably keep up.

 

[Shawn4455]

Looks like your parameters are in line. But GHA is a fact of life. I believed I had it totally whipped in my 210g S1000. Then I added a light on the extra sump compartment to grow frags. Have algae there now. My CUC takes care of it in DT.

Pretty big clean up crew IMO so they should probably keep up.

Chiming, Over the years I have started several tanks but never got a GHA problem because I had a type of algae blenny, my new build I'm trying to stay away from an algae blenny, would snails and crabs be okay? Or should I do water changes to bring things down? Or is GHA just apart of a new tank

 

[HankstankXXL750]

Chiming, Over the years I have started several tanks but never got a GHA problem because I had a type of algae blenny, my new build I'm trying to stay away from an algae blenny, would snails and crabs be okay? Or should I do water changes to bring things down? Or is GHA just apart of a new tank

We love our lawnmower blennies have one in each of two tanks, and got a starry blenny which is basically the same thing only different colors. However I believe you can control with the proper invertebrates. I ended up buying a large package from some site that had a combination of blue legged hermit crabs, astria snails and two or three others. I don’t think you can beat turbo grazers. I do think that even with lower nutrients GHA is a reality. I think some say in time it can go away with tank maturity, don’t know if it’s that, or just a more mature CUC.

I haven’t gotten any in my latest tank, but still fighting cyano a bit. Probably be the next phase, but I’m keeping my nutrients lower in this one. Learned that cycling and then a huge water change makes a huge difference in you starting point.

I also love tangs, so I get a good assist from them. However in my older predator tank I don’t seem to have GHA now. But I did and I use carbon dosing, an auto turf scrubber and a refugium. However I have some lingering (I think turf algae) that I can’t seem to beat. Have shark, puffers and lion fish so no real CUC as they would only be food.