Green 'film' algae

[RaymondL]

So my tank is just over 7 months old - it's past the ugly phase, but there's green algae coating the rocks - my phosphates have been consistent at 0.02 and nitrates at 3.5ppm.

Being new to reefing, is this normal to have this green algae coating, and before Coraline takes over? It's not hair algae, or anything like that, it's just plain green algae.

 

[Dan_P]

So my tank is just over 7 months old - it's past the ugly phase, but there's green algae coating the rocks - my phosphates have been consistent at 0.02 and nitrates at 3.5ppm.

Being new to reefing, is this normal to have this green algae coating, and before Coraline takes over? It's not hair algae, or anything like that, it's just plain green algae.

Sounds normal. Seven months is a new system.

 

[RaymondL]

Sounds normal. Seven months is a new system.

Thanks - I thought algae needs lots of phosphates and nitrates to begin and flourish, and since I don't have that, it contradicts that fact - no?

 

[I never finish anythi]

Thanks - I thought algae needs lots of phosphates and nitrates to begin and flourish, and since I don't have that, it contradicts that fact - no?

Just get an urchin to clean rock work . They are very good

 

[Dan_P]

Thanks - I thought algae needs lots of phosphates and nitrates to begin and flourish, and since I don't have that, it contradicts that fact - no?

The conditions that are good for growing coral are good for growing algae. With higher amounts of phosphate and nitrate, the mess can be bigger and possibly more persistent. Also, water chemistry is not necessarily a perfect indicator whether something unsightly will grow on the sand. That idea seems to be hobby folklore. I think a better correlation is the years spent in the hobby is inversely proportional to the time spent worrying about the uglies

 

[TheBear78]

I'm a year in and still get occasional patches of diatoms on the sand and some kind of brown hair algae on the rear glass. Luckily my Foxface and Convict Tang eat this so it's not a major problem.
I've also had GHA, Cyano, bubble algae and generic green film on the rocks but all of this has just been part of the ugly phase that system maturity (and patience) has beaten. I do have coralline algae now in patches on my rocks but from what I've experienced, this tends to start on plastic parts such as the weir comb, return nozzle and wavemaker cage.
Testing low Phos and Nitrate just means that there isn't much in the water. This could be because it is actually low or because some of it is being consumed by coral and/or algae.