Apologies if this is a stupid question, this is my first saltwater tank. I’ve done plenty of research and reading, and have kept numerous freshwater tanks in the past but this is my first salt. Fairly newly established, after cycling it has been stocked for a couple of months, 167g display tank and 37~g refugium (with refugium growing chaeto - dosing chaeto gro). Currently the tank only had a clown, 6 chromis, and 1 emerald crab. As usual, around this time I’ve started to get a lot of algae coming in, have quite a bit of hair algae towards the lights, and a lot of brown diatom on the sand bed. However over the last week or two I’ve started getting these clear bubbles along the top of my rock scape on both the sides of the tank (only a little bit of this is along the top rocks in the center of the tank). I also have a few of these along the back of the tank. I could be overthinking this and it could just be air bubbles, but seems like a lot? I read quite a bit to ID this and it doesn’t seem like bubble algae cause these are clear, from my understanding those are green. is this Dinos? The only thing I’m confused about is the fact that my nitrates are 17.4 Ppm at the moment, which I hear those thrive in extremely low nitrate and phosphate systems. I haven’t yet got a checked for phosphates. If it is relevant I use tropic Marin reef salt, but do not have coral as of yet. Ph reading 7.6-7.7
Anyone know what this is? If it’s likely just air bubbles or microalgae I’m not concerned, but if dinos it sounds like I should be acting right away.
Anyone know what this is? If it’s likely just air bubbles or microalgae I’m not concerned, but if dinos it sounds like I should be acting right away.