Newbie needs help

[Kurgan]

Hi all, this is my first saltwater tank. I have this stuff growing on my sandbed and rocks and not sure if it’s cyano or diano or anything else. I have been doing weekly 10-15% water changes and yes I have been feeding a little too much but I don’t know what it is so I can’t clear it up. Any help would be awesome

 

[KrisReef]

That’s a beautiful color. What kind of rocks and sand did you use to start this tank?

It probably just needs to run it’s course.

Do you have a clean up crew, or fish or coral in the system?

 

[Kurgan]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I used live rock and sand, i have clownfish and two hermit crabs and around 7 anemones. I used a “fish specialist” who cleans and services marine tanks to set it up. I’m just not sure what it is.

 

[MikeyZo]

How old is the tank? All new tanks go through “ugly cycles” where things bloom and die. It looks like cyano to me, but doesn’t look horrible yet. Check your nitrates and phosphate levels, you can suction some of it out, and adding a little more flow usually helps.

Here’s a website that explains s different nuisance algaes

Reef Cleaners

A good guide to identify most of the nuisance algae that plagues the hobby. Complete with pictures and suggested treatments

www.reefcleaners.org

 

[Kurgan]

Thanks bud, it’s around 5 weeks. I totally forgot about the ugly cycle lol, appreciate the link and help

 

[KrisReef]

some things we need to forget.

 

[five.five-six]

Looks like cyano to me. Let it run its course. You can chemiclean it but that just increases your chances of another nuisance and some of them are worse, a lot worse. Diatoms and dinoflagelets come to mind.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I agree it looks like cyano.

Manual removal, more flow, and reduced organics (skimming, water changes, GAC, purigen, etc.) are all ways to deal with cyano.

In a dire problem with cyano, antibiotics can work, but it can come back if the issues are not resolved.