growth on LR

[JD]

i have some browny / orangey stuff growing on my live rock seemed to appear quite quickly i only g0t the live rock this week it didnt have it when i got it is it algae?

2 pics here of the rock

www.gskills.com/temp/rock1.jpg
www.gskills.com/temp/rock2.jpg

its a little darker than in those pics due to the flash. i only have 1 molley/mollie fish in there, the tanks been running for about 2 weeks now.


26g Tank
1x Arcadia Marine Light
1x Arcadia UVA / Moonlight
External Filter Resun AE-808 - Pump Output 1500L/H - 394 Usg/H

[jman785]

That looks to me, like an outbreak of cyanobacteria...slowly building up.

Cerith snails do an excellent job, fighting cyanobacteria...

Your best bet...is to monitor your tanks water...by testing...or bringing it to the LFS and testing.

I suggest checking for phosphates, iron, and nitrate.

Take a tooth brush and try to remove some of it.

This bloom is just starting, it only gets worse if it is cyano...most tanks outbreak a few times, until they get settled in, so don't fear ;) You've done nothing wrong. I suggest changing the water, and buying a clean-up crew, with blue leg hermits, turbo snails, cerith snails...sand sifting starfish are nice to help keep the bloom stirred up on the substrate...

Report back with the results of your water tests for further help JD

[MikeS]

I could b cyano, but at two weeks old, I'd suspect that is a diatom bloom. Common in new tanks, and caused by silicates in the water. Is it growing on your glass as well?

Do you use tap water?

Mike

[jman785]

I'm guessing tap water is the cause of this.

Diatoms are brown and hard to get off glass, this could be either of the two.

If its red, then it cyanobacteria.

If its brown/orangy like you said, then it must be a diatom algae bloom, as Mike has stated.

Mike

You've got me again! hehe

:-D

[JD]

no my glass is fine and water is very clear untill i added the lr ive noticed no algae at all, yeh i use tap water atm i dont have any alternative till i get hold of a RO/DI unit.

im going to my lfs tommorrow to get a test kit for those you mentioned as i only have nitrite/ph/carbonate atm all those levels are fine, and to see if i can get any of those snails etc.

edit: is there anything else i could do apart from what uve said

thanks for ur help so far btw.

[jman785]

JD,

Just get some algae fighting snails/crabs...they both will help your journey into this outbreak...

Get a phosphate remover, and a nitrate remover...that's what I'd do ;)

Get a master test kit...that does everything, pH, Alkalinity (dKH), Calcium (Hardness), Iron, Phosphate, Nitrite, Nitrate.

I stick with Salifert test kits, as they have some great accuracy...never seen a bad one, in my days :)

Test the phosphate and iron in your tap water, while your at it. :) If they are high, then maybe you should consider purchasing a RO/DI unit fast...if you do, you'll notice a change in your water chemistry MAJORLY. Good Luck JD.

Report back, with details.

[MikeS]

yeah, I agree, one of the best things you can do is stop using tap water...nasty stuff....losts of nitrate, phosphate, silicate, iron, copper, ect.....


I'm guessing tap water is the cause of this.

Diatoms are brown and hard to get off glass, this could be either of the two.

If its red, then it cyanobacteria.

If its brown/orangy like you said, then it must be a diatom algae bloom, as Mike has stated.

Mike

You've got me again! hehe

:-D


well...I'm just guessing form the pics and newness of his tank...it could be cyano, I've seen all different colors of cyano....the black and purple cyano are particularly nasty..... :shock: :-D

Mike

[jman785]

I had a blend of cyanobacteria, once my tank started.

It was once red, and then over time, ended up dark red, then to black...the longer it went on, the harder it was to remove from rocks, and the more it spread...weird outbreak. It finally goes away, out of nowhere :)

[JD]

ok def getting a full test kit 2moro at my local lfs , i asked the guy there about it and he said it will be just growth on the rock at that point in time it was just on the LR now it is starting to go on all my rocks and i noticed some small patches on the glass, i also read somewhere that cleaning the filter media out of my external filter (e.g bio balls) with tap water kills the bacteria that process amonia etc i did the first clean out shortly before i got the LR.. my LFS said i cant put anything in the tank till its cycled other than the mollie, so far his advice has been correct but i dont like arguing with someone who is supposed to know what to do. and i dont want to see my tank covered in this algae. if the cycle isnt complete would snails and such things die? obviously this is the case wth fish.

i did do a 25% water change that seemed to help a bit.

26g Tank
1x Arcadia Marine Light
1x Arcadia UVA / Moonlight
External Filter Resun AE-808 - Pump Output 1500L/H - 394 Usg/H
2x Aqua Clear Powerheads

[MikeS]

yes, the snails would not fare well in a cycling tank.

I'd avoid the mollies also....your tank should be cycling fine with the LR.

Mike

[SaltyDawg]

Adding a Power head to circulate the water over the LR could help also. I agree with Mike on this. Looks like a diatom bloom.
Wayne

[jman785]

Now that I can see it properly...without being on dialup...I can identify the brownish, orange, as you've stated to be a diatom bloom, as Wayne and Mike have already stated.

[JD]

yeh ive added 2 powerheads for better water circulation my levels are.

Nitrate is 12.5mg/l
Ammonia is 0.50 ?
Nitrite < 0.3
Ph 8.5

[SaltyDawg]

Looking at your levels, I would say you are starting to peak in the cycle. If you amonia gets much higher you might want to do a 20% water change.
Wayne

[Angelscrx]

Adding a Power head to circulate the water over the LR could help also. I agree with Mike on this. Looks like a diatom bloom.
Wayne

This is what I did and added some red leg hermits ans snails. Cleaned it right up. Now the only time I see it is if there is a spot with little water circulation. Then if the critters don't get it I just turn a wave maker in that direction. Fix it quick though it spreads like wild fire.

[JD]

thanks for ur help guys its starting to improve now my ammonia is droping to near .25 im glad its starting to go its easy to panic when you see that stuff growing everywhere.