Brown algae taking over my rock. Help me!!!!

[Danny_15]

I started a new tank and i already went threw the cycle and all, and got my diatom bloom. The diatom bloom wasnt that big of a problem cause there was only a little bit of it, most of it was on my sand. Then my rocks started turning green and i said ill just wait it out. Then things got worse!!! I see these brown strands popping up all over my rocks! Its been like 2 weeks with this problem and nitrates nitrites and amonia are at zero. I run a broken in skimmer and i reactor with bio pellets. I only have 2 fish and dont feed often. I also have corals in there in case that says anything i only got one lps (acans) and the rest sps (acroporas, birdsnest, plating montipora, and more) please help any advice helps!

 

[mbauma]

Test for phosphates and report back.

 

[outy]

That's cyano not algae, its common in new tanks. More flow helps as does cleaner water.

If I add carbon in any media reactor I get it.

Chemi clean works but If you use I would do so with caution, I have never had a problem with it.

 

[Danny_15]

Test for phosphates and report back.

Dont have test kit sorry

 

[Danny_15]

That's cyano not algae, its common in new tanks. More flow helps as does cleaner water.

If I add carbon in any media reactor I get it.

Chemi clean works but If you use I would do so with caution, I have never had a problem with it.

I use the fluval carbon bags and just leave it inside the filter socks

 

[outy]

I use the fluval carbon bags and just leave it inside the filter socks

Carbon like that is doing almost nothing.

Who knows what is causing your cyano with a tank so new. Could be normal and it could be lack of flow and or excess nutrients in water, or all three

 

[ReefkeeperZ]

looks like both a light covering of dinoflagellates to me and some cyano mixed in to boot

 

[ReefkeeperZ]

and just for clarity: you are never through your cycle, the cycle continues forever, the initial stage is establishing a cycle.

a possible cause for algaes like that to show are the CEC (cation exchange capacity) of rock and sand, it's very high meaning they absorb and release cations very easily, items such as phosphate etc, these things get absorbed during high nutrient times and stay bio-available to any algae that wants to grow on the surface the rock and sand release them for consumption and they remain untestable in your water column because they don't make it past the algae.

 

[Rover88]

How long has this tank been up and running? Just judging from the look of the rocks, I'm inclined to think a month or two at most.

 

[Danny_15]

How long has this tank been up and running? Just judging from the look of the rocks, I'm inclined to think a month or two at most.

2 months

 

[Rover88]

2 months

This will happen, its par for the course. Don't do anything too drastic to the tank and let it run its course. Its ugly, but its just one of the stages. Hopefully you didn't overstock with livestock or corals.

 

[Danny_15]

This will happen, its par for the course. Don't do anything too drastic to the tank and let it run its course. Its ugly, but its just one of the stages. Hopefully you didn't overstock with livestock or corals.

I overstocked with corals[emoji23] but i clean the corals anyways so thats no problem