New Biocube32 Algae I.D.

[Duck996s]

Hi everyone.
I have a Biocube32 that has been up (cycled) for about 4-5 weeks.
Things have been going pretty well.
Recently, a reddish brown stringy algae that has bubbles has been developing. I was hoping for the communities thoughts on it...normal new tank ugliness, something more? Most of it is thriving on a live rock I used during setup to help seed that came from my LFS. As you can see by the pics, I used mostly dry rock otherwise.
I cycled fishless dosing ammonia. Water is currently purchased via LFS, both RO/DI and salt.

Livestock is a pair of small clowns, a royal gramma, a fire shrimp, some hermits and some frags (polyps, zoas, acans).

I have done small weekly changes, prob 10%. Filter is stock basket using floss and bagged carbon. Feeding once a day, flake and some shrimp. We may be overfeeding, I notice a ton of food in the floss.

Parameters are currently: Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 5 Temp 78.5 Salinity 1.022 pH 8.0

Thanks in advance, love this forum!

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_pnoutjWNc

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Cyanobacteria which is pretty common in new tanks. Just continue doing routine water changes and it should go away on its own.

 

[RobZilla04]

You're gonna get several stages of uglies (especially if your started with what appears to be dry limestone rock).

Cyano can be eliminated with ChemiClean but I would wait a while until you pass the brown & green stages of algae.

 

[Duck996s]

Awesome, thanks for the replies. I'll keep up with water changes and try to manage through it that way and avoid the ChemiClean for the time being.

Now on to the next issue...where the heck is my Royal Gramma? Usually comes out of the rock when the lights start to come up and has been looking really happy lately. This AM, nowhere in sight. Hopefully just chilling out in the rocks. It's always something!

 

[mcgyvr]

While doing water changes try to siphon as much of the cyano out as possible..

And since you don't seem to have any corals turn the lights off until it goes away..

 

[Duck996s]

Thanks...I do have three corals. So do not turn out lights then, correct?

 

[mcgyvr]

Thanks...I do have three corals. So do not turn out lights then, correct?

With corals its recommended to still do a lights out but for no more than 3 days at a time.. They can easily tolerate 3 days without light..
Even just 3 days can put a big dent in cyanobacteria (not an algae btw but a bacteria..just a FYI)