New Tank Status and Algae Identification

[brittonv]

Aquarium has been up for a couple months now.

I used only Pukani Dry Rock and seeded/aged it in a bin prior to putting it into my tank.

My Phosphates and Nitrites are 0 as tested with hana checkers and Red Sea test kits. My Chato has been growing well in the sump.

I put in some pieces of coral with coraline algae about 2 months ago along with some snails and a couple shrimp. I have yet to see any coraline Algae seed/spread to any of the pukani BRS Rock. Instead I see dark brown spots, looks like Algae (Click for full size image).



During my tank life My Calcium has been from 370 up to 476 and back down to 424 where I am going to try to keep it.

ALK I just started my program... 2 minutes a day to keep it steady, but has been between 8.3 and 9.3

Any comments on what I should be doing differently or where I am? I expected to see Coraline Algae spread by this point but I am not seeing that.

What is this growing?

https://www.youtube.com/embed/QZ9yFDHHpNI

 

[brittonv]

Nobody?

 

[Saltliquid]

Okay how often are you seeding your tank with light excepting species of coralline scrapings?
Are you adding far to much magnesium variations, corallines love this, in fact with out good mag dosing, it will rarely ever show.
I use mag chloride hexahydrate, Epsom salts and another I forget its name.
Coralline is slow till your tank hits that good to go mark and in a new tank, getting fast growth is hit and miss, normally miss!
For corallines to go to spore regularly when it is there, you need to vary the aquariums temps, this will signal calcium based or normal algae to go to spore.
If you want corallines do not keep sea urchins.
The brown spots look like algae, or another expanding life form that is not easily accessible to any clean up crew members, do you use any?
Your KH is fine! What is your PH?
What temp and salinity do you have?
The video, don’t know, don’t care, the ocean is diverse, if in doubt vac/siphon it out with your water change.
With too much mag, symbiotic with algae life like corallines love it and not so great algae hates it!

 

[tkeracer619]

Looks like diatoms. It's the first stage. You will likely go through many. Sounds like things are going well. It takes time to get good corraline coverage. Keep doing what you're doing.

 

[cloak]

That white flowing stuff in the video might be Chrysophytes. As far as those brown spots go, if they come off real easy then they're probably Diatoms, if not, you might want to look into Lobophora. GL.