What Kind of Algae is this?

[oyuelac]

Hi! I'm currently 5 weeks into keeping a 13 gallon nano reef! There is a question though, I have what I believe to be nearing the end of an ugly stage and there is some strange almost luminous light purple spots on my rock. It seems to be in four places around my tank, it feels too early for coralline and I only have some zoa frags with small coralline spots. May someone let me know what it could be or if it is coralline! and maybe what you all think of the current set up! these are my parameters as of 18FEB2025. Salinity - 1.025, NO4 - 0, NO3 - 0, NO2 - 30, Ca - 405, Alkalinity - 8, Mg - 1120

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Hi! I'm currently 5 weeks into keeping a 13 gallon nano reef! There is a question though, I have what I believe to be nearing the end of an ugly stage and there is some strange almost luminous light purple spots on my rock. It seems to be in four places around my tank, it feels too early for coralline and I only have some zoa frags with small coralline spots. May someone let me know what it could be or if it is coralline! and maybe what you all think of the current set up! these are my parameters as of 18FEB2025. Salinity - 1.025, NO4 - 0, NO3 - 0, NO2 - 30, Ca - 405, Alkalinity - 8, Mg - 1120

5 weeks is still a brand new tank, No fish ? (edit: I see the clown now)You will loose the cycle if you don't feed the good bacteria. Not sure on the algae, but highly doubt its coralline. The ugly stage is probably just beginning, and with low nutrients, dinos could be coming your way

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

You need to head over to the meet and greet thread and say hello to everyone, its here Meet and Greet Forum

 

[Steven Garland]

Still a VERY new tank. Its not coralline. Maybe a macro algae of some sort. Definitely need to get your nutrients up though.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

It looks more like diatoms to me, not coraline.

 

[oyuelac]

You need to head over to the meet and greet thread and say hello to everyone, its here Meet and Greet Forum

I will thank you!

 

[oyuelac]

Still a VERY new tank. Its not coralline. Maybe a macro algae of some sort. Definitely need to get your nutrients up though.

how should I go about getting them up?

 

[Steven Garland]

You can dose Brightwell Aquatics NeoNitro and NeoPhos,I dose 10ml of Nitro and 7.5ml of Phos every other day. Nyos and TONS of companies make nutrient supplements.

All the brown algae is diatoms,let the tank so its thing. Clean the glass,keep nutrients within range. Monitor and dose,monitor and dose so on and so on.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi! I'm currently 5 weeks into keeping a 13 gallon nano reef! There is a question though, I have what I believe to be nearing the end of an ugly stage and there is some strange almost luminous light purple spots on my rock. It seems to be in four places around my tank, it feels too early for coralline and I only have some zoa frags with small coralline spots. May someone let me know what it could be or if it is coralline! and maybe what you all think of the current set up! these are my parameters as of 18FEB2025. Salinity - 1.025, NO4 - 0, NO3 - 0, NO2 - 30, Ca - 405, Alkalinity - 8, Mg - 1120

Diatoms with film algae. Is tank at or near a window?

 

[oyuelac]

You can dose Brightwell Aquatics NeoNitro and NeoPhos,I dose 10ml of Nitro and 7.5ml of Phos every other day. Nyos and TONS of companies make nutrient supplements.

All the brown algae is diatoms,let the tank so its thing. Clean the glass,keep nutrients within range. Monitor and dose,monitor and dose so on and so on.

ill give that a try thank you! what range of nutrients should I try to aim for and how slowly should I try to reach for them?

 

[oyuelac]

Diatoms with film algae. Is tank at or near a window?

the nearest window is about 8 feet away and at most gets indirect sunlight but I do have a blackout shade on it that is only put up if I'm cleaning the room and need some extra light!

 

[vetteguy53081]

the nearest window is about 8 feet away and at most gets indirect sunlight but I do have a blackout shade on it that is only put up if I'm cleaning the room and need some extra light!

The issue is the UV from the sun which will penetrate blinds and shades. Indirect light produces algae and reason I suspected a window nearby. Place a sheet of black construction paper on the side facing window and you will see a reduction. Add a few snails such as astrea - nerite-cerith-turbo grazer and a few Caribbean blue leg hermits which will assist with cleanup

 

[oyuelac]

The issue is the UV from the sun which will penetrate blinds and shades. Indirect light produces algae and reason I suspected a window nearby. Place a sheet of black construction paper on the side facing window and you will see a reduction. Add a few snails such as astrea - nerite-cerith-turbo grazer and a few Caribbean blue leg hermits which will assist with cleanup

how many snails would you say to add since my tank is freshly cycled I'm not sure how many is too much for my current bacteria population to handle

 

[vetteguy53081]

how many snails would you say to add since my tank is freshly cycled I'm not sure how many is too much for my current bacteria population to handle

2-3 of each and 6 of the hermits which are Very tiny and stay small

 

[oyuelac]

2-3 of each and 6 of the hermits which are Very tiny and stay small

Thank you! will stop by my LFS and see what they have!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you! will stop by my LFS and see what they have!

Acclimate the snails well !!

 

[Steven Garland]

Generally 5-8ppm nitrates and phosphate at .01-.03 maaaaybe .05. I keep mine a little higher than that but I have a good cuc and well my tank loves it.

I'd say take your time,maybe over a few weeks. The tank is new,unstable and still growing. Going to fast with raising nutrients in a younger system could possibly be bad.

Reefcleaners is also a good site for info on what snails can help combat certain algaes and a good site to get inverts for you cuc.

 

[oyuelac]

Acclimate the snails well !!

ended getting two astrea snails and two nessarius snails and four blue legged hermit crabs! its really all they had in stock! they're being drip acclimated.

 

[oyuelac]

Generally 5-8ppm nitrates and phosphate at .01-.03 maaaaybe .05. I keep mine a little higher than that but I have a good cuc and well my tank loves it.

I'd say take your time,maybe over a few weeks. The tank is new,unstable and still growing. Going to fast with raising nutrients in a younger system could possibly be bad.

Reefcleaners is also a good site for info on what snails can help combat certain algaes and a good site to get inverts for you cuc.

will look into it and research some more on those nutrients and continue to monitor before adding anything! other than the snails!