What is this green algae? Coralline?

[Magnus]

Hey everyone,

Started a new 33 gallon tank. It's been up and running for about 6 weeks. Just wondering what the bright green algae is (see picture). My levels are all at zero, so I don't know if the tank cycled or not. It has a small chunk of live rock and a bag of lives sand.

Oh I also noticed amongst the bright green is a darker green slime-like substance. Not sure if irbid a cyano or what.

 

[Sniperhank]

The slime is cyano.

Did you present an ammonia source? If not your tank isn't cycled.


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[Magnus]

Yeah. I left a chunk of shrimp in the tank for 48 hrs. Would that have not started the cycle and completed it?

What should I do about the cyano, and what is the bright green stuff?

 

[Sniperhank]

The green stuff is a nuisance algae. It and the cyano feed off of the nutrients in the water column, aka what you are using to cycle the tank. Don't turn on your lights and it should fade away. You can also scrub off the algae in a separate container and put it back into the tank.
48 hours of having a shrimp in the tank will start your cycle, so you should be seeing some ammonia readings. Keeping the shrimp in there will keep providing ammonia through the cycle and once you get no detectable readings of ammonia and nitrite after you see them spike up will mean you are cycled.

 

[Magnus]

Ok. If all my numbers are zero now I am assuming the cycle is good to go after 6 weeks. I'll try keeping the lights off for a few days and seeing how that works. Thanks for the help.

 

[Sniperhank]

Has the shrimp been in there for 6 weeks or 2 days? Was the rock purchased as 'live' and kept submerged through transit? You could be cycled if that was the case.

 

[Magnus]

No I messed up. Took the shrimp out after two days. So I'll keep the lights off for a few days to get the algae under control, then start the cycle again but I'll leave the shrimp in the whole time.