Algae or Cyanobacteria?

[Scoot]

3 weeks into a cycle - ammonia is *finally* coming down, nitrites coming up.

I've asked before, and cyanobacteria were suggested.

This brown stuff is really covering the tank - I cleaned off the front glass yesterday and its already starting to covert it again...

It's does NOT seem to be slimy - when I scrape it off the glass with my sponge brush, it comes off powdery.

Its covering everything - live sand, LR, the glass, decorations, even some growing on the heater.

The stuff growing on the LR is very fuzzy - like peach fuzz, but in other places its longer, thicker, almost like little blades of grass. Its even growing on decorative stuff.

Is this stuff a good sign or not?

 

[TheRealFF]

Diatom is my best guess. I used to have those when i was cycling. If it's really diatom, it'll die off eventually. No worries

 

[pkremer]

The stuff on your sand looks like diatom algae to me...that has a powdery consistency; however, the algae on your rock does not look like diatom. Perhaps a form of hair algae. Cyanobacteria has a tendency of trapping bubbles and is slimy.

How much light are you giving this rock? You are in the middle of your cycle it sounds like, and most recommend that you only have your lights on to look at the tank, and no more than that. You cycle is when your tank is full of nutrients that can stimulate nusiance algae...

Paul

 

[Scoot]

Lights are on during the day. I'll stop that habit right now (hadn't heard that reccomendation before).

Yeah, the stuff is powerdery, but there is also fuzzy and hairy-looking stuff growing on LR and decorative pieces.

 

[pkremer]

Yeah, having the lights on right now is a bad idea. When you cycle with live rock, there is a huge ammonia swing, a huge nitrite swing, and then usually a nitrate swing. If you have your lights on during this cycle, algae can start using the nitrate that is building to go crazy!

Much better idea to leave the lights off, wait for the cycle to complete, and then do a 50% water change to knock the nitrates down. Believe me, your rock will handle this just fine. Mine went without lights for almost 3 weeks, and I still have a lot of coralline algae thriving a few weeks later!

Paul

 

[Scoot]

I'm familiar with the cycle (although I'm a n00b). I'm in the Nitrite build-up phase now. Just passed 5.0 mg/L and climbing. Nitrates are still low, around 20ppm.

Thanks for the info. The cycle has been Slllllloooooowwww, (4th week now, just started seeing ammonia drop a few days ago from a high of 20 ppm), and i'm getting impatient

 

[ddm_aet]

i just found a new product for saltwater bio spira was just for freshwater but they made a saltwater version, introduces the four benefical bacteria strands you need for your tank. supposely it will cycle your tank faster...