White "stuff" in the groves of my live rock?

[Zero333]

OK so i have what looks like white stuff forming in the little crevices in my live rock. Any idea what this is. I am currently doing a test right now, but just wondering if this is some type of algea growth? It is hard and i tried scratching at it and not much happened, didn't go away/come off.

thanks

[EL Diablo]

sounds like it could be a little bit off die off.

When did you add the LR?

[Zero333]

I added the rock the day after i set up the tank about 3 weeks ago. Water levels seem to be normal,,, Nitrite is kinda low and Alk is on the low side of normal.

[Zero333]

Ok so things have gotten a little worse. It seems that there is now brown algae growing in the tank. Not hairy, but algae nonetheless. Also it looks as if the one mushroom i have (came with live rock) is withering up. What do you guys/girls think is going on. Should i be worried,,, what should i do,, is this normal?? I am currently not at my tank and will not be until late tonight/tomorrow. So any steps i should take when i get there?

thanks

also fyi it is a 10 gal nano-reef setup,,, trying to get it working right now.

[Phyl]

We went through that algae bloom right about the same point in time (2.5w) and it was horrible. We wanted to put a blanket over the tank for the time being because we had this 120gl eye sore in our living room! The good news is that it doesn't last forever and now we just have a little bit of it on the sand. The water went through a really cloudy phase as well and then just after we added the live rock (about the 3.5w mark) it all cleared up. Now it is just a joy to watch. Hang in there. The next week or so is all but unbearable! I have some white patches on my rock but it doesn't seem to be getting any worse.

Phyllis

[Zero333]

good to hear.So brown stuff is normal, this calms me down alot. Should i keep the light on over it? This might aid it's growth, but i would like to try to keep the mushroom alive?

thanks

[Phyl]

I didn't have anything live in my tank when it started so I dropped my lighting use WAY back. I'm not sure what I would do if I actually had a life form in the tank. Sorry I can't be of any help there. Good luck waiting through the algae bloom. That was the hardest part for me. The waiting. UGH!

"They" say taht if you get this algae bloom on an established tank it speaks to water quality but on a cycling tank it is to be expected (chalk it up to one more think they never told you at the LFS, lol).

Phyllis