Dust like algae

Shawn D · 10-30-2006, 08:28 PM

Over the past two days i have noticed a dust like algae (I think it is algae) growing on the glass of my tank. Is this part of the cycle, the tank is only 4 weeks old? If so should I add a cleanup crew? Or if you have read my other thread is this due to the fact that I have not had my filter running the past day and a half.

Thanks

gm333 · 10-30-2006, 08:35 PM

Yup, diatom algae, just scrape it off, it should disappear within a couple of weeks after your cycle.

Shawn D · 10-30-2006, 08:44 PM

Thanks for the super fast reply

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Tommy Gun · 10-30-2006, 09:49 PM

Just to add, my tank just 'finished' with this type of algea. It grew fast on the glass and I could have scrapped it off about every four hours or so. I still get some, but not even close to what I had. I am now into some longer growing algea that appears to only like the back of my tank's glass (which is black). I also am having some very red algea growing at the very top of my tank and in the slots for my overflow chamber. Are these also just a part of the cycling process of a SW tank or a sign of problems?

Hope this can help us both out Shawn since you can know what to look forward to or look out for. I have not been removing the algea from the back of the tank, which makes it look sort of crappy, but I figured that it might move onto my rocks for my angel and it is also hard to get to with the lights on top. Good idea or bad to leave it?

gm333 · 10-30-2006, 09:57 PM

You can leave it if you like, Show a pic of the red algae if you can, sounds like the start of cyano, just want to make sure its not.

stew · 10-31-2006, 12:23 AM

same problem, started a lot more since i got my pc light system. whats the best/easiest way to scrape it off.

gm333 · 10-31-2006, 12:44 AM

Mag float, or another type of magnet scraper.