Algae Panic or No Worries?

[Exskwid]

I have had a 100G reef tank up for about 6 weeks. Dealt with the brown algae after cycling, but I'm not sure if what is growing in the tank is nuisance or coralline. Here are the stats:

100G, 140 lb. LR, 140lb. LS, skimmer (no sump)
SG = 1.026
Ammonia and nitrites = 0
Nitrates ~ 10 (depending on before or after water changes)
pH = 8.4
Temp = 80
Lights = Cree LEDs, white and actinic, white are on 8.5 hrs/day, actinic on 30 minutes before and after.

I dose the tank with B-Ionic 2-part solution, 25cc/day, to maintain pH @ 8.4.

15% water change every week (RODI from AW), with added Cycle, B-Ionic and Phyto Feast.

Fish include a couple of Damsels (I had hoped they would have met their demise during cycling, but no luck), Flame Angel, Percula and a Royal Gramma.

I'm starting to get green algae growing on all of the LR. It's not the hair variety, and the cleanup crew (3 species of snails, 2 species of Hermit Crabs) isn't making a dent in it. I am used to the normal red/purple coralline algae, but I've never seen it green. Should I panic or relax?



Here's a pic with the actinic lights off:



My apologies for the pics... If you need better pics to diagnose, please let me know. Thanks in advance!

Jeff

[jessegarcia28]

good,should soon turn into purple coraline, atleast ime

[Exskwid]

Thanks Jesse... If I need a witch doctor with a live chicken, I have one on speed-dial!

[Magiksurfman]

Fish include a couple of Damsels (I had hoped they would have met their demise during cycling, but no luck)....

i find this funny and messed up at the same time... looks like green coraline algae to me, nothin to worry about.

[Exskwid]

The wife, who has no experience with salt tanks, picked out the Damsels 'cause she thought they were pretty. I bought them because if Mama ain't happy, ain't no one happy! Thanks Magik.

[Jarederaj]

thats exactly how mine looks it started to grow a little bit on the glass and looks like a green coraline. it wont scrape off. i wish it was purple though

[coral diver]

Adding clean up crew will help control of the algae if they are algae, in 6 weeks time they should be introduced first IMO it's green algae and it's the right time that they should be appearing together with diatom on the sand bed (if you have sand)

[BigAir]

6 weeks, tank is still cycling... add more clean up crew.

[Exskwid]

Thanks everyone... Appreciate the rapid replies!

Jeff

[fishamigo]

I recently cycled a 125gal tank with LEDs and same green algae happened. No worries. Then I had a massive outbreak of Bubble Algae. Phosphate reactor and trippling the clean up crew worked. It may take 6months for you get all the controls right for stabilization. My name is Andres, and I have been algae free for 6 months. 'Algae Anonymous'

[JohnnyAirtime]

Can you "blow off" this algae thats on the rocks? Or is it stuck on, as-if it was coralline?

There's a green algae, that is NOT good... similar looking to how coralline starts, yet may have some small bubbles with the algae itself. And clean-up crews or tangs will not eat it either. It doesn't look like yours has these small bubbles I speak of, but it also doesn't have to have them to be considered bad algae. If yours doesn't blow off (with something like a turkey baster), and it's stuck on like glue or purple coralline...then maybe it's green coralline. Hard to tell in your pics.

My point, this green algae I speak of is usually because of a spike in certain elements or tank make up. For example high nitrates, or phosphates. Or too much magnesium, or some type of "supplement" addition that's being overdosed. Make sure you are checking your tank parameters for what your adding to the tank in supplement form. If your not testing for what your adding... STOP adding, until you get the proper test kits.

Here's a great picture of what green and purple coralline growth looks like on glass/acrylic;