Do you guys think this looks like coraline?

So for the last couple of days i've been starring at the tank and watching this slow progression of algae growth. The diatoms have started to dissapear, and in its place is growing what you see here. What you guys think it is?




And heres a bonus pic of what I think is a peacock worm or similar.

 

Looks a wee bit as if it could be the beginnings of cyanobacteria. Colraline grows in a little hard crusty patch (Dunno how else to describe it).

 

It is cyanobacteria...not good....
Danny

 

Im turning the lights off now. Had them on a few hours a day for me to do some viewing :-[

I dun want cyano

 

Aw Cheer up. It happens to the best of us! I don't think there's one person in here that hasn't had it.
What are your water stats? What are your tank stats? How often are you feeding?

 

ammonia, nitrites, nitrates all at 0. All other stats are within limits. Only the phosphate is a little high. But am taking steps to change that with RODI changes.
Tank is only 3 weeks old! Theres no livestock at all so theres no feeding either.

 

Cyano is normal, esp. for a cycling tank. You shouldnt have your lights on anyways, so I would just turn them off.


Luna

 

Cyano happens. As the tank matures it will eventually go away. I had a small patch in my 75 and it dissapeared after about a month - luckily it didn't spread. What's your flow / turnover in your tank? Cyano doesn't like lots of water flow and usually appears in areas with little current.

 

My flow is alright, in another few weeks I should be getting my VorTech MP10, but for the time being I dont think I have a flow problem as the cyano is growing where there is the most movement in the tank. Will leaving the lights off kill all the algae and end up starving the population of pods I currently have?

 

+1 to cyano

nutrient export + cuc that eats cyano = no more cyano

Flow helps to keep it short and not string up, but all the flow in the world and you still get cyano. Oddly enough in nature you find it more often in turbulent areas than those with less flow, but I think that is related to light penetration, (low in turbid areas) and competition from space (low in areas with heavy wave/current action)

cyano comes right back after the lights out, unless a different nuisance algae takes over instead.