algae in a cycling tank

[thefickens]

What algaes are good in a tank thats 3 weeks into the cycling period? And what do they look like? In the past 24 hours brown grasslike algae and purplish algae showed up. it seems to only be in areas of high water flow.

ph - 7.8
ammonia - .25 ppm
nitrite - 0 ppm
nitrate - 10 ppm

 

[dixiegirl21191]

Pictures?

 

[thefickens]

The brown stuff u can't really see in pics. I'll post some as soon as I get a good shot. My phone doesn't do the best

 

[dixiegirl21191]

The brown stuff may just be diatoms which is completly normal in a cycling tank and should take care of itself as long as you are using ro/Di water. The purple might be cyano or coraline.

 

[jesse]

If its hard purple stuff u probably got your self a good start on coraline and that's a good sign.... I didn't start to get mine untill a couple of months later.

 

[Bifferwine]

Is the purple stuff soft or hard? If it's soft to the touch, that's bad -- it's slime algae (cyano). If the brown stuff is dusty/rusty, then those are diatoms. Diatoms and cyano are considered pest algaes, but both are completely normal in a newly set up tank and normally go away as the tank matures and as you improve your water quality.

Pictures would be needed to ID them for sure.

 

[thefickens]

The purple stuff is hard. I can't upload from my phone so when I get to a capable computer I will upload them

 

[thefickens]

And I have a mystery hitch hiker that only comes out in pitch black and as soon as the light turns on quick as hell it disappears into the rock. Anyone kno what that could be? It looks decent sized too.

 

[Bifferwine]

It could be a lot of things. Can you describe it? Even better, take a picture if you can.

 

[thefickens]

All I've seen is something black and brown streaking into the rock the second I turn on a light. It's too fast to see it clear and definitely can't take a pic.

 

[Bifferwine]

Is it always in the same spot? Try getting a better look at it with a flashlight, or even better -- one with a red lens.

 

[jesse]

If you have blue led moon lights then it might come out. My critters came out even with those lights.