Brown algae?

[TJDaddio]

I'm just through with my cycle and my rocks all of a sudden are getting color (they started as base rock), and I've noticed some light brown algae on my rocks and even on the corners of my tank. Is this normal?

Newbie here

Also just added a small piece of live rock that a friend gave me with two small red mushrooms and something else I don't know the name of - looks like a purple rock but then has neon green grass type stuff coming out of it. LOVE it

[dzfish17]

Diatoms... perfectly normal and will go away in 2/3 weeks. Just keep an on tank nutrients and you'll be fine.

[TJDaddio]

Diatoms? On tank nutrients like..?

[dzfish17]

Originally Posted by TJDaddio

Diatoms? On tank nutrients like..?

Diatom algae feeds on silicates (usually new sand) and is common for a new tank and should starve after all the silicates are gone. Phosphate and nitrate is what most other algae feeds on... keep those in check and you shouldnt have any issues.

[moe458]

keep the lights off. they will die off. I had taht happen in my cycle and once stopped using the lights it was gone within no time.

[TJDaddio]

Lights off for how long? I just scrubbed with the floating tank magnet and cleaned the glass, but its still on my base rock etc. I also justttt added two small red mushrooms that came with a few small feather duster hitchhikers and a small patch of what looks like neon green grass (don't know name). Would turning the lights off hurt these?

[AliciaP]

I give my tank 3 days of darkness sometimes. It shouldn't hurt your coral that sounds like green star polyp.

[tall_jason79]

the neon grass is probably green star polyp mostly known as GSP , probably has a purplish base.

[TJDaddio]

Yes that is exactly what it is thanks