5 Gallon Tank running since...

[pocari]

April 14, 2005, and I started to wonder what was growing in my tank. The last test I did was yesterday and my results were this.
pH: 8.4
Alkalinity: Normal
Nitrite: >1
Nitrate: 250/50
Ammonia: 0.5
I have brown algea growing on my marine sand along with plenty of tiny bubbles. I also have some red fungus like algea growing on the rocks. Bad or good? Pics will be up soon.

 

[pocari]

Another pic of the brown algae with tiny bubbles.

 

[pelena]

Looks like Creme Brulle to me. (custard desert with carmalized sugar topping)

 

[pocari]

Is this normal algae to have during the cycle?

 

[murph145]

algae feeds off of all the mitrates and other excess nutrients in your new tank... it takes time for the denitrifying bacterias and other cycle bacterias to get established and use up the amonia/nitrates etc then once all those numbers stabalize your algae blooms should go away.... sometimes it can be a pain in the butt though

 

[sammiefish]

looks like diatoms... usually the first of the blooms in a new tank... looks like things are going well.

 

[bigarn]

The stuff on the sand is diatoms, this is normal for a young tank and part of the maturing process. Usually once the silicates in the water are used up it will begin to dissapear. A cleanup crew would help also.
The red stuff on the rocks could be cyanobacteria. Be sure you have good water flow in the area of the growth, and perhaps cut back lighting time.

 

[pocari]

Alrighty, thanks for the help guys