bubbles on my CC? and other opinions needed

[toomanyhobbies]

First post, hopefully this is an easy question...I have been reading reading reading, but I have come to the point where I have to post a question.
What type of algae is this and I have read that both the bubbles are a good thing and I have read that they are bad.
This is my first tank (a 180 gallon) and it have 50lbs of CC and 40lbs of live sand, with 140lbs of live rock (that I used to cycle the tank with).
I have used well water and the current tests come at:
SG 1.0215
PH 8.4
ALK 3.6
ammonia .25 ppm
No2 zero
No3 zero
Temp 81
Currently there are no fish, but I do have 12 turbo snails and 25 blue leg crabs
I am on day 25...
Opinions? Anything I need to do before adding fish?
Thanks

 

[sepulatian]

Looks like diatoms to me. It is the first algae that you will get. It is also the ugliest. You will drive yourself nuts trying to get rid of it. It will subside, but detrivores don't realy like it. Drop a little food in once a week for them, not to much, just less than you think they would eat. Diatoms are a very normal part of salt tanks and the cycle.

 

[dawman]

Looks like you have diatoms[brown algae] which is common for new tanks and will go away . The bubbles are more likely a early stage of cyno and red algae will develop . I highly recommend that you get a Reverse Osmosis unit and change your water 25% at a time and get rid of that well water . The minerals and contaminants cause these algae problems to be more problematic then normal . Do you have a phosphate test kit ? I would get one , phosphates cause cyno and other algae problems .

 

[eugenez_21]

Agreed with top poster i had bubles all over my LR and i put a few powerheads in and they disapered then i got a nice out break of cyno.

 

[toomanyhobbies]

What’s the best was to get rid of it?
I did buy a phosphate kit today at the LFS and it the test came back .25 ppm
I had my wife (a chemist) test our regular well water at the kitchen sink and it tested the same .25 ppm
Should I still change out my well water with RO water?
my well water does go thru a filter then onto a Kinetco water softener first
and at one spot in my kitchen I have RO water, but the little tank in the basement only holds 2 1/2 gallons. When the 2 1/2 gallons is used up it has to do something for a while before I get another 2 1/2 gallons.
It would take forever to get 40 or 50 gallons.
Thanks for the responses

 

[earlybird]

Yep, get those phosphates out. RO water is the way to go. There are different RO units that offer a varitey of gallons per day.

 

[lion_crazz]

Yep, they are diatoms, a normal part of every saltwater tank. Keep the flow good, use clean RO water, and keep up on regular water changes. They will go away with time.

 

[b bauer]

dont mix the sand and cc you will have problems later.change to one or the other before you put fish in.also welcome to the board and dont be afraid to ask ? the people here are are real helpful