Help, live rock question =/

[marisela21]

Hi. I am new to this saltwater fish hobby

.... I've only had my saltwater fish tank for about a week and a half now. No fish yet, waiting for the water to be perfect, BUT i'm really worried because on the "Live Rock" there appears to be orange dots. Should I be worried?? I touched it to check if it was slimy but it is not. It just disappears/dissolves. Help, Please!!!!

 

[smallreef]

Probably diatoms... can you get a picture?
Not really any need to worry... especially since you are still in your cycle you will get diatom blooms and an algae bloom also possibly...

 

[snakeblitz33]

You'll get successions of different types of algaes - diatoms, green slime, hair algae, bubble algae, other macroalgaes and then purple coralline algae... it's all part of the process.
Orange dots to me either sound like diatoms or maybe even small orange sponges... but I can't be sure without a pic.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/392011/help-live-rock-question#post_3479006
You'll get successions of different types of algaes - diatoms, green slime, hair algae, bubble algae, other macroalgaes and then purple coralline algae... it's all part of the process.
Orange dots to me either sound like diatoms or maybe even small orange sponges... but I can't be sure without a pic.
Yes...LOL..I hate new tanks because of the stages they go thru.
Cyanobacteria..the bad stuff usually gets all over the sand first, and if it wasn't bad...it's kind of pretty. It lifts up like a little blanket, it is a purple redish color and is a bit slimmy to the touch and often you can see tiny bubbles under the blanket. It will get on rocks, and is not an algae but a bacteria.
I don't think that's what you have...but without a picture it could be anything.

 

[marisela21]

So I'm guessing there is not need to "freak out" lol... Like I've said I'm new to this hobby so I don't know what is normal, good or bad lol..... Thank You all for your replies!!! I really appreciate it!!!! So this wont harm my fish or anything right??

 

[snakeblitz33]

looks like little bits of diatoms to me. Harmless... and will probably get worse over the course of the next week or two as the tank ages.

 

[marisela21]

Thank You! Is there anything I can do to make it better? I will be getting my fish this Tuesday (clown fish), it wont harm it right? I heard that the fish will eat it, is that correct?

 

[snakeblitz33]

Never heard of a diatom eating fish.. and diatoms and algae do not harm fish.
Diatoms use silicate to make their shells. Once all the silicate is used from the sand, the diatoms will go away completely. This takes one to two weeks.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/388776/guides-for-new-hobbyists

 

[marisela21]

Ohhhhh ok

Well thank you soo sooo much SnakeBlitz33 !!!!! I just don't want my first fish to die on my, ill be heartbroken. I can breath now lol

 

[snakeblitz33]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Marisela21 http:///t/392011/help-live-rock-question#post_3479045
Ohhhhh ok

Well thank you soo sooo much SnakeBlitz33 !!!!! I just don't want my first fish to die on my, ill be heartbroken. I can breath now lol
Your very welcome. Check out the link that I gave you with my last post. It will answer a lot of your questions that you may have as a new hobbyist. It might take you more than a day to read them all, but they are well worth it.