flourescent yellow algae?

Question
QUESTION: Hi..there is a flourescent yellow color taking over the top piece of live rock clsoedt to the light.  Is this some type of algae or possibly being caused by my lighting?  Water test all come out in acceptable range, although I also have a red type algae bloom on my sand and moving to my rock on the bottom.  Any help will be greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

ANSWER: hello Debbie,

Can you please tell me a bit more about your tank/system?  How big, what type of equipment do you have, how old is the tank, i.e. how long has it been setup?  etc...

It sounds like you might have a relatively new tank, and that 'yellow' stuff might be a form of diatom bloom...

This is kinda normal, and most newer tanks get / go thru this...

The color is a little off, as usually it is a 'rust' color, but rust/yellow, might be a bit of arbitrary color selection...

Please let me know the info above and we can continue the discussion then

If you like, you can join my new forum at www.thelittleocean.com   and post a thread/discussion there, and I and others will reply and give you good feedback...

Ilook forward to hearing from you soon


bill

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The tank is a 29 gal biocube that I purchased as an operating tank with about 30lbs of live rock.  It has been set up at my house for almost two weeks.  Sunday will be 2 weeks.  I have added another 22lbs of live rock along with  two clown fish, a diamond goby and 12 snails.  The tank went thru what I thought was a brown algae bloom and now I have yellow and red.  The yellow does look like it is getting a rust color in areas.  I have had experience with saltwater reef tanks 10 years ago and just jumped back into the hobby.  I just have never seen the yellow coloring during a cycle before.  I figured that the tank would go thru a small cycle from the move.  I attached an pic with my first question which shows the yellow color.  Did you receive it?  If it is in fact diatoms what can I do besides a water change?

Answer
hello,

sorry, i did not recieve the picture.. (my new forum is much more picture freindly)

TWO WEEKS is not sufficient time for a cycle to occur and for you to stock the tank...

I would immediatly worry about ammonia and nitrite...

Please submit nitrite and ammonia test results...

Also, let me know how often you do 'water changes', and what type of water do you use??? is the salt water premixed, or do you mix it, or ???

Also, what water are you using for 'TOP OFF' water... (the water you add to replace what evaproated...

Typically tap water is not reccomended as it has many chemicals and other TDS, (total dissolved solides) in the water that is not removed by the typical de-clorinator...

RO/DI filtered water is HIGHLY reccomended


Please let me know if you are using filtered water or regular water...

thanks


bill