Pet Information > ASK Experts > Pet Fish > Saltwater Aquarium > NEED HELP BAD!!!!!

NEED HELP BAD!!!!!

25 9:40:19

Question
Ok i have a couple questions.  Will try to explain as best i can.    

I have had my salt water tank set up for about 2 weeks now.  I have 3 small damsels and everything was going perfect.  Then i added 2 pieces of live rock which are only about a pound a piece.  i have white crushed coral and now it has a brown algea like substance thats covering most of it.  Some is even sticking to the side of the glass.  Do you have any clue what this is? and if so how to fix it if its a problem.

Sorry for the lenghtly questions but another thing i have a question about, is on the live rock there are black/red worms crawling in and on them.  Are these harmful?? ive also noticed 2 other organisms one like a baby shrimp and some small white worms???  sorry i cant be more thorough but this is my first salt water tank.

The tank is also 90 gallon if it matters.

Answer
Hi Wayne. Sorry it took so long for me to get back to you. I had a thirteen hour work day today. The brown stuff you are seeing on your rocks is simply a diatom bloom. This is completely normal in a newly established tank and not a cause for concern. It will run its course and clear up with in a week or two. Most every new saltwater goes through this and there is nothing you need to do to get rid of it. If you are not happy with how it looks you can blow the powdery like algae off the gravel and rocks with a power head or with your hand. Just let it go and all will be fine in a week or two. The worms you are seeing are bristleworms. These worms hitch hike into your tank on live rock and are completely harmless. They are actually beneficial scavengers and will help eat up some of the uneaten food particles and other materials that can pollute a tank. Leave them be to do their job. As for the other two organisms you are seeing most likely a gammarus shrimp which is a harmless amphipod and also very beneficial to your tank and the worm most likely the same. There are thousands of different species of worms so an exact identification may be impossible but I assure you that it will not harm your tank. All of these creatures are part of what makes live rock "alive". All are very common and not a cause for concern. Welcome to the strange creatures of the undersea world!