white algea? white specs or tiny bubbles? please help

[kimbertent]

I am quite new at this hobby and have two questions. My tank has been up and running for only about 7 weeks now. Recently though I have noticed white algea appearing in my tank. In one spot it seems like it is overtaking my purple algea. I was wondering what this means? If it is bad or if it is good? I was trying to search through the other posts and i found that this may be something to do with the calcium? I was not aware that you had to be very concious about calcium if it is only a FOWLR?

I also have begun to see little white specs maybe reallllly tiny bubbles..practically microscopic floating around in the water. I was wondering if anyone knew anything about that also?

Please comment back because I usually dont get any responses.

salinity 1.023
temp 78
nitrAtes 0
nitrItes 0
ph 8.3
ammonia 0
white light 11am-10pm
blue light 10am-11pm

i have a 72 gallon bowfront. i inherited this tank from a family member. i dont know when the lights were last changed nor do i know type they are even.

i have:
1 percula clown
1 coral beauty
3 chromis
1 anthias
1 fighting conch
3 camel shrimp
1 sea slug

 

[Woodstock]

Hummm.. extremely difficult to know without seeing them. Are they hard spots or can they be blown off easily?

They could be:

• Dying coralline algae - coralline turns white when it dies but usually on the edges. Lack of calcium, or exposure to air for a long time could cause this.
• Calcium precipitation - adding supplements such as alk or ca in too high or unproportioned amount can cause a calcium snow storm. This will leave grey/white hard calcium deposits everywhere in your tank.
• Tiny filter feeders - it could be tiny, tiny white spiral feather dusters or tiny,tiny white barnical type animals. Both harmless filter feeders.

 

[Woodstock]

The bubbles you speak of sound like micro bubbles. Usually caused by a powerhead or return pump with air trap inside; a skimmer; or a return plumbing leaking air.

 

[kimbertent]

thanks ill try to get a pic tonight although i havent mastered the art of taking pictures of my tank unfortunatley

 

[kimbertent]

this is the white algea..

 

[Woodstock]

I'm not sure what you're referring to in the pic as "white algae" The white part looks like clean base rock to me. I also see some brown diatom algae and what looks to be some red cyano.

 

[kimbertent]

no it's white. the rock is like beige colored..the color of the algea is white. is brown diatom algea and red cyano algea bad? it is really really difficult to get the algea's straight. how do you know what is good and what is not. i have read books about them and it just seems so iffy. i thought my algea was the purple kind and i thought that was good. it could be red...depends on who's eyes are looking at it if you know what i mean. ugh this part of the hobby is confusing. :-\

 

[lcstorc]

Well I am still trying to keep it straight myself, but it seems like the experts all say that cyano is bad. Usually a sign of high phosphates. You should check your phosphates and remove as much of the cyano as you can. It usually comes off pretty easily (at least it did for me.) I just vacuumed it up while doing water changes for a while until it was gone. To remove the phospates you can get phosban, and be sure to test the water you use for water changes. That is where my phosphates came from. Once I corrected my new water problem and vacuumed it out with several water changes, it went away.
Unfortunately, I have no idea on the original question about the white.
Hope that helps some.

 

[music man]

how old is the live rock, how long has it been in the tank? it looks like it may still be cycling, the white bubbles you described sound like gasses (nitrogen) being released by a bio filter going through the cycling process or perhaps just a powerhead or filter picking up air. Air in saltwater is different than air in FW it is finer and may confuse someone who has not seen it before into thinking it's something else. if you don't have a skimmer of somesort' set up and a scum layer forms on the water you will get nitrogen bubbles in the water that look like this too. effectivly killing most of your oxygen "breathing" flora and fauna.

 

[kimbertent]

the live rock is a few years old. i got inherited the tank and the rock came with it however the water and the cc is new. it might still be cycling because it has only been up and running for about 7 weeks. so musicman if what you said is true. than how would i go about fixing the problem..is it a bad thing or will it eventually stop hapening once the cycling ends? sorry I am new at this and the whole chemistry biology part of this hobby is confusing.