Is this the 'brown algae phase' ?

[Gobie74]

I've read here that you can expect a brown algae phase followed by a green algae phase while getting your tank ready. Do these pictures look like the brown algae phase, or something else?

So far, the brown is only on the live rocks. And there seem to be many bubbles in the thicker brown patches. I thought maybe they were nitrogen gas which was being converted from Nitrates, I really don't know for sure tho.

Any ideas?

http://members.cox.net/dmelinosky/marine/brownalgea/brown1.jpg

http://members.cox.net/dmelinosky/marine/brownalgea/brown2.jpg

[papagimp]

forgive me reefers if I get this one wrong, I think that's dinoflagelattes (however it's spelled). Could be cyno, I forget. My cyno looked like that, only red in color. New tanks will usually go through this phase. A macro algae stocked refugium will help, so will plenty of water changes to keep nitrates down. I didn't see any livestock in those photo's, but you'll wanna keep that stuff from getting on any corals or inverts you have. Can smother them to death. otherwise, it's normal and will pass in time as the tank matures more.

[casingbill]

its diatoms...i'm at the end of my phase right now. i would blow off the rocks every other day with a turkey baster. it lasted prolly 3 weeks or so. some say keep lights to a minimum. someone else told me not to and it will make the phase shorter. keep doing water changes and check nitrates.

[casingbill]

i also had 1 or 2 black trochus snails that cleaned rock and made it shiny new!!