New tank, algea on glass already...

[RuffReef]

I have small algea growing on the glass already. NOT the flat green stuff kinda coats the glass... it's attaching itself to the glass at a point and from there the are tiny green like branches coming from that pinpoint. It's pretty much popping up all over the glass all of a sudden. I'm guessing that came from the life rock? Anyone know what it is and if I should get rid of it and how? The tank a 45 cube and is about 4 weeks old and I just put two small fish in it and a small clean up crew of snails and some hermits 10 days ago.

Thanks!

[patsfan1130]

This is perfectly normal and actually expected for a 4 week old tank. good source water, good flow and good hubandry and you will eventually see it vanish. You can suck up as much as you can while doing water changes as well. Your tank is very young and is going to go through many changes over a long period of time.

[RuffReef]

What is it? I had another tank for a couple years a couple years ago but never saw this. Hasn't seemed to have cycled yet either. No ammonia, nitrites or nitrates yet. I cured the rock for about 3-4 weeks then tried to cycle it in the tank on it's own but must have been pretty clean so I added a small cleanup crew a clown and a royal gama... 10 days and everything is alive but no cycling yet.

[breiter3]

Cycling isn't about how 'clean' everything is, just your tank colonizing bacteria. Sounds like your rock had enough bacteria from the get go so you either really didn't have a cycle, or your test kit is off. Take a sample to your lfs and have them test your water just to be safe if you haven't already.

A pic of the algae might help id it though if you really want to know what it is

[WXB]

Best thing to do when you see your rock starting to get covered get a mob of cleaner crabs to take care of it. when you see some brown algae your doing well it will have a brown then green bloom. your tank is on track. just scrub your glass and if your rock gets too bad cleaner a crew will take care of it.