Disappearing Algea

[cfergu22]

Hello, I started a reef tank about 2 months ago, but this is the first question I couldn't find and answer to in a previous post.

For Background...
Waterbox Infinia Reef 150.4 - 105 Gallon display tank
Marco Dry Rock and carib sea live sand
Lighting - 2 AI Prime 16 HD's
3 small Fish have been in for roughly a month

Here's the question.

I had developed a brown algae on all the rocks at around the 5 week mark. The tank is near a large window so even though lights were off or very low the algae started. No big deal, I figured that's all normal.

About a 10 days ago I turned my lights up to roughly 25% because I'm going to 2 small starter corals to test out. Pretty much within a day or two after turning my lights on, the algae on all the top surfaces of the rock disappeared. Within 3 more days 90% of the algae disappeared. Now most of the rock looks as white as the day I got it. There's just one very small patch of brown algae with nailhead size patch of green hair algae.

Is this normal? Did the lighting bleach the algae out?

Fish are healthy, swimming and eating normal. All my water tests are the same as they've been for a month.

I'm a little worried about it because I'm scheduled to have 20 snails delivered tomorrow and I don't want them to starve with no algae in the tank.

 

[Cthulukelele]

What you were likely seeing were diatoms. They usually don't last long in a reef tank. Other types of algae will come, but 20 snails is a bit much for a just started reef

 

[Mikeltee]

Crank up the lights and get it over with. Purchase some sand from tampabaysaltwater to speed it up and get better results.

 

[cfergu22]

Diatoms, Thanks visually that's what they looked like, I just wasn't expecting them to go away so fast.

Yea, I think might have been overkill on the snails, but I figured I'd have much more algae at this stage.

 

[crabgrass]

As others said, these are diatoms. They will last as long as you have silicates in the water and then just die. Some of it could be from rock / sand, or your water supply.

I had it on my sand first for a couple of days and it disappeared. Then came back on my dry rock and glass a few weeks later. Never lasted more than 2-4 days, and Never touched the ocean/live rock.

As someone else said, just ride it out. I would not turn lights down for it, as it will just elongate the process