New Tank Cycle

[Mike Murphy]

I'm about 6 weeks into my setup run on my 55. Running a sump with 550 gph flow, skimmer, and JBJ 48 inch VHO light. 2 65 watt daylights & 2 65 watt Actinic. Live sand and semicured live rock added 10-12 days ago. On the smooth surface of the front glass in areas where the water flow is stongest I have seen a flourishing growth of some form of green algae or plant? that is fern like in appearance and scattered about the front of the glass where the current and light is most intense. It is also on the sand bed but very sparse and not as luxurant in growth. It also has attached itself to the overflow box on the inside at the very bottom. It has not appeared on any of the liverock although it seems to have it's own following of newly arrived plants that are tiny but begining to emerge. I have single stalks with leaves that appear fan like and are green. Similar to some types of Caulerpa I have seen. Instead of cleaning the tank and removing this stuff for now I plan on getting a clean up crew in next and let nature take it's course. Anyone care to comment on the type of stuff I have growing here and the benefit or non-benefit. From the looks of it it is not your everyday pond scum alage.

Thanks

[Geoff]

really hard to tell without a pic. how big are these leaves?

i recommend letting tanks cycle for at least a month before putting anything in there besides the LR.

G~

[Mike Murphy]

Can't beleive I put my name in under subject! The leaves are bushy and bright green much like some types of evergreen and are branching out. I have discovered a small beetle like bug that is light colored and looks like a small head & mouth at one end and a pair of legs or flippers at the rear maybe useful for hopping. They seem to be grazzing on the plants. The algae or plants last Friday could barely be seen as green dots but now are bushy half inch long sprigs scattered across the glass where the water current is being deflected from the return water in the sump.

[Geoff]

the "beetles" are prolly amphipods. they are feeding off of the unknown algae. not exactly eating it, just removing organic matter from its surface.

G~

[tdwyatt]

We need good pix with a macro lens and something for scale please (coin or mm ruler edge), even better would be to have a shot on white blotter paper with the thalli (branches) spread out for fine detail.