Help ID algae? Bacteria?

Hi everyone. My tank has been cycling for a little over 2 weeks now (only plants) and I’ve been noticing some VERY tiny brownish almost red dots everywhere like on the glass and especially on my Monte Carlo plants, it’s extremely light and you can’t really see it unless you’ve got your face right up to the glass, but can anyone tell me what it might be and if it’s good or bad? I did my best to get some pics but eyesight is always better lol and if it’s any help, my ph is about 6.5-7, nitrite 0 nitrate <20ppm ammonia 0

I can't see much of anything, certainly not cyanobacter. Maybe algae, or a nutrient deficiency. Do the marks rub off with your fingertips?

I can't see what you're referring to but my assumption is Diatoms? They usually appear in brand new set ups and linger a while, they eventually die off when their food supply is gone

Byron said:

I can't see much of anything, certainly not cyanobacter. Maybe algae, or a nutrient deficiency. Do the marks rub off with your fingertips?

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Yes I’ve tried scraping off the spots I see on the glass and it rubs off pretty easily with a scraper. Thanks for your reply I’ll keep my eye on it..I think I overdid it on my fertilizer a few days ago because the next morning my water was very cloudy and that’s when I noticed the spots

CaptainBarnicles said:

I can't see what you're referring to but my assumption is Diatoms? They usually appear in brand new set ups and linger a while, they eventually die off when their food supply is gone

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Thanks for your reply! That makes sense. I’ve read sooo much about different algaes it’s making my head hurt lol

moonmist said:

Thanks for your reply! That makes sense. I’ve read sooo much about different algaes it’s making my head hurt lol

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Yeah there's only about a bazillion makes my head hurt too! Google Diatoms and see if the pictures look like what you've got going on in your tank

moonmist said:

Yes I’ve tried scraping off the spots I see on the glass and it rubs off pretty easily with a scraper. Thanks for your reply I’ll keep my eye on it..I think I overdid it on my fertilizer a few days ago because the next morning my water was very cloudy and that’s when I noticed the spots

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i was thinking more of the spots on the plant leaves. Algae on the glass is not really a problem beyond suggesting the light may be too much or the maintenance not sufficient. But algae on plant leaves is a very different thing. If this comes off with your fingertips, it is algae, but if not, it is more likely a nutrient issue.

Byron said:

i was thinking more of the spots on the plant leaves. Algae on the glass is not really a problem beyond suggesting the light may be too much or the maintenance not sufficient. But algae on plant leaves is a very different thing. If this comes off with your fingertips, it is algae, but if not, it is more likely a nutrient issue.

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I did not think about that! I’ll have to try it on the bigger ones, the Monte Carlo is so small I don’t want to uproot them by accident. Thanks for the tip