is this bubble algau in sump plz help????????????

[howard6466]

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i have just set up a sump about a week ago,
in the miracle mud section i have bubble algau,
i have a aqua one twin lighting unit which has 2 ..20w tubes which sit on the top of my sump, the lights have been on 24/7 but only just now ive spotted thousands of what i would describe as tiny clear bubbles stuck to every particle of the m mud, ive just been watching it and every few seconds a bubble will rise to the top and take a small part of m mud with it.

what does this mean?
and what should i do?
is my lights to close sat on top of sump??


also the glass on the inside of the sump is very brown...do i clean this?

please help anyone.

thankyou.
michelle.

[muzzy]

this sounds like classic diatoms, the bubbles are oxygen

i assume its a new setup? in which case its normal and will go once the available silica has been consumed by the algae

[howard6466]

thankyou muzzy,
the tank and livestock are very mature
but the sump is only a week old along with the m mud.
so is this still the case/ and do you think my sump lights being so low to the sump are causing the brown on the glass/

thankyou.

[muzzy]

you dont really need to light it 24/7, reverse lighting is often considered a better option to help keep the pH up at night when its normally falling.

miracle mud i gather is largely silica based, so id expect to see some diatoms, although just because its silica based doesnt mean you will always have this problem, as glass is also a form of silica,

only a certain ammount i guess will be free for the alage to use as food, once thats gone it will recceed.

[howard6466]

thanyou muzzy..really apprecite that. :)