Yellow Substance at water surface

[p3nnyl3sshobo]

Hello everyone!
I am just beginning off my first fish only saltwater tank and I have a question/ Problem.

I started putting together a small 10 gallon tank. I mixed my salt and everything a few weeks ago. I have 10 pounds on caribsea livesand and around 8 pounds on liverock from my LFS.

I just added the rock a few days ago and i just noticed this yellow mucous forming at the top of my tank. It is not throughout the whole tank, just one corner.

I dont have a protein skimmer and i dont have a sump. I only have an on the back filter, powerhead and heater.

Is this a common problem? I thought it might be from the cycling process.

Thanks for all your help!

(ps. Sorry i f this has been asked before)

Here are some pictures

Thanks for all your help!

(ps. Sorry i f this has been asked before)

 

[WeePee]

looks like algae to me

 

[jcarlilesiu]

I agree that it looks like hair algae.

Are you running your lights while cycling? If so, don't. Nothing in your tank to take up nutrients and as such your tank is more prone to develop algae and bacteria growth.

 

[p3nnyl3sshobo]

yes i have had the light on. Is this hair algae a concern? is there anything i should do with it? And how does it affect the cycling process?

Thanks!

 

[ColaAddict]

it's fine, you can try to clean the algae off the glass or leave it be. you can also keep your lights off to keep the algae growth down. otherwise it doesn't affect your cycling. once your tank cycles and you introduce your clean up crew, they can eat some of it.

 

[Pufferpunk]

Eventually, expect the entire tank to be covered in thick hair algae. Just keep picking it off & brushing the rock. It'll stop after about a month.