Michael Faul
Community Member
1. How does this algae go away?
2. Ive been told to wait another 30 days for a clean up crew.
Chemistry. 0 ammonia, 0 Nititrites, less than 5 Nitrares and PH 8.4.
Please let me know if I'm still good.
3.5 weeks into cycle. Do I need help?
- Thread starter Michael Faul
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1. How does this algae go away?
2. Ive been told to wait another 30 days for a clean up crew.
Chemistry. 0 ammonia, 0 Nititrites, less than 5 Nitrares and PH 8.4.
Please let me know if I'm still good.
OP
OP
Michael Faul
Community Member
I was told to
Keep your lights off, and try to get as much algae out. Quite a few algaes will feed on amonia. While highly unlikely, there is always a chance the algae could be interfering with the cycle by consuming the Ammonia before it converts. Besides, less stuff to clean up 
shadow1013
Well-Known Member
Lights on are fine, white less shouldn't be run for more then fours hours. Once I shut mine off all together no more algae growth. But you will need to remove what is already there.
shadow1013
Well-Known Member
Red Sea called for lights and protein skimmer to be used during their cycle. I never got algae until way after adding fish and food. Then it was because I had white LEDs on way too long. I've gone to no whites at all and it stopped the growth. Added a bit of clean up crew and it went away. Now it's back but I tripled the amount of times I fed because I got anthias. Started running gfo and got more clean up crew to go after the algae.
shadow1013
Well-Known Member
Not sure who told you to wait 30 days for the clean up crew. I had them in by day ten.
FLAdaboy
Well-Known Member
Sounds like you have a big bioload. If you're fish are consuming the food, your algae isn't because of feeding. A lot of animals in your tank do that. Also, we as reefers can be impatient when adding new corals in our tanks and the stores have algae spores of all kinds, as well as hitchhikers that we don't see. That's why qt are important. Lighting during cycling will fuel algae. Not sure why Red Sea would recommend lights during cycle.
red sea says weird stuff. this is like the third in a week.
depending on the methods you use to cycle that's instant snail death, or its fine Theres a lot of ways to skin a cat and I think thats likely the prob with most how to cycle a tank stuff now. its safe to add cuc after ten,only IF IF......
john.m.cole3
cyclOps
I would hand remove as much of that algae as possible. algae growth will increase w/ light, so dialing them back in intensity and length of time on (photoperiod) will help to limit algae growth. what test kits do you have to measure your cycle's progress. the presence of ammonia even in the smallest amount can be deadly to a CUC. Just take your time with this part (cycling). You might consider your first fish to be an algae grazer as well. So holler back w/ what test kits you are using and what your readings are.
I have run lights on all my tanks from the moment they were wet. I absolutely love to see an illuminated tank, even is it's empty.
That's a nutrient problem that will probably resolve with a cuc and as the tank ages.
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Paul B
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I hate to say this but I kind of disagree with just about everything on this thread, except that first sentence above. (I hate to get into algae threads)
I say leave everything as it is. Let that algae grow up your walls and into your bed. Algae is the best thing since those little nose hair clippers. It is removing things in your very new water that you don't want in there. Turning off the lights will just leave those nasty chemicals in there until you turn on the lights that you will have to turn on at some time. The algae can only grow as long as the nutrients it needs are in suspension which is why it is not yet growing on your ceiling. Right now all the nutrients are in that algae. All you have to do is remove as much of it as you can by hand and do not change the water. It is normal in such a new tank so don't worry about it. In the sea algae would cover everything if it were not for the tangs, urchins, snails, urchins, manatees etc that eat it. That will not work in your tank (and manatees are expensive) because they poop in the tank and the algae will just re-grow. So you need to remove it by hand. If you don't believe algae grows on every healthy reef in the sea what do you think those creatures I mentioned are eating?
I took this off one of the outer Hawaiian Islands. Does it look familiar?
If you want a clean up crew, I think it's 2" of manatee for every 5 gallons of water.
I say leave everything as it is. Let that algae grow up your walls and into your bed. Algae is the best thing since those little nose hair clippers. It is removing things in your very new water that you don't want in there. Turning off the lights will just leave those nasty chemicals in there until you turn on the lights that you will have to turn on at some time. The algae can only grow as long as the nutrients it needs are in suspension which is why it is not yet growing on your ceiling. Right now all the nutrients are in that algae. All you have to do is remove as much of it as you can by hand and do not change the water. It is normal in such a new tank so don't worry about it. In the sea algae would cover everything if it were not for the tangs, urchins, snails, urchins, manatees etc that eat it. That will not work in your tank (and manatees are expensive) because they poop in the tank and the algae will just re-grow. So you need to remove it by hand. If you don't believe algae grows on every healthy reef in the sea what do you think those creatures I mentioned are eating?
I took this off one of the outer Hawaiian Islands. Does it look familiar?
If you want a clean up crew, I think it's 2" of manatee for every 5 gallons of water.
FLAdaboy
Well-Known Member
That's exactly what a refugium is for. Growing beneficial algae so nuisance algae doesn't pop up in the display. In reference to "cycling" a tank, there is absolutely no need to use light to start, or continue the nitrogen cycle. Once you start putting coral in, you will need the lighting. Start your cycle how you like, then let the diatoms come, as you continue to test your water you will see an equilibrium, and at such a point you will know to start adding stuff. I have successfully started multiple reef tanks without using any light during cycling.I hate to say this but I kind of disagree with just about everything on this thread, except that first sentence above. (I hate to get into algae threads)
I say leave everything as it is. Let that algae grow up your walls and into your bed. Algae is the best thing since those little nose hair clippers. It is removing things in your very new water that you don't want in there. Turning off the lights will just leave those nasty chemicals in there until you turn on the lights that you will have to turn on at some time. The algae can only grow as long as the nutrients it needs are in suspension which is why it is not yet growing on your ceiling. Right now all the nutrients are in that algae. All you have to do is remove as much of it as you can by hand and do not change the water. It is normal in such a new tank so don't worry about it. In the sea algae would cover everything if it were not for the tangs, urchins, snails, urchins, manatees etc that eat it. That will not work in your tank (and manatees are expensive) because they poop in the tank and the algae will just re-grow. So you need to remove it by hand. If you don't believe algae grows on every healthy reef in the sea what do you think those creatures I mentioned are eating?
I took this off one of the outer Hawaiian Islands. Does it look familiar?
If you want a clean up crew, I think it's 2" of manatee for every 5 gallons of water.
jsker
Reefing is all about the adventure
Each start up of a system is different, and each person has then way of doing things. I also ran all of my equipment including lights, the light not as long as I do now. I was also doing huge water changes in the first 30 days. Dropped in a cleaning crew after 30 days to start munching away at the algae. I started adding corals at about 6 weeks and fish at 8 weeks. @john.m.cole3 has some great advice.
What lights are you running? This also is a good time to get them dialed in since they have been running.
What lights are you running? This also is a good time to get them dialed in since they have been running.
I must disagree with any advice to leave algae in a tank to seed non seeded surfaces and fragment/anchor there. Theres no possible way to run a tank correction thread using that approach so its only fair to state that what works for one tank doesn't translate into even 4 getting the same responses and long term success, unless it can be shown in a live time thread. I know that advice leading up to using algae scrubbers requires leaving it in the scrubber area, but the DT seeding we see too many lost tanks to grab onto that imo
The algae should be hand guided out early, then it reduces over time as your surfaces get covered in corals and algae-excluding coralline, and your grazer balances even out. your hand work will lessen. mines stopped, years. it doesn't last forever, guiding the self-sustaining masses out of the tank is a mode of permanent defeat and it starts early.
Your lights/no lights isn't critical, it may have your work more.
your nutrients aren't critical, when wrong, you'll work more.
Its not that there aren't successful tanks who let things go through phases and subside. Its that they are the minority, and given the same approach 1 out of 30 will self clear up, the rest present for help in giant proof threads. ATS and plant controls are part of those as well, but at least its handy to know equally large correction threads get wins by never allowing algae. at least have a choice of modes...its certainly not helping the looks of the tank. New seers always have to get the excuse, that's a huge reason I prune
The algae should be hand guided out early, then it reduces over time as your surfaces get covered in corals and algae-excluding coralline, and your grazer balances even out. your hand work will lessen. mines stopped, years. it doesn't last forever, guiding the self-sustaining masses out of the tank is a mode of permanent defeat and it starts early.
Your lights/no lights isn't critical, it may have your work more.
your nutrients aren't critical, when wrong, you'll work more.
Its not that there aren't successful tanks who let things go through phases and subside. Its that they are the minority, and given the same approach 1 out of 30 will self clear up, the rest present for help in giant proof threads. ATS and plant controls are part of those as well, but at least its handy to know equally large correction threads get wins by never allowing algae. at least have a choice of modes...its certainly not helping the looks of the tank. New seers always have to get the excuse, that's a huge reason I prune
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