6 weeks in - No algae?

[Brav403]

As the title suggests, I am almost 6 weeks in 4weeks cycled. Lights have been on for a couple of weeks.

I've had 2 Clowns in for a couple of weeks and I added a Bicolour Blenny 2 days ago. I also have 2 hermit crabs & a small Orange Lipped Conch (I was sceptical about the CUC but my LFS advised they'd be ok if I fed slightly more or dropped the odd algae wafer in to supplement which I have been doing) unfortunately due to this I'm currently having a minor Bacterial Bloom as the water is ever so slighty hazy today but fish seem happy.

Plan is to leave the tank alone for a while now before adding Corals or any more livestock.

My concern is I have zero algae appearing at all which I find weird at this point? Lights are on 35% blues, 10% whites for 8 hours and then a Moonlight period for 3 hours.

Parameters are;
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 5
dkH 9
Salinity 1.023 ( I am looking to raise this with ATO to 1.024/25)
PH 7.9
Phospates 0

Am I worrying for nothing?

 

[Katrina71]

Go slow. Your uglies will come.

 

[Waters]

Depending on how your tank was cycled, how quickly it was stocked with CUC, how soon you turned on lights........not that strange at all. I am 16 months in with no algae lol.

 

[Brav403]

Depending on how your tank was cycled, how quickly it was stocked with CUC, how soon you turned on lights........not that strange at all. I am 16 months in with no algae lol.

Cycled pretty quickly with turbostart 900 & Fishless Fuel ammonia drops. 2 Clowns added along with the 2 hermits & the Conch a week after cycle completed. No signs of ammonia or nitrites during regular testing and Nitrate has been around 5-10 at most

 

[doubleshot00]

Oh the green rocks are coming. I would keep the lights off or at least only on when your home. Then turn them on once you add some corals. I left mine off for over 3 months.

 

[Brav403]

Oh the green rocks are coming. I would keep the lights off or at least only on when your home. Then turn them on once you add some corals. I left mine off for over 3 months.

The tank is in my home office...so I am kinda always home

 

[twentyleagues]

Live rock or dry rock? That can make the difference. All dry rock will turn brown, green, maybe even "black" before coralline starts to grow even if you never get hair algae or worse. It doesnt matter when you turn your lights on after its cycled.

 

[Brav403]

Its Caribsea liferock. You could argue its basically dry rock I guess?

 

[twentyleagues]

Its Caribsea liferock. You could argue its basically dry rock I guess?

Because its colored you may not be able to see the diatoms and green algae dusting youll get.

 

[PotatoPig]

Its Caribsea liferock. You could argue its basically dry rock I guess?

Is this the purple stuff?

If so you probably have the beginning of algae but it’s hidden by the rock color. I ran my FOWLR with a mix of bare dry rock and the Carib seas stuff. Kept it under room lights for almost a year - no algae because of ~1 PAR in the tank. Added reef lights and about 2 weeks later it started showing up as brownish smudges on the white dry rock, couldn’t see it on the caribsea for a bit though due to the color, but showed up soon enough.

 

[Brav403]

Is this the purple stuff?

If so you probably have the beginning of algae but it’s hidden by the rock color. I ran my FOWLR with a mix of bare dry rock and the Carib seas stuff. Kept it under room lights for almost a year - no algae because of ~1 PAR in the tank. Added reef lights and about 2 weeks later it started showing up as brownish smudges on the white dry rock, couldn’t see it on the caribsea for a bit though due to the color, but showed up soon enough.

Thats the stuff yeah. I've seen my Bicolour Blenny pick at the rocks this morning so wondering if there's some flecks that aren't necessarily visible to me

 

[KrisReef]

If you want to see algae turn up the lights.