Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 5ppm... No algae

[mr11]

So as the title says my ammonia and nitrite are 0 and my nitrate is 5ppm about 3 weeks after starting a cycle. At this point I do not have any algae or diatoms aside from the coralline algae that came on my live rock. I know a lot of people add a CUC at this stage but since there is no algae they would starve.

Should I wait around for a bloom to add a CUC?

Should I do a large WC, get my nitrates to 0 and add a pair of clowns? Then add CUC?

Thanks in advance! Just trying to do it all the right way.

 

[cameronh]

Hmm, I would wait for the algae bloom to add cuc.

 

[Jlobes]

did you do a fishless cycle? have you been testing regularly?

if so and all is good to go, id say add a small fish or two and then a cuc

 

[mr11]

I did a fishless cycle. I used precured live rock and the rotting shrimp method. My ammonia peaked at about 0.25-0.5ppm then about a week later nitrites spiked past the limits of my red sea test, and now the 5 ppm of nitrates. I tested every other day with the red sea test kit once nitrites started showing up.

Semi-related: If I let the tank sit for a week or two and nitrates also drop to 0 I would no longer have a nitrogen source, would my bacteria start to die off? Anything I can do to combat this if so?

 

[mr11]

And going off a new post, should I start turning on my lights to trigger an algae bloom?

 

[Lenny_S]

Nitrifying bacteria need ammonia and nitrites to feed from. Denitrifying bacteria need nitrates. If you leave the tank fallow the bacteria will start to go dormant but won't die off for a very long time. Sounds like you're ready to add fish so go for it. That will keep the whole biological process going. Once the fish are in you can start building a CUC with scavengers and detritus eaters first. If algae starts to show up add algae grazers. I'm not sure why you would want an algae bloom, best if you avoid that IMO.