[cycling question]: when does the nuisance algae balance out?

[Robert Binz]

I've been cycling a 6g tank for ~4 month now from dry rock and dry sand. The slime and diatoms on the sand has slowly reduced to almost nothing over the last few months. However, the rocks are still covered in GHA, BHA, and some different slimy algaes.

My maintenance schedule is a weekly 40-50% water change; ATO with kalk; filter pads changed every 5-7 days; and feeding the single blue damsel every other day. I only feed reef roids on water change day because I know they are pollutive without a skimmer.

Does my tank sound like it's in a normal position for a 4 month old tank? I know the typical reefer says it'll "cycle" through algaes for the first year or so but BRS said it should be nuisance algae clear at around for months. I don't have an epidemic of any one algae and the growth of the algaes appears to have leveled off--but they're still there chilling all over the rock scape.

 

[Robert Binz]

Nitrate is undetectable; salt 35ppm; temp 77-78; no phosphate test

 

[rapid]

should bring up some nitrates and get a phosphate test probally needs to be lower to get ride of some of that algae. the other stuff will vanish eventually.

1.5 year old tank and i still have GHA. GHA is a good sign stuff is healthly just gotta get a clean up crew to keep it at bay ! or find a way to grow it else where. Im growing a bunch of that stuff in my cheato in the sump and that seems to keep it away from display after i started to reduce my phosphates from .5 to around .04

 

[rapid]

those nutrients feed the GHA po4 and no3. IF you have them too low or undetectable it willl break your tank out in a hole different type of algae.

 

[rapid]

I am running my nitrates at 8-10ppm and around .2 p04 currently but am slowly bring it back down to around .05

 

[rapid]

Manually remove as much algae as possible from main DT. just cause the growth stopped dosent mean itll vanish untill you manually remove it or add in a large clean up crew, Hermit, crabs, snail, esc!

 

[gfd71]

With your water changes don’t even bother with a skimmer. I know a lot of people use reef roids but I used half dose in my tank and my levels went through the roof.

 

[brandon429]

Robert if you want to know whats going on its this

invasion control has always been a hands-off venture in the hobby. we dose something for an adhered plant or for a matted invader, or we take no action and let the system cycle through its alternating generations. we alter water params. we must wait.... thats how 100% of algae control from reef teachers evolved and we're new into the manual gardening thing.

The timeframes you have been told are arbitrary timeframes where many tanks self resoved without intervention.

at any time you have the option to step in and manually take control of the system, at any age new or old, using some of the new ways developed which run independent to your water, and nutrient levels.

 

[snowhite]

Cycling happens quickly (weeks)
Maturing takes many months to years depending on your needs.

I'd suggest backing off on light and feeding to get control of whatever's going on. You haven't really said or shown what all you have in the tank, but "to me" dosing kalk after 6 months when you're doing 40-50% water changes seems unnecessary.
That tank should exist fine even with just 10-20% water changes, but again, not really sure what you've got in the tank.

Toothbrush and some manual labor on the rocks before your water changes will help immensely. You've got to get the stuff out that you want out. It's not going to just disappear without starving it and a long wait.

The smaller a tank is the more prone to problems they are and the more needy they are.

Something is going into it, or feeding and fueling the nasties.

In my opinion.