Diatoms have started - some green algae on the LR as well.

TinyChocobo · May 14, 2016

Hey guys!

I just set this tank up about 5 days ago. It's a 29 Gallon tank with 35 pounds of live rock bought wet from the LFS and 40 Pounds of CaribSea Argonite Sand.

It looks like I'm getting diatoms and some green algae growing. The tank does get a little bit of sunlight in the evening and where the sun is hitting I definitely have green on my rocks. I've put some paper on the outside of the tank to block the sun for now.

I do have a CoraLife T5 HO light on the tank as well which I can turn off for a few weeks if I have to. I just don't want the tank to become completely overrun with algae if I can avoid it.

There are 2 blue legged hermit crabs and 3 nassarius snails in the tank currently and some Asternia did hitchhike in on my live rock [thought I got them all, guess not].

In short I'm mostly looking to know if I should do something like killing the lighting or if the green/algae is a normal part of the process [or] if I should get some more tank cleaners. When it comes to fresh water I'm familiar - salt water is an entirely new ball game for me.

My marine test kit just came in today so I'm going to test all of the water parameters every day and I have a Seachem Ammonia Alert in the tank as well since I'm new to marine. I know I should have been testing it every day already but it took longer to arrive than expected

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My ultimate goal is to have a small reef tank - and if I can keep it alive/in good shape for 6 months I'll be upgrading to a 75G+ tank.

brandon429 · May 14, 2016

The right course of action is change nothing about the water, lift out the rock and rinse it all in off in clean saltwater. Hand guide the rock clean, till it coats in coralline which helps reject those early tank growths

Some people clean with a little boost of peroxide as a rinse just to sustain between cleanings a little better but the hand guiding back to clean is the important part

This is no bio requirement, it's because the money I paid was for a top dollar look, no compromise
My reefs look the same day 1 till day 4000. Sometimes I work less, sometimes more, but the look remains. The only time I ever had to give an excuse about my reef is when I let red mushrooms take over for nine years.

Tahoe61 · May 14, 2016

Make sure to use RODI water only.

You can kill the lights until you add some corals.

The green algae is probably just a film algae, but leaving the lights off while the tank continues to cycle will lessen the severity of the initial blooms. Diatoms need to run their course and use up the available silicates provided by the new tank.

TinyChocobo · May 14, 2016

Fun part is that I thought I had RO/DI but it turns out I only have RO and have about 5 PPM of whatever in my RO water after the system.

I did actually just set up an in-line DI chamber between my RO and my storage tanks as the last stage. Had to get all fancy with check valves so the water from the RO flows through the DI chamber slowly but it cannot back-flow when taking water out of storage.

I'm in the process of purging about 30 gallons of RO-non-DI water out of storage so that I can replace it with RO/DI - should be 'fun'.

That said - if I have to pull the rocks and scrub them I will - I just don't want any problems to get out of hand. I.e. if there is a good way to head it off I will.

Any issues with me leaving the lights on in 'night only' mode [two blue LEDs I think] rather than using the T5 HO bulbs?

Naiad · May 14, 2016

Seems like normal new tank stuff. I wouldn't panic.

Tahoe61 · May 14, 2016

Honestly I just let the usual blooms run their course. If excessive nutrients are present from the water source you'll likely have exaggerated algae growth. If you're using a quality water source than the blooms will come and go.
I always cycle my systems with the light and skimmers on. I like to look at the tank and the routine blooms come and go without intervention.
I would not be too concerned or even intervene at this point.

TinyChocobo · May 14, 2016

One thing I did notice is that I only seem to have Algae where actual sunlight is hitting the rocks [it's the time of day now, and I can see it]. I've covered the side of the tank that gets the sunlight for now and will just keep an eye on it.

Sunlight comes in from the left - and you'll notice the green is mostly on the left side of the rocks that have it

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My goal is to take a picture of the tank every day so I can see how it changes over the months.

TinyChocobo · May 14, 2016

brandon429 said:
The right course of action is change nothing about the water, lift out the rock and rinse it all in off in clean saltwater. Hand guide the rock clean, till it coats in coralline which helps reject those early tank growths

Some people clean with a little boost of peroxide as a rinse just to sustain between cleanings a little better but the hand guiding back to clean is the important part

This is no bio requirement, it's because the money I paid was for a top dollar look, no compromise, no tales to my living room viewers "this is just because it's new, eyesore gone by July no doubt!"
My reefs look the same day 1 till day 4000. Sometimes I work less, sometimes more, but the look remains. The only time I ever had to give an excuse about my reef is when I let red mushrooms take over for nine years.

To be honest I'm not really concerned with looks at this point - just that I don't let a small issue become a big one. I've done that in fresh tanks - let a small problem become a big one and it was never worth it to not handle it in the beginning.

TinyChocobo · May 16, 2016

Here it is today. Day 6 if my math is right. Haha.

Naiad · May 16, 2016

Looking good

RyanCSGO · May 16, 2016

I've cycled two tanks with lights on, 1 with lights off.
cycling my new one with the lights off. No difference was really made, I felt like I had less of a diatom bloom cycling with them off and using the lights later about a week before adding fish, but it may have been a placebo effect lol.

TinyChocobo · May 16, 2016

Dropped a couple sinking pellets in and the snails all came running out of the sand lol.

I've got two 10 gallons set up for TTM once this tank is fully cycled.

brandon429 · May 16, 2016

looks great so far, very on track for the new reef. those surfaces aren't calcified yet with the purples, or coral flesh, those help to compete out the plants in time. as long as no bryopsis or green hair algae comes and it stays these loose mats, no prob. if any strand or tufted invaders come, I recommend 180 change of course.

Russ265 · May 16, 2016

typical manly new-tank stuff.

me personally: i just crank the lights and let it burn itself out. the yuckier the better. no sense dragging out the inevitable.

TinyChocobo · May 16, 2016

Ammonia tests 0ppm. Nitrite 0ppm. Nitrate 15ppm.

TinyChocobo · May 16, 2016

Skimmer just started taking stuff out today.

tj w · May 16, 2016

Like others have stated, typical new reef algae. Keep up on water parameters and let nature run its course. Welcome to the marine life by the way. Looking good!

tdiddy · May 16, 2016

If it really starts getting out of hand you can add GFO. Better to add it before corals than after as the corals won't be shocked by the change in water chemistry.

Pamela · May 16, 2016

Day 31 for me, and I must be the only person in the world who thinks the diatoms are "pretty." I like the color brown, and the beige base rock on beige sand was kinda boring. Sure, brown isn't the ideal color for a marine aquarium, but it's better than no color at all. I too was glad to learn that it's part of the natural order of things and will run its course.