Discouraged

[Reefgirl0412]

This tank is a little over 3 months old. I am really discouraged. Looks ugly. I am doing 10 percent water change, change out the filter sock every 4 or so days, vaccuum my sand and still I have this **** in my tank. Everyone's looks so beautiful and here's mine.

 

[Chortanator]

Those are diatoms, they're normal in a new tank. Just keep the parameters stable and it will go away soon.

 

[damsels are not mean]

It's unavoidable in a brand new tank

 

[Reefgirl0412]

Those are diatoms, they're normal in a new tank. Just keep the parameters stable and it will go away soon.

Yeah.... I just look at others people's tanks after like a month and they already look so good. I'm taking care of it and you don't think 3 months is a long time?

 

[Reefgirl0412]

It's unavoidable in a brand new tank

Yeah im being as patient as I can

 

[Jekyl]

How the tank looks now is not as bad as it's going to get. Price of using dry rock. My ugly phase didn't get into full swing until after 6 months

 

[Chortanator]

Yeah.... I just look at others people's tanks after like a month and they already look so good. I'm taking care of it and you don't think 3 months is a long time?

3 months isn't a long time at all. It's different for everyone, but a tank generally becomes established at a year old. The ugly stage won't last that long, but that's how long you should be waiting before you start to see coralline algae and a healthy copepod population

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

It'll get better. Every new tank has a wave of diatoms, a wave of cyano, and a wave of something else. You are in the diatom phase, and as long as you can solve the "something else", your tank will look good within 9 months. For now, just let it dissipate. It'll go in time.

 

[Chrisv.]

It would likely be very different if you add some live rock.

 

[SilvermistInc]

Diatoms consume silicates. Since you used dry rock and fresh sand, you're full of silicates. They'll go away eventually though. So long as you're using RODI and not tap water though, they won't return after they leave.

 

[Reefgirl0412]

3 months isn't a long time at all. It's different for everyone, but a tank generally becomes established at a year old. The ugly stage won't last that long, but that's how long you should be waiting before you start to see coralline algae and a healthy copepod population

Yeah im actually going to dose some pods today.

 

[Reefgirl0412]

It'll get better. Every new tank has a wave of diatoms, a wave of cyano, and a wave of something else. You are in the diatom phase, and as long as you can solve the "something else", your tank will look good within 9 months. For now, just let it dissipate. It'll go in time.

I'm already getting some cyano in there. Don't know if it was good or bad.

 

[Reefgirl0412]

Diatoms consume silicates. Since you used dry rock and fresh sand, you're full of silicates. They'll go away eventually though. So long as you're using RODI and not tap water though, they won't return after they leave.

Yeah I did use dry rock. Most of it. I have a couple of pieces if Live rock but not a lot. And the sand I used was live sand.

 

[Reefgirl0412]

It would likely be very different if you add some live rock.

Would you suggest adding live rock like in the sump or?

 

[Chrisv.]

Would you suggest adding live rock like in the sump or?

Honestly it could be in the sump or just to replace some of the current dry rock structure.

The "ugly phase" is very very different for live rock tanks. It's worth a careful search on here if you're seriously considering it.

I will say that my two most recent tanks (one all live rock, one half dry half live) had essentially no "ugly phase." Poll the peanut gallery and read up on it.

There will be the inevitable nay-sayers who fear some Boogeyman hitchhiker, but I've never had a problem (in 26 yrs). I've had my fare share of Boogeyman hitchhikers but they all came from corals I bought before I was paranoid about dipping. And let's face it, dinos and cyano... aren't they worse than a random pistol shrimp?

 

[Reefgirl0412]

Honestly it could be in the sump or just to replace some of the current dry rock structure.

The "ugly phase" is very very different for live rock tanks. It's worth a careful search on here if you're seriously considering it.

I will say that my two most recent tanks (one all live rock, one half dry half live) had essentially no "ugly phase." Poll the peanut gallery and read up on it.

There will be the inevitable nay-sayers who fear some Boogeyman hitchhiker, but I've never had a problem (in 26 yrs). I've had my fare share of Boogeyman hitchhikers but they all came from corals I bought before I was paranoid about dipping. And let's face it, dinos and cyano... aren't they worse than a random pistol shrimp?

I dont know if I can replace my rocks lol I don't know how I would do that. Someone reccomended getting a couple of small pieces of live rock and maybe some live rock rubble. And yeah I don't mind the hitchhikers. I have a few asterina starfish and a few bristle worms that came on the live rock that a friend gave me. I mean how long is this going to last woth my dry rock? Forever? Lol

 

[fishmonkey]

This tank is a little over 3 months old. I am really discouraged. Looks ugly. I am doing 10 percent water change, change out the filter sock every 4 or so days, vaccuum my sand and still I have this **** in my tank. Everyone's looks so beautiful and here's mine.

Most of those people have very mature tanks and never show the bad times. Gotta be very lucky to not go through ugly phases. And even when you get through the ugly phases they can come back at a whim. It happens all the time.

 

[Reefgirl0412]

Most of those people have very mature tanks and never show the bad times. Gotta be very lucky to not go through ugly phases. And even when you get through the ugly phases they can come back at a whim. It happens all the time.

Yeah it just is discouraging. Especially when I stay on top of all the maintenence and stuff. But my clowmfish are happy and all the inverts are happy. Haven't lost anything yet so I guess that's good.

 

[Nate Chalk]

Let it ride out its called the uglies.

new rock just goes through it . I recently added more rock and its ugly while the old is pretty purple

 

[Reefgirl0412]

Let it ride out its called the uglies.

new rock just goes through it . I recently added more rock and its ugly while the old is pretty purple

Looks really good. I'm jealous lol