First time seeing this

[Crashjack]

And yeah, I'm ready for the phosphate leaching. Never used the Pukani before but was aware of the issue before the purchase. I just seriously wanted to start from a totally inert state with regards to the rock. Never done a startup this way, always used fresh live rock which I usually hand picked from the Los Angeles distribution center on the day it arrived in the states. Unfortunately, while adding to the overall bio-diversity of the tank, it came with pests that eventually made the systems very troublesome. Getting older and seriously don't want to go through pest removal every weekend, so I thought I'd try it out.

Probably just as likely is a sterile tank with no phosphates or nitrates and a big fat dino bloom. It happened to me and many others. I love my pukani but if I had this tank to do over again, I wouldn't assume high phosphates from the pukani leaching; I would start testing for nitrates and phosphates a few weeks after the tank cycled.

 

[Quinnchero]

Probably just as likely is a sterile tank with no phosphates or nitrates and a big fat dino bloom. It happened to me and many others. I love my pukani but if I had this tank to do over again, I wouldn't assume high phosphates from the pukani leaching; I would start testing for nitrates and phosphates a few weeks after the tank cycled.

Thanks for the advice. I work in the water industry and testing is like breathing to me. So I am already testing for phosphates and nitrates, along with regular cycling tests daily. Ca, dKH, Mg are also tested a few times a week now, even though it is really unnecessary at this time. I truly enjoy the testing portion, after working in a treatment plant for over 25 years it gets ingrained. I am weird about charts and graphs and used to do everything on paper or excel sheets. Now with Fusion its even easier to tweak out on testing and results. As for Phosphates; right now there is truly only one place for them to be coming from and that is primarily the Pukani. There has been nothing else being introduced to the tank since BB were added. That immediately did raise the PO4 to 0.29 ppm which dropped almost 0.02 ppm daily and now resides at 0.11-0.12 ppm. So with no new introduction of waste, additives or food, I think it's safe to assume the now near flat-lined PO4 curve is coming from leaching of the Pukani.
After cycling stages 4-6 (algae bloom stages) I plan on using GFO and more than likely vinegar dosing as well with the knowledge that this particular system will more than likely have recurring issues with Phosphate for the next few months to possibly a little over a year.

 

[ramona]

following along...

 

[Crashjack]

After cycling stages 4-6 (algae bloom stages) I plan on using GFO and more than likely vinegar dosing as well with the knowledge that this particular system will more than likely have recurring issues with Phosphate for the next few months to possibly a little over a year.

I thought the same thing... even bought an extra dosing pump in the beginning figuring I would need it for carbon dosing. Instead, I ended up with an ultra low nutrient system that got bombarded with dinos. Your phosphates aren’t that high. I would just give it some time before GFO and/or carbon dosing-JMHO.

 

[Quinnchero]

I thought the same thing... even bought an extra dosing pump in the beginning figuring I would need it for carbon dosing. Instead, I ended up with an ultra low nutrient system that got bombarded with dinos. Your phosphates aren’t that high. I would just give it some time before GFO and/or carbon dosing-JMHO.

Thanks. Maybe I wasn't clear about my intentions. I won't be immediately vinegar dosing of even using GFO. Those will come online when the need arises, and every tank I have owned has had that arrival. You are correct, Phosphates are low....right now. I just think, from numerous other users of Pukani, that they won't stay that way for long. Currently they are hovering between 0.12-0.14 ppm. If and when they reach >0.3 I will begin very small GFO tumbling.
Not really planning on running a low nutrient system, not my kinda thing. That would be a change from any other experience I've encountered. But I haven't done a "sterile" start before, nor have I ever used Pukani. So I guess it could happen. Nothing adding a bit more biomass wouldn't fix, or hell even Nitrate dosing if it came to that. I love to feed heavy so my chances of ULN system developing is fairly slim IMO.

As for the pink spots, which is what started this post...I have to say I am now about 99% positive it is coralline chickenpox. They are now on every single rock in the tank and some are getting larger; as in doubling in size! It is just crazy to me that it can even get a foothold within this timeframe and current parameters. This is day 13: NH3=0, NO2=1.5 (dropping rapidly ), and Nitrates are 5-10 range. The lights remain completely off in a dark-ish room. Plan on starting to run just T5s for about 5 hours a day for a week, then increasing an hour/week from then on. Until I reach 10 hours then the rest of the lighting goes on ( LEDS ). The T5s are 2 blue and 2 true actinic. So Coralline and all other algaes will be happy with primarily blue spectrum. I am hoping the spots I see now will take off like wildfire after the lights actually go on. Added a bag of Tigriopus, Tisbe, and Apocyclops Copepods this evening. Maybe a little early....we'll see. Feeding them with 12.5 ml of phyto with the hopes they will take off of get the pod seed started. Considering some larger pods as well.

Side note: Anyone familiar with Purple Helix Coralline in a bottle? I hear good things about it in terms of diversity of coralline. With 6-7 different varieties and colors. Thinking about trying it out for the first time on this tank as well. Any suggestions/ concerns would be great.

Thanks,
Q

 

[User1]

I will say right now that is coralline algae. I started a new tank in February similar to what you described. I did some extra steps first but once it was in the tank and saltwater added I waited 24 hours, tested Ammonia, verified it read 0, then dosed Dr. Tims, then added drops to reach 2ppm Ammonia. Waited another 24 hours and tested to make sure it was 2ppm, then cycle more or less started. During the next couple of days I started to see small purple dots like one of your images showed.

Tank completed cycle first week of March. I let it sit for a while longer with lights and skimmer off. Only light it saw was from the outside window or ambient light. Anyway April rolled around I turned on lighting and skimmer, then on the 15th of April moved my 40 breeder into the new tank. It is now a month later, May 19th the rocks are covered with coralline. Various stages but you start to see some small dots here and there, diatoms started, then more coralline spattered here and there, and now it is really visible between older rocks and new.

So yes. Coralline. I had a similar pattern during and post cycle. Enjoy the ride

 

[Quinnchero]

I will say right now that is coralline algae. I started a new tank in February similar to what you described. I did some extra steps first but once it was in the tank and saltwater added I waited 24 hours, tested Ammonia, verified it read 0, then dosed Dr. Tims, then added drops to reach 2ppm Ammonia. Waited another 24 hours and tested to make sure it was 2ppm, then cycle more or less started. During the next couple of days I started to see small purple dots like one of your images showed.

Tank completed cycle first week of March. I let it sit for a while longer with lights and skimmer off. Only light it saw was from the outside window or ambient light. Anyway April rolled around I turned on lighting and skimmer, then on the 15th of April moved my 40 breeder into the new tank. It is now a month later, May 19th the rocks are covered with coralline. Various stages but you start to see some small dots here and there, diatoms started, then more coralline spattered here and there, and now it is really visible between older rocks and new.

So yes. Coralline. I had a similar pattern during and post cycle. Enjoy the ride

Thanks for the verification. It's Monday and day 15. Nitrogen cycle is complete....well almost, still adding ammonium chloride at 2 ppm to test the BB. Some Chromis are sitting in quarantine. But yeah I am now at 100% certain of the coralline, its everywhere. I think its awesome that it showed up so extremely quickly and is spreading so rapidly on the way too bright Pukani rock.

No one has any experience with the Coralline in a bottle stuff?