GHA and diatoms ?

[Bonsai reef]

Hi,

Its been end of week 6 of tank cycling (no live stock yet) and i see some GHA and diatoms (may be?) as attached. Is adding CUC now enough to remove these or do i need to manually remove them?

I do have some chaeto in the HOB fuge.

 

[road_runner]

If you started with dry rocks 6 weeks is bot enough for cycle.
Just give it time and avoid chmeichal treatments to deal with the diatom. It will pass.
During the cycle you will go through a diatom phase followed by green algae phase. This is normal.
Add CUC especially snails and urchins.
If your tank big enough, at some point add a tang or 2. They will graze on the algae.

Good husbandry, check po4 no3 weekly and regular water change. It will pass.

 

[Subsea]

@Aveek B

You may be the biggest janitor in CUC.

 

[lapin]

Until you have stuff growing or want to feed them, a clean up crew is not needed.
What you have is not enough to support them yet

 

[road_runner]

Urchins and snails diet is algae. Yoi do not target feed them.
I add urchins and snails at week 4 they thrive for years.

 

[Bonsai reef]

If you started with dry rocks 6 weeks is bot enough for cycle.
Just give it time and avoid chmeichal treatments to deal with the diatom. It will pass.
During the cycle you will go through a diatom phase followed by green algae phase. This is normal.
Add CUC especially snails and urchins.
If your tank big enough, at some point add a tang or 2. They will graze on the algae.

Good husbandry, check po4 no3 weekly and regular water change. It will pass.

I started with dry rock/ live sand. 24g AIO nano. Boosted with dr tims bac and ammonium chloride. Ammonia and nitrite spike came to 0 end of week 4. Retested by dosing AC upto 1ppm ammonia, came to 0 in 24hrs. Nitrate was ~60. Did 50% WC.

Week5-Added fuge (chaeto) n pods.

End of week 6- NH3-0, NO2-0, NO3 - 20ppm. I see GHA and i guess the browns are diatoms.

I am planning to add couple of trochus snails now.

How how long should i wait to add couple of clowns?

 

[Subsea]

Add clowns when you add janitors. Algae needs food to grow, this includes coral. Fish are fun to feed. No need to dose nutrients with fish in tank. Just feed the fish. They will feed the system.

 

[Bonsai reef]

Add clowns when you add janitors. Algae needs food to grow, this includes coral. Fish are fun to feed. No need to dose nutrients with fish in tank. Just feed the fish. They will feed the system.

My question was “should i wait before i add fish?”

 

[road_runner]

I started with dry rock/ live sand. 24g AIO nano. Boosted with dr tims bac and ammonium chloride. Ammonia and nitrite spike came to 0 end of week 4. Retested by dosing AC upto 1ppm ammonia, came to 0 in 24hrs. Nitrate was ~60. Did 50% WC.

Week5-Added fuge (chaeto) n pods.

End of week 6- NH3-0, NO2-0, NO3 - 20ppm. I see GHA and i guess the browns are diatoms.

I am planning to add couple of trochus snails now.

How how long should i wait to add couple of clowns?

I think you added the chateos too early. Am just worried it will start dying and add more nutrients.

 

[road_runner]

I started with dry rock/ live sand. 24g AIO nano. Boosted with dr tims bac and ammonium chloride. Ammonia and nitrite spike came to 0 end of week 4. Retested by dosing AC upto 1ppm ammonia, came to 0 in 24hrs. Nitrate was ~60. Did 50% WC.

Week5-Added fuge (chaeto) n pods.

End of week 6- NH3-0, NO2-0, NO3 - 20ppm. I see GHA and i guess the browns are diatoms.

I am planning to add couple of trochus snails now.

How how long should i wait to add couple of clowns?

I would start with urchins and snails.
You can add one fish now no more as long ad you have zero ammonia.
Once you add one fish wait for couple of weeks test parameters, you want zero ammonia and nitrite. Then you can add another fish.
Adding fish is where most refers make mistake and goo too fast and trigger a recycle.
If your biological filtration still weak, adding bio load will put a strain on the bacteria and end up having more waste than what your biological filtration can handle and have bacteria die off.
So add fish very slowly, my rule of thumb bo more than 1 fish a month. If nutrient did not come down I would even wait more than a month after the first fish.

This first fish will help establishing your biological filtration but once it's too heavy bio load it will have opposit effect.

 

[Bonsai reef]

I think you added the chateos too early. Am just worried it will start dying and add more nutrients.

So far its green and fresh over a week now. hope adding a fish and feeding will get it going. Will keep an eye.

 

[Bonsai reef]

I would start with urchins and snails.
You can add one fish now no more as long ad you have zero ammonia.
Once you add one fish wait for couple of weeks test parameters, you want zero ammonia and nitrite. Then you can add another fish.
Adding fish is where most refers make mistake and goo too fast and trigger a recycle.
If your biological filtration still weak, adding bio load will put a strain on the bacteria and end up having more waste than what your biological filtration can handle and have bacteria die off.
So add fish very slowly, my rule of thumb bo more than 1 fish a month. If nutrient did not come down I would even wait more than a month after the first fish.

This first fish will help establishing your biological filtration but once it's too heavy bio load it will have opposit effect.

I will start with one fish and 2 snails and a coral (GSP). I hope nitrate ~20 will not harm. or do i need a WC at this point?

 

[road_runner]

So far its green and fresh over a week now. hope adding a fish and feeding will get it going. Will keep an eye.

Just add one or 2 at the most and take it slow...the slower you take it during these first couple of months will shape how your system look later on.
Avoid jumping quick then chasing crazy home remedies..

 

[ScottB]

Those numbers look like you are good to add a fish or two (if modest in size right away. Wait a couple weeks before adding again. CUC can go in with first fish.

The only potential downside to starting with clowns is that they CAN be quite teritorial. Personally, mine have tended to just keep to a corner, but the risk is real especially in the small moderate tank sizes. Start with the most docile fish(es) you wish to have and work your way up to the more aggressive last.

 

[road_runner]

I will start with one fish and 2 snails and a coral (GSP). I hope nitrate ~20 will not harm. or do i need a WC at this point?

Add more snails. I would do 3 turbo, couple of astera and 2 urchins..they will have enough algae to graze on

 

[road_runner]

Btw if your system is 24g you should not add more than 3 fish at the end of the day..depending ofcourse om what type of system you want to run.
If fish only with light lps coral you can do 4, but if you will want to focuse om coral and reducing nutrients the more dish the more problems you will have.
Also make sure you research the fish requirments in term of tank size. For 24g avoid tangs and wrasses.
You can do well with blenny, clown and such..

 

[Bonsai reef]

Btw if your system is 24g you should not add more than 3 fish at the end of the day..depending ofcourse om what type of system you want to run.
If fish only with light lps coral you can do 4, but if you will want to focuse om coral and reducing nutrients the more dish the more problems you will have.
Also make sure you research the fish requirments in term of tank size. For 24g avoid tangs and wrasses.
You can do well with blenny, clown and such..

It would be a mixed reef (soft and LPS) with 2-3 small fish max

 

[Subsea]

My question was “should i wait before i add fish?”

I can’t hold your hand. Use your own judgement. I gave you my recommendation.

 

[Bonsai reef]

Those numbers look like you are good to add a fish or two (if modest in size right away. Wait a couple weeks before adding again. CUC can go in with first fish.

The only potential downside to starting with clowns is that they CAN be quite teritorial. Personally, mine have tended to just keep to a corner, but the risk is real especially in the small moderate tank sizes. Start with the most docile fish(es) you wish to have and work your way up to the more aggressive last.

My wish list for fish (in order of intro)-
option 1 : 1 clown, 1 yellow wrasse (if its ok for 24g) or 1 yellow watchman goby and 1 Bicolor Dottyback
option 2: 2 clowns and 1 Bicolor Dottyback
option 3: 1 clown, 1 Bicolor Dottyback and 1 yellow tail damsel

 

[melanotaenia]

what is your lighting schedule? If you don't have coral in the tank yet you can run a low light schedule or a particular LED program to cut down on algae growth during cycling periods (although you will likely still get some).