How Long Does It Take For Algae to show up?

[ReefWithCare]

Hi all,

I've had a tank setup for about a month now. The tank did a full cycle in around 7 days using Ammonium Chlorine and BioSpira. At this point there is no algae present in the tank. Not even a speck of a diatom. The lights have been on since fish have been in the tank (3 weeks)

I purchased this aquarium used off Craiglist. I wasn't sure if I should worry at this point (I'm starting to suspect copper may have been used in the tank from the prior owner). All the fish in the tank are happy and healthy. Figured I should see something at this point. I am using RODI water and started off with dry macro rock and dry caribsea special grade reef sand.

I did drop pods in around week 3 and have been keeping them alive with phyto. I haven't seen the pods since. I have no corals in the tank currently and don't plan on adding any until I QT all my stocking list and setup my Coral QT.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Hi all,

I've had a tank setup for about a month now. The tank did a full cycle in around 7 days using Ammonium Chlorine and BioSpira. At this point there is no algae present in the tank. Not even a speck of a diatom. The lights have been on since fish have been in the tank (3 weeks)

I purchased this aquarium used off Craiglist. I wasn't sure if I should worry at this point (I'm starting to suspect copper may have been used in the tank from the prior owner). All the fish in the tank are happy and healthy. Figured I should see something at this point. I am using RODI water and started off with dry macro rock and dry caribsea special grade reef sand.

I did drop pods in around week 3 and have been keeping them alive with phyto. I haven't seen the pods since. I have no corals in the tank currently and don't plan on adding any until I QT all my stocking list and setup my Coral QT.

What is your stocking list? It's not abnormal for it to take 1 to 4 months for algae to show up. Do you have a copper kit to test for copper in your tank? I don't think the presents of copper would stunt algae growth though.

 

[Billldg]

I have had my tank up and running for about 6 weeks now and I do have coral frags in it and at about week 5 I started to get red algae on the sand, I feed my frags so their is food in the water column, so it may take a while.

 

[ReefWithCare]

What is your stocking list? It's not abnormal for it to take 1 to 4 months for algae to show up. Do you have a copper kit to test for copper in your tank? I don't think the presents of copper would stunt algae growth though.

I actually don't have a copper test kit right now. There is just 2 occy clownfish and a malanarus wrasse in a 125G tank right now. They eat nearly a cube of food a day by themselves (the wrasse eats most of it lol)

 

[mcarroll]

Dead rock, dead sand and no corals...I presume no CUC either?

...no life in the tank but bacteria just like an old-school fish tank.

Be careful as FOWLR's became popular back in the day for a very good reason and DINO's seem very "popular" in tanks like this right now.

FOWDR ≠ FOWLR.

FOWDR = 1960's saltwater aquarium with 2018 lighting. Not a great combo.

And, with that example, keep in mind that it's pointless to run your lights a this stage. Use the minimum needed.

You would hope that the pods you added are eating detritus produced by the food and fish poo, not phytoplankton. I would not add that anymore.

 

[roberthu526]

I can ship you some algae and it will show up in about three days lol

 

[ReefWithCare]

Dead rock, dead sand and no corals...I presume no CUC either?

...no life in the tank but bacteria just like an old-school fish tank.

Be careful as FOWLR's became popular back in the day for a very good reason and DINO's seem very "popular" in tanks like this right now.

FOWDR ≠ FOWLR.

FOWDR = 1960's saltwater aquarium with 2018 lighting. Not a great combo. [emoji33]

And, with that example, keep in mind that it's pointless to run your lights a this stage. Use the minimum needed.

You would hope that the pods you added are eating detritus produced by the food and fish poo, not phytoplankton. I would not add that anymore.

No CUC - there isn’t really a purpose for them right now —- not enough food. I used algaebarn pods and phytoplankton. I was pretty upfront that there wasn’t much in the tank at this time. They were more concerned about the fish eating the pods and suggested I drop 150ml of phytoplankton to start.

I dropped coraline last week to seed but know nothing is going to happen for a while.