Is this a problem or just still new tank uglies?

[PghReef]

I dont recall my last setup getting this bad or lasting as long, but I do seem to forget the struggles and focus on the good in this hobby. My last tank also went much slower as I cycled the rock in the tank and ran a single t5NO bulb for awhile before I upgraded to add corals. This tank the rock was cycled ib a tote and I went straight to reef and kessil LED lighting.

Tank is only a month and a half old and the last phosphate was. 03 with the HC. Nitrates and ammonia are 0. The film algae on the glass has finally slowed down a lot, had to clean it twice daily before now I can go 2 or 3 days and it still isn't that bad. No fish just corals and CUC. Looks to be a fair amount of what I assume is a regular hair algae. The back and sides of the rocks dont seem bad, just the high light areas on the top and fronts.

I currently run carbon and a small amount of phosguard in a filter. No sump,skimmer,gfo,fuge etc. Thinking I should just wait it out and let corals and coralline hopefully eventually take over but was considering a black out period.

 

[PghReef]

Just stirred some stuff a little and added some reef chili so excuse the slightly cloudy look

 

[rock_lobster]

Looks normal to me. Need to get some nutrient exporting going with macro alage or scrubbers.

 

[PghReef]

Looks normal to me. Need to get some nutrient exporting going with macro alage or scrubbers.

I never used them on my last tank, but I did have a huge xenia garden in tank that probably functioned as nutrient export.

 

[Sod Buster]

Dial back the reef chili also. That is a powerful algae fuel.

 

[BestMomEver]

Mine was way worse than that. It’s normal I think

 

[PghReef]

Dial back the reef chili also. That is a powerful algae fuel.

I was just going to dose twice a week is that to much?

 

[Sod Buster]

The tank looks fine. Just a couple ml's if you do it. Without a nutrient export device, it feeds the algae when it builds up over time. Hydrate some and let it dry overnight in a shot glass, lots of plankton, the brown powder will be triple expanded and green the next day.

Edit: I meant a couple milliliters of tank water with the chili mixed in, not scoops of the powder.

 

[Seminoles76]

Without nutrient export and only a few corals I’d almost recommend spot feeding the chili as well. The algae that is currently in the tank will use all the chili and excess nutrients that the corals don’t use with broadcast feeding. With spot feeding you at least save yourself a bit of excess algae food.

 

[rock_lobster]

I never used them on my last tank, but I did have a huge xenia garden in tank that probably functioned as nutrient export.

Oh ya! xenia or any soft coral is a major nutrient export. One that is often overlooked. Its probably even better than macro algae. I had a kenya tree sump and no chaeto could compete with that.

 

[PghReef]

Yea

Oh ya! xenia or any soft coral is a major nutrient export. One that is often overlooked. Its probably even better than macro algae. I had a kenya tree sump and no chaeto could compete with that.

I kind of what to add xenia again but dont have a small rock island in this scape to work with.

 

[rock_lobster]

Yea

I kind of what to add xenia again but dont have a small rock island in this scape to work with.

ya it really does help but sure does come with risks. Its best if you can do it in a fuge.