I started my tank just over two years ago. I turned my lights on after more than a month because my hood (with lights mounted to top) wasn't done before that. I'd had fish in the whole time (quarantined prior in small tank before 150gal was ready). Put fish in DT after cycle was complete using Dr Tim's One and Only with his Ammonium. I had my skimmer going the whole time and fed the fish. Fed fish ample amounts because I wanted the fish-poop to contribute to my tank in preparation for eventual corals. My starting fish were a small Yellow Tang, a small Purple Tang, and 6 Green Chromis. Due to having Tangs, I fed some nori, too (only what they would eat in a day).
Before lights, my dry rock was mostly unchanged and white. After I turned my lights on, things changed dramatically. My rock turned green where the light shined and I got diatoms. I kept feeding my fish and running my skimmer. I started a small ball of chaeto to export more (always the plan for export). I never experienced dinos due to never letting my nutrients bottom out (my belief). I did get red cyano at some point, but used chemiclean and it went away. Diatoms went away after a week or so on their own (used up all available silicate). I never experienced much GHA, maybe due to me having Tangs.
The best advice I can give is don't let your Chaeto grow large and then die. Mine did (6 months or so later) and flooded my tank with Nitrate and Phosphate (when things die they release everything in them). After that, I discovered that Chaeto (and all macro-algae) require a lot of Iron (more than simple trace amounts). Since starting to dose Iron, I've not had any Chaeto die again.
