No Algae After Tank Cycle

[Benjamin J. Young]

Hopefully this is the right place to post this. I just got done cycling my new 55 gallon tank with a 6 inch ocean direct sand bed and 120lbs of dry rock. I used bacteria in a bottle and two raw shrimp plus daily fish food, and it cycled in a week. I waited another week to make sure there were no other spikes. Although I am using API's cheap testing kit which is not the most accurate thing around, I did chart Ammonia/Nitrites coming and going at high levels, so I am definite the tank is cycled. I also currently have high Nitrates. I used Red Sea Coral Pro Salt with a salinity of 1.025.

I am about to order my clean up crew and already have a crew I am also going to move from my nano tank. The dilemma however, is I don't have any visible micro algae or diatoms what-so-ever. I was kind of assuming there needs to be some for the Ceriths and Nerites to survive? Should I go get dirty water out of my nano tank and add it to my new tank? Or look for chunks of algae to get out and put it in? Should I go get some live rock from my LFS? I have no idea if these would be good strategies or not. What's the best way to grow micro algae with none currently in the tank?

I am just kind of in a rush, because I moved to a new house, and my nano tank is the last thing to move (or at least just my critters in it) before I can sell off my old house.

 

[Webslinger]

light the tank and it will grow. put in a molly, cheap hardy fish.

 

[Webslinger]

slow and steady wins the race

 

[Webslinger]

live rock might have critters you don't want

 

[Benjamin J. Young]

I should add that I'm already lighting the tank 24/7 with 2x 54watt T5 Bulbs. Two more are coming soon with another fixture.

 

[cycled123]

I am a year into my first salt tank so not very expierenced. We did not get algae after cycle and were wondering the same thing at the time. We really didn't get algae until we added fish and really never got a lot until we had to move the tank to replace floors. I would wait on the clean up crew but maybe add one or two of your current fish.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Algae needs to me introduced. No algae , no cuc. If you've added fish , put in stuff that will eat the extra fish food and poop.

You can rush as much as you want.
The tank won't.