Seeking cycling reassurance

[Clairemonski]

Hello,

firstly I’d like to say how helpful and reassuring this site has been as I’ve entered this hobby. I’m completely new to marine aquarium keeping having recently bought myself a Red Sea Reefer 200 G2 tank for my 40th birthday, having wanted one since I was a teen.

All has been going well; following the advice of my LFS I began my cycle using colony, a couple of pecular clowns and some RealReef rock and TMC fine sand. I have progressed through the brown slime and formed the green algae. The past few days the water has been very cloudy and yesterday, overnight, the green algae disappeared and my rocks look like they did the day I put them into the tank. The water, though, remains a bit cloudy looking.

I have been testing using the API colour tests - I know these are not perfect but recommended as a starting kit - and double checking my results with a test at my LFS. Our results have matched with all parameters showing as fine other than ammonia which my test showed as 0 whereas the LFS scored it at 0.8; clearly I trust their testing.

Fundamentally, I’m looking to find out whether the overnight disappearance of the algae is a normal part of the cycling and whether the water remaining cloudy (although not quite as cloudy as it was) is also a part of the process? Worth noting that my fish are active and showing no signs of stress.

 

[Kristopher Conlin]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

The cloudy water sounds like a bacterial bloom. I'm not sure what would cause all the algea on the rocks to disappear however. Did you have test show a reading for nitrate?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello,

firstly I’d like to say how helpful and reassuring this site has been as I’ve entered this hobby. I’m completely new to marine aquarium keeping having recently bought myself a Red Sea Reefer 200 G2 tank for my 40th birthday, having wanted one since I was a teen.

All has been going well; following the advice of my LFS I began my cycle using colony, a couple of pecular clowns and some RealReef rock and TMC fine sand. I have progressed through the brown slime and formed the green algae. The past few days the water has been very cloudy and yesterday, overnight, the green algae disappeared and my rocks look like they did the day I put them into the tank. The water, though, remains a bit cloudy looking.

I have been testing using the API colour tests - I know these are not perfect but recommended as a starting kit - and double checking my results with a test at my LFS. Our results have matched with all parameters showing as fine other than ammonia which my test showed as 0 whereas the LFS scored it at 0.8; clearly I trust their testing.

Fundamentally, I’m looking to find out whether the overnight disappearance of the algae is a normal part of the cycling and whether the water remaining cloudy (although not quite as cloudy as it was) is also a part of the process? Worth noting that my fish are active and showing no signs of stress.

Overnight dissapearnce can occur if you have higher magnesium content, lights were off, algae eaters took it down or bacteria is digesting it at a fast pace
Do plan to upgrade test kits and .08 is elevated- keep an eye on it so it does not become toxic causing ammonia poisoning or low oxygen

 

[vetteguy53081]

 

[Brucealmighty]

Welcome to R2R and the addiction starts

Glad to see a fellow Islander in this big wide forum from the USA, there a whole bunch of people who will be able to help you with your tank and inhabitants, happy reefing.

 

[Fred2482]

Welcome!

 

[bnord]

Welcome and glad you have made your 20 year dream come true
it does sound like a bacterial bloom, which can go as fast as it comes, and i like to keep a air pump and wet stone as a back up just in case to keep the O2 up
would upgrade the testing kit as above abut it sounds like you are having the 2-4 wobbles
water changes rarely hurt and often help
stay in touch through this period

 

[Karen00]

Welcome to the salty side and the community! It sounds like you have developed an bacterial bloom. That can suck all the oxygen from the tank so be careful. You might need to supplement with airstones. Have you done the required water change after the cycle finished? What are your nitrates. Saltwater cycling is like freshwater it starts with ammonia then nitrites follow then nitrates. Once the first two go back to zero and you're only left with nitrates then you're done. That's when you do a water change (at least I do to freshen it up) and you're off to the races. If you still have ammonia you might not be done but that could be the API test. It depends on what your other levels are reading.

 

[Clairemonski]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

The cloudy water sounds like a bacterial bloom. I'm not sure what would cause all the algea on the rocks to disappear however. Did you have test show a reading for nitrate?

Thank you for replying. Yes, the Nitrate and Nitrite readings are showing 0.

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

So be careful with not having any nitrates have you been supplementing a food source?
Welcome to the team

 

[Clairemonski]

Welcome to the salty side and the community! It sounds like you have developed an bacterial bloom. That can suck all the oxygen from the tank so be careful. You might need to supplement with airstones. Have you done the required water change after the cycle finished? What are your nitrates. Saltwater cycling is like freshwater it starts with ammonia then nitrites follow then nitrates. Once the first two go back to zero and you're only left with nitrates then you're done. That's when you do a water change (at least I do to freshen it up) and you're off to the races. If you still have ammonia you might not be done but that could be the API test. It depends on what your other levels are reading.

Hello, yes, I have been doing 10% weekly water changes. Thank you for the warning about oxygen levels. I have a wave machine running with lots of surface agitation and the fish are showing no signs of oxygen grabbing, but I will monitor this very closely. Strangely the nitrates and nitrites showed as 0 in both mine and the LFS tests.

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

Might want to try an over feeding and test to see if nitrates are present having a 0 nitrate reading seems all good and dandy but could start to effect your tank. Keeping nitrates between 5-10 ppm is where you want to be.

 

[Clairemonski]

Overnight dissapearnce can occur if you have higher magnesium content, lights were off, algae eaters took it down or bacteria is digesting it at a fast pace
Do plan to upgrade test kits and .08 is elevated- keep an eye on it so it does not become toxic causing ammonia poisoning or low oxygen

Thank you, I’ll watch this closely.

 

[Karen00]

Hello, yes, I have been doing 10% weekly water changes. Thank you for the warning about oxygen levels. I have a wave machine running with lots of surface agitation and the fish are showing no signs of oxygen grabbing, but I will monitor this very closely. Strangely the nitrates and nitrites showed as 0 in both mine and the LFS tests.

Oh wait.... You used real live rock correct? If so you probably instant cycled. I would keep an eye on the ammonia for a bit just to make sure it doesn't rise again and you want to get that water clear before adding more livestock in case it's a bacterial bloom. Oxygen deprivation can happen so quickly and the inhabitants will only last about 5 minutes. It sounds like you're progressing along.

 

[ScubaFish802]

 

[blaxsun]

 

[tharbin]

Welcome to R2R!

 

[CoralB]

Welcome!!!

 

[G Santana]

Welcome to R2R

 

[Clairemonski]

Welcome and glad you have made your 20 year dream come true
it does sound like a bacterial bloom, which can go as fast as it comes, and i like to keep a air pump and wet stone as a back up just in case to keep the O2 up
would upgrade the testing kit as above abut it sounds like you are having the 2-4 wobbles
water changes rarely hurt and often help
stay in touch through this period

Thank you. I’ll look into getting an air pump today.