Skimming during ugly phase?

[rueric]

Question..

My tank is currently about a month and a half old.
Definitely feels like I'm going through the ugly phase right now with GHA and brown hair algae?

My current parameters are the following:
Alk: 137 ppm
Calc: 433
Nitrate: 0.00
Phosphate: 0.05

I have no fish in there yet (Will by the end of the month after the quarantine)
I have a few corals (frogspawn, hammer, zoas, GSP)
Some inverts:
1 Tuxedo urchin
1 Nassarius snail
1 Cleaner shrimp
3 bumble bee snail
3 trochus snail
1 golf ball size dragons breath macro algae


None of the snails look like they are eating the hair algae.

I have been feeding reef roids, reef energy AB+, and phyto feast (to feed the copepods) all about once-twice a week.

Question is, should I be running my protein skimmer?
I'm trying to get past this ugly stage sooner then later, not sure how effective using a protein skimmer would do.
Would it strip out any of the nitrate and phosphate I have in the system to 0? I don't want to bottom out and get hit with dinos.

My plan of attack is do a pull and scrub all of the rocks + sandbed (algae is starting to form there too) and do a big water change to get as much of it out as possible.

 

[Bouncingsoul39]

Yes, skimmer. Stop feeding reef roads and reef energy. Both add a lot of algae fuel to the water.the corals will be fine without it for the several weeks to get through this. The only good and mostly reliable hair algae eaters are the black long spine urchin and se hares. Turbo snails might but no guaranteed. A proteim skimmer isn’t going To bottom out nutrients.
you need more Cuzc though. Get several hermits And several more algae snails. Your plan of manual removal is a good one. Just make sure to keep the rocks moist to preserve the bacteria and rinse them off in clean saltwater after scrubbing.

 

[attiland]

Question..

My tank is currently about a month and a half old.
Definitely feels like I'm going through the ugly phase right now with GHA and brown hair algae?

My current parameters are the following:
Alk: 137 ppm
Calc: 433
Nitrate: 0.00
Phosphate: 0.05

I have no fish in there yet (Will by the end of the month after the quarantine)
I have a few corals (frogspawn, hammer, zoas, GSP)
Some inverts:
1 Tuxedo urchin
1 Nassarius snail
1 Cleaner shrimp
3 bumble bee snail
3 trochus snail
1 golf ball size dragons breath macro algae


None of the snails look like they are eating the hair algae.

I have been feeding reef roids, reef energy AB+, and phyto feast (to feed the copepods) all about once-twice a week.

Question is, should I be running my protein skimmer?
I'm trying to get past this ugly stage sooner then later, not sure how effective using a protein skimmer would do.
Would it strip out any of the nitrate and phosphate I have in the system to 0? I don't want to bottom out and get hit with dinos.

My plan of attack is do a pull and scrub all of the rocks + sandbed (algae is starting to form there too) and do a big water change to get as much of it out as possible.

Your nitrate is already 0. Why do you want to do skimming too. 0 nitrate or phosphate is not healthy.

 

[Bouncingsoul39]

Your nitrate is already 0. Why do you want to do skimming too. 0 nitrate or phosphate is not healthy.

Nitrate test kits are highly inaccurate. The point of a skimmer is to remove waste before it breaks down into nitrate. It’s nearly impossible for a normal tank not running ULNS system to actually have zeroed out nitrate or phosphate. Protein skimmers are not required but they make reefkeeping easier and oxygenate the water. Not running one is just making the chore of maintaining good water quality harder than it needs to be.

 

[rueric]

I’m using Hanna checkers for everything I’ve listed. I’ll retest the nitrate and see where I’m at.

 

[rueric]

Your nitrate is already 0. Why do you want to do skimming too. 0 nitrate or phosphate is not healthy.

My thinking is, after trying to do the manual removal and a large water change. Any other scrubbed off algae” will also get pulled from the protein skimmer. Unless I’m wrong in my logic here..

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I run the skimmer 24/7 it’s a piece to the balance I want the tank used to right away. If your rock leaches out any phosphates or nitrates the skimmer is ready when they are.

 

[Jekyl]

You have months to go on algae. Mine didn't clear up until about a year old. Yes run your skimmer after fish are introduced. Try not to let nutrients bottom out though.

 

[SteveMac84]

Question..

My tank is currently about a month and a half old.
Definitely feels like I'm going through the ugly phase right now with GHA and brown hair algae?

My current parameters are the following:
Alk: 137 ppm
Calc: 433
Nitrate: 0.00
Phosphate: 0.05

I have no fish in there yet (Will by the end of the month after the quarantine)
I have a few corals (frogspawn, hammer, zoas, GSP)
Some inverts:
1 Tuxedo urchin
1 Nassarius snail
1 Cleaner shrimp
3 bumble bee snail
3 trochus snail
1 golf ball size dragons breath macro algae


None of the snails look like they are eating the hair algae.

I have been feeding reef roids, reef energy AB+, and phyto feast (to feed the copepods) all about once-twice a week.

Question is, should I be running my protein skimmer?
I'm trying to get past this ugly stage sooner then later, not sure how effective using a protein skimmer would do.
Would it strip out any of the nitrate and phosphate I have in the system to 0? I don't want to bottom out and get hit with dinos.

My plan of attack is do a pull and scrub all of the rocks + sandbed (algae is starting to form there too) and do a big water change to get as much of it out as possible.

Currently learning through your trials. I’m in the middle f the cycle.

 

[attiland]

My thinking is, after trying to do the manual removal and a large water change. Any other scrubbed off algae” will also get pulled from the protein skimmer. Unless I’m wrong in my logic here..

I don’t know how many ch is the skimmer will you are out of this but manual removal is your best option than CUC can do the rest. Maybe Vibrat.