The Ugly Phase

[Reef Devils]

I know all new reefers are waiting for the ugly phase to happen and I am one of them. My tank is 1.5 months old and no ugly yet!! I did ad a lot of pods from algae barn to try and skip that phase l. Have I done it? Or will it happens soon? I have been feeding my pods phytoplankton and will that increase nitrates?

 

[Jekyl]

I know all new reefers are waiting for the ugly phase to happen and I am one of them. My tank is 1.5 months old and no ugly yet!! I did ad a lot of pods from algae barn to try and skip that phase l. Have I done it? Or will it happens soon? I have been feeding my pods phytoplankton and will that increase nitrates?

Mine didn't even really start until month 6 and lasted another 4 months or so.

 

[WarChief]

You running lights? Is there a decent amount of Par getting to the rocks and sand or whatever you used?

 

[Reef Devils]

You running lights? Is there a decent amount of Par getting to the rocks and sand or whatever you used?

Yeah lights are on 8 hours a day. Only have 2 clownfish and no corals yet. There is lots of light

 

[Reef Devils]

Yeah lights are on 8 hours a day. Only have 2 clownfish and no corals yet. There is lots of light

 

[WarChief]

Well I ran mine with a lot more white light. Maybe the bluer light and lack of additional light coming in is helping you. I hope for your sake you dont get anything. I am just coming out of the rust phase and turning into some green algae now.

 

[Lavey29]

You will experience a variety of algae ugly phases over the course of the first year.

 

[Reef Devils]

Well I ran mine with a lot more white light. Maybe the bluer light and lack of additional light coming in is helping you. I hope for your sake you dont get anything. I am just coming out of the rust phase and turning into some green algae now.

Yeah I bet it could be bad! Thanks for the help

 

[1112-425XL]

From about the 6 mos. mark until the one year mark I spent a lot of time brushing, siphoning and netting gha. Thought it was never going to end. Then it was gone.

 

[PapaFishRocks]

Month 3 for me and the uglies have moved in something fierce!

 

[Reef Devils]

Month 3 for me and the uglies have moved in something fierce!

Got pics?

 

[Lavey29]

If you wanted to minimize the uglies and make them very manageable, you leave your lights off first 4 months and allow your tank to develop biodiversity and microfauna. Then you have your biome active and ready as you turn lights on and add corals.

 

[Stahre]

I’m two months in, 1 month ago brown diatoms started on rocks and some in sand. Now almost all brown stuff is gone an are being replaced by green patches.

I did start with 70percent deadrock 30percent live rock.

Have a handful of different snails and hermits that at least help turn the sand around a bit.

I have light on about 6h per day currently.
3 t5 out of 6 only so far

 

[CWalters]

Keep on top of your nutrients. Don't let N03 or P04 bottom out. Will get dinos quickly. If GHA comes let it come, it is the easiest to deal with. Just get a CUC and scrub rocks with your weekly water change.

 

[Reef Devils]

Keep on top of your nutrients. Don't let N03 or P04 bottom out. Will get dinos quickly. If GHA comes let it come, it is the easiest to deal with. Just get a CUC and scrub rocks with your weekly water change.

What is GHG and CUC

 

[PapaFishRocks]

Got pics?

Kinda crappy quality pic. But last week that shell in the middle was pure white. I cleaned the sand last night, and less than 24 hrs later, back to brown. And oh my that burgandy cyano is on EVERYTHING!

 

[Reef Devils]

Kinda crappy quality pic. But last week that shell in the middle was pure white. I cleaned the sand last night, and less than 24 hrs later, back to brown. And oh my that burgandy cyano is on EVERYTHING!

Wow that does not look fun

 

[Allaric]

This is my current ugly phase after a month. Diatoms and a guardian shrimp tending the fields. On the plus side I am building up pods since I don't have anything eating them.

 

[Reef Devils]

This is my current ugly phase after a month. Diatoms and a guardian shrimp tending the fields. On the plus side I am building up pods since I don't have anything eating them.

Wow that is a lot of algae get those pods to work

 

[Jekyl]

What is GHG and CUC

Green hair algae, clean up crew (snails, crabs etc.)