Ugly Phase - Am I doing okay?

[CherryRock]

I know there has been a lot of posts about the Ugly Phase, but I am new to this and have learned my LFS is worthless when it comes to advice or really anything other than taking my money.

Through reading articles and these forums I assume I am in the middle of the Ugly Phase, but I don't know if I am supposed to be doing something or just enjoying watching the rock and tank change? Nothing I can find seems to explain what to do during the Ugly Phase....

- Do I just sit and watch while continuing water changes and monitoring parameters?
- Am I supposed to clean this stuff out of the sand and rock?
- Do I add something else to my tank?
- Do I turn my lights down or off?
- How do I know when it is safe to add coral and other fish? (want a goby and shrimp pair later)
- Am I supposed to keep feeding more to keep the nitrates and phosphate from bottoming out? (read if they do you can get dinos)

20 gallon Innovative Marine AIO Peninsula
Filtration - Floss, Carbon, Marine Pure Bio Balls (will use for QT tank later)
Eschops Nano Skimmer
Viparspectra Light - white (12%) for 2 hours, blue (18%) for 6 hours. 8in. above tank.
3 months old
2 Ocellaris Clown
4 Blue Leg Hermits
4 Astrea Snails
4 Nassarius Snails

Salinity - 1.023
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 4
Ph - 8.3
Alk - 7.1
Phosphate - 0.02

 

[William Mumford]

increase your flow what kind of power head are you using?

 

[CherryRock]

increase your flow what kind of power head are you using?

I don't have one. The only thing that moves water is the return pump that came with the tank.

That's the other thing I am not sure of... water flow. When I first got the fish they seemed bothered by how much output there was from the return pump. They struggled to swim around the tank. They do better now, but I am afraid a power head in this small tank will be over kill.

Any recommendations?

 

[William Mumford]

that is cyno it will go away with increased flow it cannot settle on the dead parts and grow like it is now. As for coral and more fish once the tank is cycled but it will be much easier to keep corals in a more established tank you can add fish when you would like and when the bio load permits.

 

[Cali Reef Life]

You go slowly and water change once a week and get rid of the yuck when you can with the siphon typically 10 - 20%.
Once you stop getting crazy algae or cynao in your case you can get a hardy coral. My suggestions one get a couple smaller rocks and make an island some coral spreads like crazy and the cheap hardy coral you first get you get bored of. 2nd is that black rock in your tank double check with a magnet you didn't get one with iron in it? 3rd get a power head near the surface most of the oxygen is generated by surface movement and it helps with algae control and coral growth.

 

[William Mumford]

I don't have one. The only thing that moves water is the return pump that came with the tank.

That's the other thing I am not sure of... water flow. When I first got the fish they seemed bothered by how much output there was from the return pump. They struggled to swim around the tank. They do better now, but I am afraid a power head in this small tank will be over kill.

Any recommendations?

you need a controllable powerhead like a tunze 6040 or an mp10 there are many others just my favorites. You need flow a powerhead is a must in reefing.

 

[CherryRock]

You go slowly and water change once a week and get rid of the yuck when you can with the siphon typically 10 - 20%.
Once you stop getting crazy algae or cynao in your case you can get a hardy coral. My suggestions one get a couple smaller rocks and make an island some coral spreads like crazy and the cheap hardy coral you first get you get bored of. 2nd is that black rock in your tank double check with a magnet you didn't get one with iron in it? 3rd get a power head near the surface most of the oxygen is generated by surface movement and it helps with algae control and coral growth.

Yes learned to go slow early on.. bad mistakes but I am learning.

1. If I add more rock does it have to be dry rock or is there issues with adding live rock to an already cycled tank?
2. So the black rock in my tank - it does stick to my magnet glass cleaner... is this bad? It's CaribSea Hawaiian Black Sand.
3. Will get a powerhead. Do you think one is enough?

 

[CherryRock]

you need a controllable powerhead like a tunze 6040 or an mp10 there are many others just my favorites. You need flow a powerhead is a must in reefing.

Thank you!

 

[AFHokie]

Agree with all on more flow. It will not only help with the cyano but you’ll need it for coral in the future.

Your tank is definitely not too small for power heads. I have a 24 gallon all in one and besides the return I have a Sicce nano and hygger programmable wave maker from Amazon. The fish will adapt and be fine. Many live in very turbulent reef zones. Mine often play in the streams.

 

[William Mumford]

make the return go across the top liner like just under the surface to break the surface tension of the water that is how oxogen is created in a fish tank. like a bubble stone you see in fresh water tanks just makes a bunch of surface tension breaking bubbles.

 

[William Mumford]

1 power head is enough depending on what one you buy I recommend 2 and turn them down I promise more flow is better than no flow every time.

 

[Mschmidt]

Add flow for sure, but you don't need to spend mp10 kinds of money. If you are inclined to brs, here are 2 options. I have the first on a 15 gallon cube and the second on my 40, admittedly it's a underpowered for the 40.

Voyager Nano 2000 Stream Pump (530 GPH)

The Voyager Nano from Sicce was developed with silent operation and durability in mind. Revolutionary Sicce Technology includes an auto-cleaning/lubricating system and vibration absorbing magnet mount. Features: Silent operation - Sicce has some of the quietest pumps on the market to date...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Oceanstream Circulation Pump/Powerhead + Duo Wavemaker Kit 500 gph- JBJ

JBJ's new Oceanstream circulation pumps icome equipped with high-value features like magnetic holders and an articulating pivot ball. These innovative pumps utilize a unique PaddleDisc™ impeller that diverts water to the perimeter of the housing unlike traditonal propeller based pumps. This...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[CherryRock]

Thank you! Very helpful advice. I will look at getting some powerheads and breaking the surface of the water with the return.

On another note. If I need to make the rocks in my tank smaller. Can I just break them and add them back to the tank? Or do I need to just start over and get different ones?

 

[Mschmidt]

Thank you! Very helpful advice. I will look at getting some powerheads and breaking the surface of the water with the return.

On another note. If I need to make the rocks in my tank smaller. Can I just break them and add them back to the tank? Or do I need to just start over and get different ones?

Smash em with a hammer, but away from glass.

 

[Mogwai]

I know there has been a lot of posts about the Ugly Phase, but I am new to this and have learned my LFS is worthless when it comes to advice or really anything other than taking my money.

Through reading articles and these forums I assume I am in the middle of the Ugly Phase, but I don't know if I am supposed to be doing something or just enjoying watching the rock and tank change? Nothing I can find seems to explain what to do during the Ugly Phase....

- Do I just sit and watch while continuing water changes and monitoring parameters?
- Am I supposed to clean this stuff out of the sand and rock?
- Do I add something else to my tank?
- Do I turn my lights down or off?
- How do I know when it is safe to add coral and other fish? (want a goby and shrimp pair later)
- Am I supposed to keep feeding more to keep the nitrates and phosphate from bottoming out? (read if they do you can get dinos)

20 gallon Innovative Marine AIO Peninsula
Filtration - Floss, Carbon, Marine Pure Bio Balls (will use for QT tank later)
Eschops Nano Skimmer
Viparspectra Light - white (12%) for 2 hours, blue (18%) for 6 hours. 8in. above tank.
3 months old
2 Ocellaris Clown
4 Blue Leg Hermits
4 Astrea Snails
4 Nassarius Snails

Salinity - 1.023
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 4
Ph - 8.3
Alk - 7.1
Phosphate - 0.02

Jebao SCP WiFi Sine Cross Flow Pump Wave Maker with Controller (SCP-70M), Black​

Is an option.

 

[Cali Reef Life]

Yes learned to go slow early on.. bad mistakes but I am learning.

1. If I add more rock does it have to be dry rock or is there issues with adding live rock to an already cycled tank?
2. So the black rock in my tank - it does stick to my magnet glass cleaner... is this bad? It's CaribSea Hawaiian Black Sand.
3. Will get a powerhead. Do you think one is enough?

I hate to give you bad news but if it sticks to magnet it has metal in it. Since metal can rust it can kill coral I know this is hard to hear but here is a form that talks about it. I would remove all you can and replace with regular sand.
Luckily you caught this early and can remove it in phases over a couple weeks . The sand will also scratch your glass if glass cleaner gets it on magnet side.

Caribsea Hawaiian Black Sand....SERIOUSLY???

We use it in both of our tanks and this happened in both....check your black sand. Perhaps small amounts of trace metals are acceptable during packaging but when used as a deep sand bed its become an issue.

www.reef2reef.com

 

[CherryRock]

I hate to give you bad news but if it sticks to magnet it has metal in it. Since metal can rust it can kill coral I know this is hard to hear but here is a form that talks about it. I would remove all you can and replace with regular sand.
Luckily you caught this early and can remove it in phases over a couple weeks . The sand will also scratch your glass if glass cleaner gets it on magnet side.

Caribsea Hawaiian Black Sand....SERIOUSLY???

We use it in both of our tanks and this happened in both....check your black sand. Perhaps small amounts of trace metals are acceptable during packaging but when used as a deep sand bed its become an issue.

www.reef2reef.com

Interesting! Bad news, but yes I am glad to know about this now instead of later. It seems I might break some of my rock and make it smaller anyway, so this might be a good time to fix the sand and the rock at at same time.

Thank you for the post and heads up! Would hate to run into more issues down the line and not know why.

 

[WWC Verified Sponsor]

I know there has been a lot of posts about the Ugly Phase, but I am new to this and have learned my LFS is worthless when it comes to advice or really anything other than taking my money.

Through reading articles and these forums I assume I am in the middle of the Ugly Phase, but I don't know if I am supposed to be doing something or just enjoying watching the rock and tank change? Nothing I can find seems to explain what to do during the Ugly Phase....

- Do I just sit and watch while continuing water changes and monitoring parameters?
- Am I supposed to clean this stuff out of the sand and rock?
- Do I add something else to my tank?
- Do I turn my lights down or off?
- How do I know when it is safe to add coral and other fish? (want a goby and shrimp pair later)
- Am I supposed to keep feeding more to keep the nitrates and phosphate from bottoming out? (read if they do you can get dinos)

20 gallon Innovative Marine AIO Peninsula
Filtration - Floss, Carbon, Marine Pure Bio Balls (will use for QT tank later)
Eschops Nano Skimmer
Viparspectra Light - white (12%) for 2 hours, blue (18%) for 6 hours. 8in. above tank.
3 months old
2 Ocellaris Clown
4 Blue Leg Hermits
4 Astrea Snails
4 Nassarius Snails

Salinity - 1.023
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 4
Ph - 8.3
Alk - 7.1
Phosphate - 0.02

Once you get that powerhead going that will be a huge help. This will help with the algae that is building and for the coral you want to add. Different types of coral will require a good amount of water movement while others will need it to get the nutrients to eat. But keep up the good work and it will all start to come together for you.

-Keith