I was going to say a year too. When I set up my first tank I cycled for a month. I tested almost daily and watched the levels go up and back down. Then a month later the ugly algae phase started. I though it was something I was doing wrong. The lfs took advantage of this time selling everything known to man. Which eventually caused a bacterial bloom. I'm currently doing my 5th set up now. Ive had 2 fish in there for a month now, and phantom fed with a cleaner shrimp some two months before adding the fish. The Algae phase started about 2-3 weeks ago. I'll occasionally brush the top of the rocks off with a tooth brush (before my filter/water change) where the light is most intense. Lights turned down some. I May pick up a few good sized snails this weekend. They do wonders. But it will go away on its own. When coralline gets to be about nickle sized that's when I feel maturity is happening. Just remember, just because amonia drops doesn't give you the green light to put all the livestock you want in there. Refrain on going crazy. Every fish added is a mini cycle to the bio load. One fish every 3-4week is what I'm going for. Some recommend DR Tim's one time, which I probably will next time. The good thing about having multiple tanks is patients isn't so hard when you have two others to mess with.
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