When Did Your UGLY PHASE End?

[Ocean’s Piece]

I feel like this is a rarely discussed topic because of the differentiating times of events occurring in the ugly phase, so I wanted to create a poll to see when your ugly phase ended, as well as see your experiences with the different types of algae through it.

 

[Jekyl]

Right about a year old

 

[SchrutesReefs]

I wouldn’t say I have completely gone through the uglies quite yet, but at 6 months I am no longer geting diatoms and have starting getting coralline on my rocks (previously dry rock). When the diatoms got annoying I began adding Algae Barn’s live phytoplankton. It seemed to help fight the algae as well as make my corals happy

 

[tidefanjam]

Truthfully about a year and a half

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

I may never get over it. I’m 45 now and my mom says that I was a cute baby. But she’s the only one. I fear it’s not just a phase.

 

[CK00020]

I’m 7 months in, and battling what I believe to be dinos

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

I wouldn’t say I have completely gone through the uglies quite yet, but at 6 months I am no longer geting diatoms and have starting getting coralline on my rocks

Exactly my situation right now from what I kept^. Only form of algae I have is red cyano and very small gha on the sandbed. I used to have diatoms, brown cyano on the sandbed, and a little bit of big stands of gha on the rock.

 

[chandavi]

Just under 7 mos and almost through!!! (I think?)

 

[SchrutesReefs]

Exactly my situation right now from what I kept^. Only form of algae I have is red cyano and very small gha on the sandbed. I used to have diatoms, brown cyano on the sandbed, and a little bit of big stands of gha on the rock.

I’m hoping that the mixture of my livestock and phyto helped “defeat” the uglies. I do believe there has to be a healthy mixture. Too heavy or too light on livestock gives the uglies an edge

 

[fachatga]

After the teenage years it gets less ugly and awkward

 

[Bouncingsoul39]

with my current tank i didn’t have one. I started with cured ocean live rock, put in a ton of CuC right away. limited light to low percentage intensity and fed sparingly the first few weeks. ran phosguard from the beginning as well.

 

[CMMorgan]

Wait? It ends?!

 

[Wasabiroot]

In my current cube I'm at the 4 month mark. I have a tiny disc of coraline growing directly over the lights that I keep marshaling my otherwise well behaved pencil urchin away from.

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

In my current cube I'm at the 4 month mark. I have a tiny disc of coraline growing directly over the lights that I keep marshaling my otherwise well behaved pencil urchin away from.

Sounds like you need a surveillance camera

 

[CanuckReefer]

I feel like this is a rarely discussed topic because of the differentiating times of events occurring in the ugly phase, so I wanted to create a poll to see when your ugly phase ended, as well as see your experiences with the different types of algae through it.

Good topic... trying to remember back now lol. I estimate a few years. I went through hair algae, and diatoms consistently. Taking rocks out scrubbing them ok for a few weeks and back again. Tried all kinds of beneficial bacteria and chemical available back then (25 years ago)... I lost numerous fish, and corals , I would consider that to be the ugly's too. The fish some more expensive ones along the way, I was not educated enough in the hobby, and somewhat cocky I guess. Finally did recieve some invaluable advice from LFS , got rid of some equipment, added a piece or two, and I finally had a reef.
New hobbyists have a wealth of info here now in forums, that I wish I had only through books, or local advice from retailers who either didn't know enough, or wanted to just make a buck.
I'm very thankful myself today for R2R and lots of online info.

 

[wareagle]

My current 75g tank is only a little over a month old and it only has film algae and coralline algae. It went through diatoms and a little brown cyano until I kicked up the flow. The coralline is starting on the glass and rock which is kind of odd because it's always started on plastic in the past for me.

I scrubbed all the snails with a wire brush and H202 before putting them in the tank and one of them started re growing the red stranded algae it came with, I pulled that snail and treated him again, fingers crossed that I didn't introduce any of that to the tank. I also dumped a bottle of the arc reef pink coralline in the tank, but it wouldn't be fair to say if it worked because the coralline that was on the snails is also growing again.

 

[JPM San Diego]

2 years for me. It was a nightmare that wouldn't end. I finally hired a consultant who came to my home and spent 2 hours creating a plan. It took about 2 months, which was not unexpected. No one digs out of a 2 year hole instantaneously. Tank looks great now, but I've realized the potential for the ugly phase never really goes away. It's just under control. Where ever my herbivores cannot reach, green hair algae still grows. Examples: inside my MP10 power heads and in my sump where my trochus snails cannot go.

 

[Jekyl]

Just under 7 mos and almost through!!! (I think?)

Think we should tell him?

 

[chandavi]

Nooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Jekyl]

with my current tank i didn’t have one. I started with cured ocean live rock, put in a ton of CuC right away. limited light to low percentage intensity and fed sparingly the first few weeks. ran phosguard from the beginning as well.

This is why I'll never use or recommend dry rock again.