When should I turn on the lights?

[Billldg]

@bluecheese don't dose NeoPhos (or any phosphate) if you're not testing for it. Going to do a lot more harm than good if you're not keeping tabs on your levels

Did I not say test for P04 first?

 

[bluecheese]

@bluecheese don't dose NeoPhos (or any phosphate) if you're not testing for it. Going to do a lot more harm than good if you're not keeping tabs on your levels

The plan is to start testing phosphate and go from there. Right now I'm testing pH, ammonia, Nitrite, nitrate. Phosphate testing never crossed my mind until now.

 

[Billldg]

I am really happy with the Hanna ULR but it is up to you.

I also use a Hanna ULR and love it.

 

[MichaelReefer]

You can't avoid the ugly stage, only delay it

 

[JXNATC]

See, this is where this hobby seems to be more of an art than a science. The BRS guys recommend leaving the lights off for a while to avoid the uglies. Yall are saying otherwise. Who's correct in this matter?

The BRS guys also say there's no way to avoid the ugly stage.

 

[bluecheese]

The BRS guys also say there's no way to avoid the ugly stage.

And I got the idea to leave the lights off to avoid the ugly stage from their 5 minutes series. And yes, like all humans, they can change their stance when presented with new evidence.

It just goes back to my earlier post about this hobby sometimes being more of an art than a science.

 

[EugeneVan]

If you have a sump/refugium, grow enough healthy chaeto in there first for a few weeks before you turn on the light in the DT. You can totally avoid the ugly stage. I am into freshwater plant tank too and this is very common way we do to beat all kind of green algae when we start a new plant tank. I do the same thing with my 210 reef tank and I never has the ugly stage for even one day.

 

[bluecheese]

If you have a sump/refugium, grow enough healthy chaeto in there first for a few weeks before you turn on the light in the DT. You can totally avoid the ugly stage. I am into freshwater plant tank too and this is very common way we do to beat all kind of green algae when we start a new plant tank. I do the same thing with my 210 reef tank and I never has the ugly stage for even one day.

Excellent advice. I have a refugium, I just haven't put macroalgae in it yet. Right now its filled with rocks for extra biological filtration. I need to order a fuge light and some chaeto (as well as some pods, because why not)

Edit: I'm also into planted tanks. Here's mine at home

 

[EugeneVan]

This is how my tank took like in 9 months. The only algae I have in my tank beside Chaeto is pink/purple coralline algae

 

[Lavey29]

I ran lights off for like the first 3 months. Did not turn them on till corals were added. Still had an ugly stage but it has been relatively manageable compared to others I have seen. I dont think you will avoid yours but if you go low light intensity and maybe 6 hours the next few months you should have a lower level ugly stage also. Be careful your fuge doesn't bottom out numbers in your DT.

 

[floatchop]

I waited 4 months to turn lights on. Started this tank 5/1/20. Been battling the uglys for the past 4 months....seems I didn't avoid, just delayed like others have said.

 

[EugeneVan]

I ran lights off for like the first 3 months. Did not turn them on till corals were added. Still had an ugly stage but it has been relatively manageable compared to others I have seen. I dont think you will avoid yours but if you go low light intensity and maybe 6 hours the next few months you should have a lower level ugly stage also. Be careful your fuge doesn't bottom out numbers in your DT.

That is true. My chaeto suck out all my NO3 and PO4 even I am on the heavy feeling. I have to do daily dose of NO3 and PO4 to keep up with the demands so that my SPS, LPS don't starve.

 

[EugeneVan]

Excellent advice. I have a refugium, I just haven't put macroalgae in it yet. Right now its filled with rocks for extra biological filtration. I need to order a fuge light and some chaeto (as well as some pods, because why not)

Edit: I'm also into planted tanks. Here's mine at home

Looking good. I like the mix of green color on freshwater tank and the blue color of the reef tank too

Here is my 100 gal

 

[bluecheese]

Looking good. I like the mix of green color on freshwater tank and the blue color of the reef tank too

Here is my 100 gal

Love the Dutch style colors in that tank.

 

[EugeneVan]

I waited 4 months to turn lights on. Started this tank 5/1/20. Been battling the uglys for the past 4 months....seems I didn't avoid, just delayed like others have said.

There are many factors that contribute to the ugly stage. Just by delay turning on the lights will not help much. I am coming from the high tech CO2 injected Plant tank and we are using lighting in the high intensity of the par like 700 to 1000. We have to deploy all the tricks man known to combat all the unwanted algae to grow in the water column. And it can be done.

 

[mike89t]

My tank has been running since Sept 6th. I just installed my AI Prime and turned it on today for the first time.

 

[codenfx]

My tank finished cycling. Does it matter which light to turn on to get the ugly stage going like the blue, violet, whites? I have the AI primes

 

[attiland]

My tank finished cycling. Does it matter which light to turn on to get the ugly stage going like the blue, violet, whites? I have the AI primes

I would say doesn’t really matter. As long as you don’t have corals yet you can do reduced intensity.