Wheres the algae?

[fernalfer]

Ok so i did a fishless cycle using pure ammonia. I dosed to 3ppm initially, got my ammonia spike and after 3 days it went down to 0. By the way i used Fritz Beneficial Bacteria to help the process along. When it hit 0 i dosed again to 3ppm. after 3 days i got nitrites thru the roof and ammonia back down to 0. dosed to 2ppm and let the ammonia go to 0 and waited about 7 days for nitrites to finally hit 0 as well. nitrates about 50ppm. I dosed one last time and was able to take ammonia from 2ppm to 0 and nitrites to 0 in 18 hrs. All with lights off.

It has now been 2 weeks since that i have been ghost feeding the tank to keep bacteria happy by putting fish flakes in a mesh bag until they decompose. Better then making a mess in the tank. Problem is it has been almost a month and no diatom bloom or any algae. I was hoping to get a clean-up crew so i can watch something in my tank but there would be nothing to eat. Is no algae common after a month.

I did soak my Marco Dry Rock for 2 months in brute tubs prior to going in the tank in RODI saltwater and treated them with Phosfree to get rid of the leaching phosphates. I just checked the phosphates and they were 0.006 per hanna checker. Could this be the reason why algae is not growing because of the lack of phosphates in the water?

I have a Lemon Peel Tang in quarantine right now but still has a month left, i'm hoping i get some kind of bloom soon to get it out of the way and maybe get a few snails, hermit crabs, or a conch.

Does anyone think an algae bloom is on the horizon? its been 2 weeks with lights on 8 hrs. a day.

 

[JackDE]

I didn't get an algae bloom until 2 1/2-3 months it was really bad for 4 days then totally went away.

 

[fernalfer]

so i suppose my tank will remain empty until my tang is done in quarantine. Not fun just feeding a 120 gallon tank food with no inhabitants in it.

 

[fernalfer]

Can i just add a clean up crew very small and throw in some sinking pellets for them in the meantime?

 

[Bob Escher]

I used Red Sea marine mature kit and never got algae in either my QT or DT tanks, got diatoms in my DT but that was it. I slowly put in CUC's but then they were dying. Added poly filter and things have seemed to settle down, tanks have been up since Dec

 

[JackDE]

To answer your question you could add a few CUC but they may not live based on @Bob Escher 's experience. I don't think they make you as happy as you think they will. Sorry.

I started my CUC with 4 crabs and no snails. With no algae they survived eating leftover food that I fed the fish. It was another month or so after adding my first fish that I added more CUC.

 

[Diesel]

Are your light still off or did you just did the cycle with the lights off?

It's always hard to do the right thing and running your fish through the QT time before you put them in but it will pay off long term.
Are you planning to have corals too?

Yes you can add a CUC and just throw some large algae pellets in your tank that sink to the bottom.

 

[Brandon42]

so i suppose my tank will remain empty until my tang is done in quarantine. Not fun just feeding a 120 gallon tank food with no inhabitants in it.

youre soo close! its a rough life staring at a empty tank!

 

[Bob Escher]

Fernlfer I know it's hard, I had my clowns in my QT tank for close to three months while waiting for the main tank to arrive and to cycle. No one on here could figure out why the CUC's were dying particularly the snails. All parameters were great used acRO/DI system as well, thought copper but that was good as well. Still losing some after five months but nothing like we first did ( now their lasting a month or so. My problem now are Frags and my anemone. But we think it's due to lighting. Which we will solve after its shipped to me. I have a Current-USA marine light on it now. Love it but it's not strong enough ( original version not the Pro)

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Can i just add a clean up crew very small and throw in some sinking pellets for them in the meantime?

yes but choose wisely, no algae on the glass, no snails.

Does anyone think an algae bloom is on the horizon? .

Oh yes

Are your light still off or did you just did the cycle with the lights off?

It's always hard to do the right thing and running your fish through the QT time before you put them in but it will pay off long term.
Are you planning to have corals too?

Yes you can add a CUC and just throw some large algae pellets in your tank that sink to the bottom.

What he said.


This is the hard weird strange surprising part. Every tank IS different. What you will experience in that tank will be completely different than mine. That's natures miracle. Yes it can be explained and analyzed very scientifically down to the Ion. Man has a tendency to do that esp over analyze. If you were growing a tree would you do the same? Same process actually. Microbial webs carbon exchange mineral supplementation etc.

I have 2 reef tanks in my house. Technically they are clones. From the very first tank I ever had. Same rocks same sumps same macros algaes back and forth, corals too, but what is happening in them is so completely different its mind boggling.

IMO IME yes you could drop a fish in right now. It would live and likely flourish. But your patience will be rewarded. For Me, the casual observer of your tank(EXPERIMENT) and Method, Id love to watch and see what happens. will you have less algae? Less ugly phase? Less Cyano? (its why clean up crew based on gallons is silly if you think about it)
Itll be fun to watch, for the next year, and in two or three years it should be pretty mature so you can start the Hard stuff.

Sorry for the rant. IMO its a journey not furniture.

 

[Bob Escher]

yes but choose wisely, no algae on the glass, no snails.


Oh yes


What he said.


This is the hard weird strange surprising part. Every tank IS different. What you will experience in that tank will be completely different than mine. That's natures miracle. Yes it can be explained and analyzed very scientifically down to the Ion. Man has a tendency to do that esp over analyze. If you were growing a tree would you do the same? Same process actually. Microbial webs carbon exchange mineral supplementation etc.

I have 2 reef tanks in my house. Technically they are clones. From the very first tank I ever had. Same rocks same sumps same macros algaes back and forth, corals too, but what is happening in them is so completely different its mind boggling.

IMO IME yes you could drop a fish in right now. It would live and likely flourish. But your patience will be rewarded. For Me, the casual observer of your tank(EXPERIMENT) and Method, Id love to watch and see what happens. will you have less algae? Less ugly phase? Less Cyano? (its why clean up crew based on gallons is silly if you think about it)
Itll be fun to watch, for the next year, and in two or three years it should be pretty mature so you can start the Hard stuff.

Sorry for the rant. IMO its a journey not furniture.

This was fantastic and it's so very very true.ive seen the difference in my tanks, it's truly amazing
And this is the very reason why I believe in doing two things.
Watch, watch, observe observe MAKE time to check your tanks every day. Even if it's to count the fish ( you can be amazed at what you see when your only trying to count fish. I have the luxury of being able to take the time ( I'm retired/disabled) to look at my tanks everyday. I don't know how the guys that have twenty tanks or a 400 gallon tank do it) but I take the time.
The second thing is Maintenance. Make a schedule and do your water changes, add supplements, clean the glass clean this clean that, break it down do so much everyday or what is good for you but make it consistent and do the same things the same day every week. ( I know there are days you can't but make up for it and then go back on that schedule)

 

[fernalfer]

Are your light still off or did you just did the cycle with the lights off?

It's always hard to do the right thing and running your fish through the QT time before you put them in but it will pay off long term.
Are you planning to have corals too?

Yes you can add a CUC and just throw some large algae pellets in your tank that sink to the bottom.

My lights were off the first 2 1/2 weeks of my cycle but have been on the last 2 weeks. Yes i plan on having corals. Its so hard because i have a Lemon Peel Tang in QT that is healthy as a bear but after reading everything and horror stories i decided to treat him anyways prophylactically with prazipro and cupramine. Such a hard decision for what seems to be a healthy fish but some parasites just go unnoticed to the eye.

 

[RyanCSGO]

I cycled my tank the same way. lights out two weeks, lights have been on a 11hr sunrise to sunset cycle for a week. currently spotless. not a single spec of anything anywhere.
my last tank, I cycled the same way and never got the bloom....ever. i started getting algae that over ran the tank due to my LFS selling me "RODI" that was actually just tap water.