Is this normal?

[davidrupe]

My tank setup is about 3-4 weeks with water in it. I just put PC lighting on it last weekend. There is no fish in it yet, but about 60+ lbs of live rock. Well, the rock has greenish orange alge on it already. This is normal right?

Ammonia goes hi...rock breaks it down to nitrites, sand and other bacteria change it to nitrAtes and the high nitrAtes cause the algea to grow. What should I be doing to minimize my natrAte problem while I am cycling my tank?

Is it ok to add a fish this week?

 

[Moe_K]

Hold off on the fish.
Have you tested for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates?
You can watch your tank cycle as those nutrients sipke, then drop off.
An algea bloom as the tank cycles is normal, yeah.

Keep your skimmer working, maybe run some carbon, and definitely do water changes with RO or RO/DI water.
Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[~Flighty~]

I have a lot of macro alge (the green plant stuff) Like you would find in a refugium. Most came with my live rock, some from a friend's tank. I put it in a little 2 gallon container sitting inside my display tank as a temporary refugiumish thingy. The thick viney stuff ( a strain of culupera(sp?)) grows at least two or three inches a day and I remove handfulls of it all the time. It eats the same nutrients (fertilizer= nitrates phosphates etc) as hair algea and is much nicer to deal with. To think of the amount of "stuff" that it is consuming to grow that much is amazing.

At two months since adding LR I still haven't set up a skimmer (stupid, I know) just got the ro/di online and the good news is I have had 0 NO4,NO3,NO2 since about 3 weeks after LR. Also there is very little micro algea. Just some on a colony of pollops that I got from a friend's tank. Take it for what it's worth, I'm new at this too.

 

[davidrupe]

Last week I tested ammonia. It wasn't yellow. It was a little green so I think there was a bit. I had 0 nitrate, 0 nitrite.
I will test tonight.
Will all 3 go to zero soon and is that when I can get fish?
Will the algea still be present when they do go to zero and is that an ok thing?

Also, I would like to get some of the refugium algea from someone near Lowell. I built a cabinet for a 10 gallon refugium this weekend and I am pluming it in tonight. I already have live sand and rock to go in it. I also have the lights. I just need the algea.
Anybody giving some away?

 

[wrassefan]

4-6 weeks is typical. Take your time and be patient. Same phrase everyone uses in the club..."nothing good happens fast in reefing" or something like that. I know I just butchered the phrase so no one flame please.

 

[davidrupe]

Should I keep my lights on for the normal 10-12 hours while all this is going on?

 

[Moe_K]

Should I keep my lights on for the normal 10-12 hours while all this is going on?

Be patient on adding fish.

Lights are your choice at this point. Maybe save on electricity and don't run them as long? They're not doing much. Just aesthetics.

 

[NateHanson]

David,

I've got a clump of cheato for you in Lawrence, if you want. I think there are folks in Lowell who can probably give you some too.

Nate

 

[davidrupe]

Nate, that would be great. I want to stop bye and see your setup and possibly get some help with my canopy.
I will PM you...