How long does the ugly stage last?

[Instigate]

How long does the ugly stage last? Is this much cyano ok or normal for a new tank? Tank has been cycled for going on 4 months. The hair algae has been gone for about a week. It already went through a stage of cyano before the hair or kind of at the same time. But not it's just mostly cyano. Planning on doing a WC tomorrow and removing as much as possible. Hopefully it doesn't grow back? Nitrates and phosphates are low/undetectable.

Also my emerald crabs legs turned to a redish color like the cyano. That normal? I spotted one eating cyano.

 

[Daltrey]

Here is mine after six months. It never had algae that bad. I do 25 percent water changes a month on 200 gallons total. I would try and remove as much as you can by hand.

Are you using rodi water?

 

[Instigate]

Yep, RODI. TDS is always 0. And I've been doing weekly 10% WC, but I admit it didn't get the WC last week. So this is two weeks of growth. Going to clean it out tomorrow and see how it goes.

 

[skysoblue987]

Those algae looks like red cyano bacteria. It accumulates if your tank doesn't have any flow. You need some powerheads.

When I had it I used a product called Chemiclean and it disappeared after 3 days. You need to move your shrimps to a temporary holding tank because it's not invert safe.

 

[Susan Edwards]

I've used chemiclean several times and it never harmed shrimps or snails. I don't recall it specifically saying to do so.

 

[Instigate]

Those algae looks like red cyano bacteria. It accumulates if your tank doesn't have any flow. You need some powerheads.

When I had it I used a product called Chemiclean and it disappeared after 3 days. You need to move your shrimps to a temporary holding tank because it's not invert safe.

Tank has over 40x turnover not counting the return which is rated for 850 gph I think but don't know the total after head pressure. Two jebao pp-8 a pp-4 and a cheapo 800 gph. I put a torch and a hammer in today and had to turn down the flow a little.

 

[Joel Jordan]

water changes, my tank has 2 months and i havent had issues with algae (yet) but I think its because I do water changes every week, about 25% every sunday!

 

[Instigate]

water changes, my tank has 2 months and i havent had issues with algae (yet) but I think its because I do water changes every week, about 25% every sunday!

I have been doing regular water changes, I only skipped one. And the cyano problem was there before that.

 

[Instigate]

I did the WC and removed what I could but it's growing back pretty quick. Reduced the amount I'm feeding and going to move from 10% weekly WC to 20% weekly. Might also move from feeding twice a day to once a day. But I don't like that.

 

[ReefJake123]

That's slime algae not a healthy thing to have in your tank luckily it wipes right off with a toothbrush

 

[ReefJake123]

My white rock after two months it's very healthy as you can tell

 

[Susan Edwards]

That's slime algae not a healthy thing to have in your tank luckily it wipes right off with a toothbrush

If you are referring to the bright/lime green, if it is like what I had, it doesn't brush off. Turbo snails can get some of it but not much. As long as it is flat and not thick or hairy, it seems to be harmless, just part of the cycle of a new tank. My coral qt has rock now turning green. Seems like a lot of new tanks have rocks that turn green. I've read that it depends on your rocks, and even your tanks chemistry. Some people get it, some it appears do not. My daughter's tank did not.

 

[15NaNoGuy]

Try only keeping your lights on the tank 6-7 hrs. Per day.

 

[15NaNoGuy]

Also if you are running an algae reactor or are growing macro algae, keep the light on the algae on opposite of your display tank lights. I have learned that swings in Ph can also cause Cyano. Some may differ on this issue however it has solved my issue more than once. Good luck.

 

[skiergd011013]

This is why i love bare bottom tanks and advocate for them. Almost no algae issues, Super easy to keep clean, can have as much flow as you want with no blowing sand etc.

 

[Scott.h]

So, outside the box.. I believe you need to get your nitrates and phosphate up. Cyano bacteria will survive above most others. Especially in low nutrient conditions. I believe that if you raise those levels to an appropriate number (slowly and stable) you'll get your tank to start to mature. Chemiclean will work for a minute. Ultimately you need to get the green algae (ugly) growing on the rocks, but it will out compete the cyano and cause the rocks to mature as well. It looks ugly but it's the natural process. This is especially true with dry rock. My last build, for the first time I used dry rock. It's rough. Even though I did things right from day one it still took a year to mature, and still hasn't fully. If I did it again I'd have made sure I heavily dosed N and P to force the tank to mature faster before fish. Also I don't see a need you you to do a 10% weekly water change. Keep the good bacteria in there and let the tank run its course. My two cents.

 

[Sea MunnKey]

Apply Chemiclean as per labelled instruction, for next 48 hours with lots of aeration. I use an air stone attached to a pump. Works like magic every time & won't harm any inverts at all!

And oh ... water change after that

 

[Legal Reefer]

I agree with Scott. I started my nano with all live rock that was in shipping for two days so it had some die off. After going through several algae stages it's starting to look pretty good. Mines only been up for a couple of months so I could see where using dry rock could take more time and patience. Sounds like your doing good. I think patience is the key. I also have a sand bed in my tank. Once your sand has algae and detritus in it and your tank has matured enough to add fish I would suggest getting a diamond goby. I had been trying to vacuum my sand bed but had a lot of tight areas. The goby has my sand looking cleaner than when it was new in the bag. He even started eating any algae that was on the rocks and back glass. I now put mysis and meaty pellets on the sand bed for him. Best tank cleaner ever. I believe he helped my tank look 100% better.

 

[Susan Edwards]

I agree with Scott. I started my nano with all live rock that was in shipping for two days so it had some die off. After going through several algae stages it's starting to look pretty good. Mines only been up for a couple of months so I could see where using dry rock could take more time and patience. Sounds like your doing good. I think patience is the key. I also have a sand bed in my tank. Once your sand has algae and detritus in it and your tank has matured enough to add fish I would suggest getting a diamond goby. I had been trying to vacuum my sand bed but had a lot of tight areas. The goby has my sand looking cleaner than when it was new in the bag. He even started eating any algae that was on the rocks and back glass. I now put mysis and meaty pellets on the sand bed for him. Best tank cleaner ever. I believe he helped my tank look 100% better.

I love sand sifting gobies. I have a gold head sleeper goby and he is a sand moving machine. Too much so! After I went fishless for 76 days, I put him into the display refugium instead of the DT as I had corals I added to the sand bed and didn't want to be fighting sand piling on top of them. Right now I have dinos in that tank I'm fighting and he's doing his best to help the poor sand bed.

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

When I first setup my tank for FOWLR for over a year, I don't have much algae but as soon I switched to a right light for reef system then algae start show up really bad with diatoms, brown/green hair algae for 4 months then diatom banished from my system after I removed 99% sand out of my tank, brown/green algae pretty much gone too, Cyano showed up but soon gone within a week after I replaced my 10 years old powerhead with new one from Hydor. Now, I enjoy seeing coraline covering rocks, back/side tank, tank bottom.