How long does the ugly stage last?

[Yuki Rihwa]

^^^^^+10
I just do frequent water change, replaced the old powerhead (it's still work but loss the actual power) with new one, increased my light color spectrum and intensity and cyano went away by itself.

 

[Rakie]

Nutrient limitation can as well

So much this.

People love to blame high nutrients for EVERYTHING under the sun. Fish unhealthy? Could be nutrients, you never know! Algae? Nutrients for sure, no matter what you say about anything! Tank seams exploded? Probably nutrients!!

The only thing people don't attribute high nutrients to are success, and positive results in general.

Low nutrients can absolutely allow simple organisms like algae and cyano, dinos, etc etc, to take over your tank.

 

[.-=Jord=-.]

My tank is 6 months old. I also used dry rock. If I could start over I would buy live rock. I have had the same issues with algae and cyano. I have good flow but still couldn't get rid of it. Used chemiclean. And scrubbed rocks with a toothbrush with a 3 day blackout and the tank is back to normal. It sucks not being able to see the tank for 3 days but its worth it. I wish I had a photo from a week ago. I also have tried my hardest to do everything the right way but also have had issues. I think a lot of it is due to the dry rock in my opinion. Tanks just need to mature as someone stated earlier.

 

[ReefJake123]

Beautiful tank bro

 

[Gweeds1980]

Also if it does come down to chemicals you'd have to ID it under a microscope. There are two things that look similar to cyano. One chemiclean will get, the other kind needs peroxide. If it's the opposite of either kind neither will work. Easiest way is to put some in a container with some peroxide and see if it sort of dissolves it.

Looking at the pics it's either cyano or spirulina. As @Scott.h mentions, you can use peroxide to ID it. Simply take a bit of the offending material and pop it in a cup with some peroxide. If it turns white it's cyano, if it doesn't it's spirulina.

 

[Paul B]

I would not add or remove anything from that new a tank. Seawater is very stable as long as we don't mess with it. Cyano and algae is very normal in a new tank. The bacteria will settle down eventually and all will be well. As you said, this is the ugly stage. Leave it alone. The uglier it gets, the better for now. The tanks with the most tweeking are the tanks with the most problems. The bacteria know what they are supposed to do. Too many organics are not the cause of cyano or algae. If that were the case, many of our tanks would be over run with the stuff. My nitrates are 160 and my phosphates are 2.0. I have no algae and a little cyano sometimes appears then leaves just as it does in the sea. It is normal.

If organics were the cause, I should be able to open up a produce stand in my tank. It is a rumor that has been circulation for decades. New tanks with all new water and few organics grow the most algae and cyano. Isn't that surprising!

 

[Instigate]

I would not add or remove anything from that new a tank. Seawater is very stable as long as we don't mess with it. Cyano and algae is very normal in a new tank. The bacteria will settle down eventually and all will be well. As you said, this is the ugly stage. Leave it alone. The uglier it gets, the better for now. The tanks with the most tweeking are the tanks with the most problems. The bacteria know what they are supposed to do. Too many organics are not the cause of cyano or algae. If that were the case, many of our tanks would be over run with the stuff. My nitrates are 160 and my phosphates are 2.0. I have no algae and a little cyano sometimes appears then leaves just as it does in the sea. It is normal.

If organics were the cause, I should be able to open up a produce stand in my tank. It is a rumor that has been circulation for decades. New tanks with all new water and few organics grow the most algae and cyano. Isn't that surprising!

Yea, it doesn't seem to be as simple as an excess of nutrients in the water.
I've been trying to get through reading this thread:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/theory-on-nutrient-ratios-and-algae-bacteria.337339/page-6

Learning a lot!

 

[XNavyDiver]

How long does the ugly stage last? I dunno. I've been asking myself "when does the beautiful stage begin?"

 

[SpartaReef]

It lasts forever

 

[ReefJake123]

All you can do is keep it under control but you can't completely get rid of it

 

[DeniseAndy]

"How long does the ugly stage last?"

I would have to say it depends on genetics. Mine lasted a few years, but my brothers well going on 48 years now.

(I am in that mood)

 

[ReefJake123]

Lol

 

[troynaimee03]

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.

You are right. My big reef tank is 3.5 months old and my smaller 120 has a cartridge filter and of course nutrients are higher. That tank has been up for 8 months. I have only a few places with some gha. My 300 gallon has a sump and skimmer, nitrates are barely showing up at .5 and phosphates at .02. That tank is a cyano heaven. I vac the gravel every other week. I may slowly dose nitrates and phosphates to see what happens.

 

[BuddyBonButt]

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.

I mean sure, they "could" be easier, but sand bottom tanks look easily 100× more beautiful to the average reefer