Avoiding the ugly stage?!?

[tzoa]

Just set up my tank last Monday. Put in a bottle of dr. Tim's and a pair of clown and a cheap Zoa. Ammonia has been at zero and the zoa looks fantastic. I have only been keeping blue lights on to avoid algae growth and there's been no algae. Idk if it's too early but I might be avoiding the ugly stage, what do y'all think? I was thinking about slowly ramping up the white light so I can add snails. Any thoughts? Also since my zoas look fantastic I was thinking about getting more coral any thoughts or just wait?

 

[Tamberav]

Too early. My uglies took awhile to show up. Blue lights can grow algae anyways. If it can grow coral, it can grow algae.

 

[Dragen Fiend]

I would keep an eye on your fish. You may or may not have finished your cycle in that week. Though totally possible to do (Ive done it).

Doesn't matter what spectrum the light is set too. It will grow.

I would personally wait for any new corals. Give it at least a couple weeks if not 30 days.

 

[Tamberav]

Looking back my tank got wet in August

Fill diatom bloom finally hit mid October

GHA bloom (with very dim blue only led) hit December

I could have avoided GHA with a good clean up crew but no LFS here. Finally got some snails and urchin in and rock is looking much better after two weeks.


So really about 2 months for me between first fish and bacteria to each stage for me.

 

[tzoa]

Looking back my tank got wet in August

Fill diatom bloom finally hit mid October

GHA bloom (with very dim blue only led) hit December

I could have avoided GHA with a good clean up crew but no LFS here. Finally got some snails and urchin in and rock is looking much better after two weeks.


So really about 2 months for me between first fish and bacteria to each stage for me.

Thanks, Good to know I'll wait to buy more coral after I buy my clean up crew and the uglies mostly pass

 

[ErikVR]

Wait. Wait, wait , wait and then wait some more. I know it’s boring but I can’t exaggerate how much patience is key in this hobby. If you dive in, you’ll get frustrated, follow the path of most new reefers and quit in the first year.

My first real uglies started at 7 months in. I thought I was beating the odds…. But nope! Lost a bunch of expensive coral.

 

[exnisstech]

I love your optimism but it's way too early to consider the uglies avoided. The only way I've been able to totally avoid the uglies nuisance algae is with live rock. My latest tank was all dry rock in the display but the sump is full of live rock. 10 months in with no uglies nuisance algae to speak of but this is the sump. Some of this is ocean live rock 9 years old plus rock from a tank that was up for 8 years.

 

[Michael71]

Both times i started my 30 cube i set up with a 1 to 3" sand bed..for jawfish... 30lbs of actual live rock and dropped in a shrimp to start cycle. I didnt stock fish, had my light cycle with the 250w halide ramped to full in 3 weeks. Had half a cuc in by week 3 first corals end of week 4 and went through my uglies by end of week 6. Then added 1 fish per month. Definetly wait and take your time.

 

[sushiboss]

I used dry rock in my latest build. Ran for several months with lights off and my wife hated it but I was patient. Started last year in July and first fish in was a yellow tang 1.5” baby in August after using matrix from an older tank and various other media I purchased from my trusted lfs.

Lights began sometime in September or beginning of October and it began with cyano. Which then turned into gha. It was vicious. Gha was completely taking over. Added a clean up crew and by late December gha is eradicated. Tank is pristine.

Slowly added fish.

Now it’s a full blown reef.

Time will tell but it’s wayyyyy too early to say the ugly stage has been skipped.

From my very limited experience it can and will happen for as long as the rock continues to bind phosphate and release it back over time.

Take your time with it and you’ll be fine but don’t try and beat any step at a rapid pace.

Whatever happens can and will be beaten with patience and diligence.

The ugly stage is short livid and you’ll get years of enjoyment.

 

[BryanM]

Just set up my tank last Monday. Put in a bottle of dr. Tim's and a pair of clown and a cheap Zoa. Ammonia has been at zero and the zoa looks fantastic. I have only been keeping blue lights on to avoid algae growth and there's been no algae. Idk if it's too early but I might be avoiding the ugly stage, what do y'all think? I was thinking about slowly ramping up the white light so I can add snails. Any thoughts? Also since my zoas look fantastic I was thinking about getting more coral any thoughts or just wait?

Too early.

BRS has some cycling videos with differing strategies that's pretty interesting to watch.

If you started with live rock you'll avoid a lot of nasties, but not all of them. If dry rock, you won't avoid them.

 

[tzoa]

Too early.

BRS has some cycling videos with differing strategies that's pretty interesting to watch.

If you started with live rock you'll avoid a lot of nasties, but not all of them. If dry rock, you won't avoid them.

Sally, I used dry rock, both have its pros and cons, but I just didn't want any pests

 

[BryanM]

Sally, I used dry rock, both have its pros and cons, but I just didn't want any pests

Fair, though I do believe the undesirable pests are few in numbers generally, and the wins you get greatly outweigh the negatives.

I got 150pounds of live rock and 100 pounds of live sand. In the end I had 3 mantis shrimp.

 

[sushiboss]

Sally, I used dry rock, both have its pros and cons, but I just didn't want any pests

Pests are inevitable essentially.

They will get past any coral dips and hitchhike on something you least expect.

Just remember even pets can be controlled.

Happy reefing

 

[Tamberav]

I will say.. dry rock gets pests from corals even if ya dip them, at least specific kinds tend to find their way in.

I went dry rock this time just so I could do some lazy aquascaping and filling a 150g with dry was a $300 vs thousands for live.

I did a 5g with all live ocean rock and found no notable pests but added sps just maybe 2 months in and they flourished but 5g more affordable for all live ocean rock

 

[tzoa]

Fair, though I do believe the undesirable pests are few in numbers generally, and the wins you get greatly outweigh the negatives.

I got 150pounds of live rock and 100 pounds of live sand. In the end I had 3 mantis shrimp.

Wow, that's crazy

 

[tzoa]

I will say.. dry rock gets pests from corals even if ya dip them, at least specific kinds tend to find their way in.

I went dry rock this time just so I could do some lazy aquascaping and filling a 150g with dry was a $300 vs thousands for live.

I did a 5g with all live ocean rock and found no notable pests but added sps just maybe 2 months in and they flourished but 5g more affordable for all live ocean rock

Yeah it is for sure. I also went with dry because a friend had extra and it was free

 

[sixty_reefer]

Just set up my tank last Monday. Put in a bottle of dr. Tim's and a pair of clown and a cheap Zoa. Ammonia has been at zero and the zoa looks fantastic. I have only been keeping blue lights on to avoid algae growth and there's been no algae. Idk if it's too early but I might be avoiding the ugly stage, what do y'all think? I was thinking about slowly ramping up the white light so I can add snails. Any thoughts? Also since my zoas look fantastic I was thinking about getting more coral any thoughts or just wait?

The ugly stage it’s often referred to the appearance of diatoms, this for most cases is unavoidable.
Once you pass that stage it’s all about nutrient management, I personally like to add macro algae’s to the display to aid the competition and nutrient management process. Wile at the same time starting to promote the growth of coralline algae. Algae it’s unavoidable in my opinion although some times you can choose wich one will be taking over your system if the decision is made early on.

 

[voelter76]

A little patience is worth the wait. I started with mostly dry rock in my 26g plus a couple of pieces of live from the LFS. Added some hardy corals and a clown early on. Things looked great for about a month and then POW!!!! Big GHA bloom. Added 3 big turbos and a couple of trochus snails plus assorted crabs and they took care of it in a couple of days. Now it looks fantastic. Just don’t go too fast.

 

[tzoa]

A little patience is worth the wait. I started with mostly dry rock in my 26g plus a couple of pieces of live from the LFS. Added some hardy corals and a clown early on. Things looked great for about a month and then POW!!!! Big GHA bloom. Added 3 big turbos and a couple of trochus snails plus assorted crabs and they took care of it in a couple of days. Now it looks fantastic. Just don’t go too fast.

Thanks, Sounds like what's going to happen to me lol

 

[mpatterson42]

I'm currently setting up a 40G breeder with a 20G sump, I have live sand and dry rock. I've seen copepods mentioned multiple times as a way to combat (and maybe even avoid) the ugly stage, plus I want to get a mandarin dragonet in the future and they need copepods. I was planning on getting a few jars from Algae Barn, but when I went to order I saw they had a deal, buy 4 jars of galaxy pods get 4 free. So I put 8 jars of galaxy pods into my aquarium shortly after it cycled.

Cycle started on 12/9, copepods added on 12/19, and two clownfish added on 12/21, and other than a very faint bacterial bloom the tank looks clean. I almost wonder if it's too clean, I'd like to get a watchmen goby but I'm a little worried there's nothing for it to sift through the sand.

Still too early to really tell if I'll be able to skip the ugly stage but I'm excited to see what happens. Patience is the key, along with very small changes at a time!