cycling a new 125g?

beyondpostal · 04-01-2008, 02:00 PM

my tank is filled with green algea and smells kinda funny. the tank was set up Feb 13 and has been fine till now. can it be that the tank is going thru its final cycling process? its never taken this long to cycle before. I have 125g tank, with 2 modified maxijet 900 powerheads, proclear skimmer with cj 1800 pump, and a reo 2100 as a return pump. all in 125g wet dry filter with no bioballs.

Parasite · 04-01-2008, 02:09 PM

Did you start with cured or uncured live rock?

Brett

ckusnierek · 04-01-2008, 02:35 PM

Usually a cycle ends with brown diatoms not green alge... If there was a lot of die off on the live rock it could just be fueling a algea out break.

Have you done a WC yet?
how is the water testing?

beyondpostal · 04-01-2008, 03:22 PM

nitrates a little high (20) but everything else good. and started with cured live rock.have done water changes. last one was done on friday (20 % ) green algea even forming on front glass aprox. 20 mins after wiping it off. maybe not enough water flow? I dont know havent had this prob with any other saltwater tanks in past.

grallster · 04-01-2008, 04:45 PM

The nitrates being at 20 is why you're getting the algea.
Have you checked phosphate?

beyondpostal · 04-01-2008, 05:13 PM

how do you check phosphates? not to sound stupid but lke I said never had this problem before.

grallster · 04-01-2008, 05:20 PM

A phosphate test kit.

jaimwolfe · 04-01-2008, 05:50 PM

I would say start running some carbon to bring your nitrates down, and figure out what is making your nitrates register so high. RO/DI Water being used? Decaying food stuck in a mechanical filter?

monkeyreefer · 04-01-2008, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaimwolfe

I would say start running some carbon to bring your nitrates down, and figure out what is making your nitrates register so high. RO/DI Water being used? Decaying food stuck in a mechanical filter?

agreed on using ro/di. phosphate test will be zero as you already have an outbreak, and the algae will be using it up faster than you can test for it, that is unless youre using tap water. my guess is its a combination of lack of flow, excess feeding, impure h20 and direct sunlight

just a side note, whats your fish load?