Brown Algae

[carlos chavez]

Can anybody out there tell me when you know your through with the brown algae cycle. Also, if I continue to add live rock to my tank will it cycle all over again? Need a clue.

[Doug1]

Carlos, the diatoms will gradually diminish after a while, esp if you have a variety of snails
IF the rock you are adding has been at the LFS for a while it shouldnt spike the tank, adding it slowly. Watch for newly arrived rock unless you get it cheaper and have a place to ccure it yourself

[beach bum]

Hi Carlos, the trick to adding live rock to an established tank is in making sure you are not adding more bioload to the system than it can handle, that means producing more waste than can be converted through the nitrogen cycle to nitrAte. If that happens you will experience a buildup of ammonia and then nitrIte as the nitrifying bacteria develop themselves to handle the new load (re: new cycle). To prevent that make sure the rock is fully cured and you add no more than a few pounds a week, YMMV.

Algae blooms can be good indicators for when the tank is ready to support life. As far as when it will all be gone, ???. It depends on water quality, circulation, inhabitants, lighting, and nutrient level in the tank.

Good luck!