In middle of cycle, algae growing!

CACtheAmazing · 03-01-2004, 08:49 PM

My tank is in the middle of it's cycle right now and this morning I noticed that algae was gorwing on one of the rock and actually across the sand as well. What can I do about this? Should I do a water change to alleviate the problem or will this mess teh cycle up too much?
Specs:
40 Gallon
56 lbs live rock only
Skilter 400 as filter/protein skimmer (though changing to a sump/Red Sea Berlin prot. skim. in a few days)
Ph 8.2
salinity 1.022
PO3: 0.5
NO3: 20 ppm on low range side
CA: 400

What can I do to get rid of this or will the problem eventually alleviate itself? Thanks all!!!
Chuck

CACtheAmazing · 03-01-2004, 08:58 PM

My tank is in the middle of it's cycle right now and this morning I noticed that algae was gorwing on one of the rock and actually across the sand as well. What can I do about this? Should I do a water change to alleviate the problem or will this mess teh cycle up too much?
Specs:
40 Gallon
56 lbs live rock only
Skilter 400 as filter/protein skimmer (though changing to a sump/Red Sea Berlin prot. skim. in a few days)
Ph 8.2
salinity 1.022
PO3: 0.5
NO3: 20 ppm on low range side
CA: 400

What can I do to get rid of this or will the problem eventually alleviate itself? Thanks all!!!
Chuck

mapster · 03-01-2004, 10:46 PM

Can you describe the algea. Diatom algea (brown, dusty) is common during or near the end of cycling. If this is your problem, I would ride it out. As long as you keep your water quality up to par it should go away without your help.

A Water change is probably a good idea. Just make sure the water is free of any nitrate or phosphate and it should help to lower the levels.

Geoff · 03-01-2004, 10:58 PM

just let it do its thing. if you look at some of my early pics of my tank i had a wicked bad algae problem. i just let it run its course. i have been doing this so long that i knew it was just a phase and it would be gone after the tank reached 4-5 months old. SW tanks are a long haul kinda hobby. you have to put your time in the beginning looking at a pretty ugly algae covered glass box! eventually things settle down and start to look nice. i know it can look pretty bad, but just let it crank, it is a lot less stressfull. as long as you salinity, and temp remain constant you are well on your way.

when you start seeing pods running around at night then you know the cycle is about done. things will start cleaning up.

G~

Phishnoob · 03-03-2004, 10:30 AM

The brown diatom stuff came in my tank bigtime then went away almost all the way. I don't have my log book here at work, but think it happened between three and six weeks in at the worst. Now I am getting green algae a teeny bit after 9 weeks and little plants and copepods.

I used a scouring pad on the glass then the next day did a vacuum to get rid of it. The whole DSB thing is a mystery still in my newbieness but during initial cure I sucked that out of there (not in anyway trying to hijack this thread...there are about 50 jillion posts on DSB).

Phishnoob

CACtheAmazing · 03-03-2004, 06:37 PM

Yeah, water specs are fine except high on the nitrate side of things, but the appearance is indeed brown, dusty and a friend described it as looking like cinnamon. I hope helps to narrow it down. Thanks
Chuck

CACtheAmazing · 03-03-2004, 06:42 PM

OK....so got home and looked the tank and brown stuff has spread over most of the sand and rocks now. If i'm supposed to wait it out this is going to be tough as it is looking really bad. I would say that the stuff easily tripled in coverage area over teh course of today. Any ideas?

Mrs Smith · 03-03-2004, 07:09 PM

Sounds like diatoms.

And please don't say "water specs are fine." That doesn't mean anything to us - "fine" to me may mean something totally different to you. Just so you know, actual numbers are much more helpful.

Anyway, diatoms are part of the tank's algae cycle. They'll go away on their own. As Geoff put it, SW is a long haul, and it's easier to ignore some things rather than interfere. Just let it be, even as awful as it looks.

Hang in there,
Danielle

Clownfishman · 03-03-2004, 07:30 PM

How small are the copepods that appear, I believe my tank may be ending the cycle I have between 20 and 40ppm of nitrate do I need to go ahead and do a water change or what..

Phishnoob · 03-03-2004, 07:38 PM

I did a lot of water changing...probably 25 percent every two weeks then a 50 percenter after two months. The copepods appeared about ten weeks into the cycle along with the first green algae and a couple little plants. One thing I did learn is that all though there may be 50 on a rock it is too soon..there needs to be like a jillion in your tank and I bought the wrong fish based on not waiting enough.

I got beat up enough for trying to rush things, and just sit on your hands and let it cycle. My first Copepods and critters did not appear until about a month after the Nitrates dropped out almost completely.

The brown "cinnamon" stuff did go away eventually and all I did was wipe the tank glass with the buff pad and vacuum out a little dirt weekly. If you don't have a RO/DI unit get one, and limit the light to four hours a day whilst it cures.

Phishnoob

Clownfishman · 03-03-2004, 07:48 PM

I have seen a few copepods... i already have green algae... all of my live rock was already fully cures... some of the copepods are microscopic aren't they..