Algae & Tank Cycling Problems

[bri7795]

People,

I am at the very start of getting my 20 gallon nano-reef going and here is where I am at. I added live sand (30 lbs) for about a week then added a 5lb live rock to the tank. Right after I added the live rock was when things started to change for me. I got the live rock from a LFS and it was marked as "cured" which is what I wanted and what they verbally attested to. After I purchased my rock I added it to me 20 gallon tank with the live sand. Right after, heres what happened:

1.) Bubbles started to form all over the rock all the time as if what was on there was breaking down in the tank.
2.) While the bubbles were forming, a red stringy algae like cobweb strands began growing fast and everywhere.
3.) The stringy algea is growing so fast that it almost clogges the filter and power head intakes.
4.) Some (not all) of the coralline algea on the rock turned white and began flaking off a little.
5.) I added 4 astera snails, and 6 blue legged hermit crabs to eat some of the growing algea.
6.) I have been monitoring water parameters and so far ammonia is up to 0.25, no nitrites, no nitrates yet. 1.024 SG, 79F with 11 hours of light per day.

What do you guys think about the algea issue? Some sites say that it is just "new tank syndrome" and that it will abait in a few weeks. I was suprised that the algea started growing rifht off the bat like it did. Should I just let the tank alone and monitor the cycle? Is the live sand and the dead matter on the LR enough to get my cycle going? Please help. I am new and read ALOT of books on the matter but most do not give me the detailed info I need. Any recommendation would be helpful. The current plan is to leave everything alone for 30 days and then see where I am at.

Here is my tank info:
20 gallon all glass
PC lighting. (55W 10,000K + 55W Blue)
1 Aquaclear 200 filter with a phosphate absorbing material
1 Aqua C Remora Protien Skimmer
1 Maxi-Jet 600 Power head for circulation
Distilled water source

[Prismaco]

-How long are your lights on ?
-You should use RO/DI water from the start...
-You 30lbs of LS would cycle the tank, if you are going to add LR I would add it when you add the LS...also 5lbs may not be enough...at least 15-25lbs...
-Stringy algea, I would take the rock out and scrub it, thats what I had done to my LR. Not to hard but just enough to get some of the gunk off.
-Cycle, your tank may take longer to cycle.

Hope some of this helps....


-Paul

[EdgeKrusher]

Well he said he has a 11 hour light cycle. I agree 100% about the amount of LR you need. Just cuz the LFS says it's cured doesn't mean squat.
Was it sitting in water when you picked it out?
Do you know how long it was in the water?
Do you know if it was part of a new shipment?
These are questions you must ask them, otherwise they will tell
you what you want to hear. Challenge them see what they know, most don't know squat only what they think they know is right.
Secondly, as Prismaco stated. You should only be using RO, or RO/DI water. Never use tap, very bad stuff in that, including heavy metals, high phosphate (which is most likely the cause of your algae bloom), flouride (fish don't need white teeth) it goes on, you would have to check with your local water treatment facillily to see what they add to the water.
Astrea snails are great, but they aren't heavy eaters like Turbo snails, or Tronchus snails.

HTH peace
Edge

[Prismaco]

Oops...didnt see the light hours....try less light...then add more slowly.... see if the lowers your algea...


-Paul

[ckreef]

Tank sounds like it is definatly going through a cycle.

If it was me I would turn off the lights completely until the tank finishes cycling.

And add all the LR you are going to use in the tank immediatly as the tank will probably cycle some more once you add more LR unless it is truely established LR from an established tank and you keep it submerged during transport.

[bri7795]

Thanks for the help guys. Today when I went home and waited for light timer to turn on I noticed that all that red slime algea had died!! It had left as soon as it came. There was a lot of dead stringy slime around. I cleaned some of it up and took out my live rock chunk and lightly scrubed it down a little which removed a ton of dead stuff. The tank does not look too bad now even though there is still a little dead algea around. I did not change any water since the tank is still cycling. As for the LR, I fully intend to add 20-25lbs of it, but have to wait until I save up a little extra doe. I think that, like you guys mentioned, the live rock had a good amount of dead material on it which immediately began decaying and introdcucing nutrients into the tank. This, I feel, helped lead to my algea bloom. When I bought the rock, I took a good look at it and at the time, did not notice a lot of dead material on it. When I introduced it to my take, and had it under my light, thats when a seen alot of dead stuff. Next time, I will give the LR a salt water dip and a light scrubbing before I introduce it. I will most likely try and get some more LR next saturday.

[ckreef]

Yes a saltwater dip and some light scrubbing is a very good idea when adding any LR to a tank.

I even did that when I filled my Nano and the rock came out of my fully established larger reef and only had a 20' walk to the Nano.f It just can't hurt.

Heck I take my LR out of my Nano every 6 weeks or so and give it a good scrub down.

[bri7795]

What kind of growth do you have on your LR that you scrub it frequently? How is your corraline situation? Has it engulfed your LR yet totally? I would think that enought corraline on a LR would inhibit other thinks from growing. Also, to what extent will coralline grow on LR? Will is ever completely engulf it?

[Cookie_Monster]

Your tank will go through all kinds of algae blooms. The biggest thing to remember is to take your time. Let it set up and develop, and eventually you will end up with lots of pods. You also might invest in a cleanup crew. I've got two margarita snails, several turbos that came with the rock, 1 small hermit, 1 small brittle star, and 3 red skirt snails that keep the tank looking good. I'll be getting a couple sand sifting stars soon to keep the sand bed looking good.

[ckreef]

My LR is totally enguulfed in purple coraline --- at this point it actually looks like it's painted on --- the only area that isn't totally covered is where I had to chisel the end off and that part is getting there.

Althought the coraline does help to keep other algaes off there are still a little bit of macro that slowly pops up. When I do a super tank cleaning (every 6 weeks or so) I remove the LR and using tweezers and a hard bristle tooth brush a do a good cleaning off. Just keeps the LR looking sparkly purple. Some people would probably keep the Macros but I like to remove them and only have coraline.

I don't have a really recent pic but if you check out my website link below you can get a good idea of what a fully encrusted piece of LR looks like.

[Casey]

Heres ya some corraline

[Cookie_Monster]

Case stop showing off that beautiful tank.

[Jaimbo]

CKReef, you take all your LR out to clean it every 6 weeks?? What a pain in the A**. Is it a nano? I tried that last time i was cleaning my 11 gallon and it was a disaster... i smooshed my rics, i lost buttons, my fish freaked out and my star polyps hid out for about a week. I guess my LR was not set up sturdy enough at it's foundation and when i tried to stack it the way it wasbefore i took it out it all tumbled back down. Urgh!! Do you remove all the corals or just set them on the sand when you take out the LR? I'd love some suggestions on cleaning b/c i suck at it. Thanks, James

[Casey]

Thanks Cookie Monster

[mpls_gazer]

I can't be good to stir up all the sediment every 6 weeks can it? I try not to move any of my LR more then every 3 months when I clean under it. But I suppose if you want only coraline on your rocks exposing it to air and scrubbing it down would do just that.

Peace,
MPLS_Gazer