Can I leave my Cycled Tank Empty for a Month?

[jabberwock]

I have never understood why the “ugly” stage is inevitable. Is there no way to avoid it or at least minimize it???

The ugly stage is mostly unavoidable, maybe...
Unless you go with 100% real ocean live rock. The available real estate that dry or "live wet rock" provides is too enticing for organisms. "No one lives here! I am moving in!"

 

[AKReefing]

I have never understood why the “ugly” stage is inevitable. Is there no way to avoid it or at least minimize it???

Yes. BRS tv covers it.

 

[PotatoPig]

After 6+ weeks of staring at a crystal clear tank, I dread seeing any algae in it

These tanks aren’t home to specific organisms, they’re an ecosystem where everything is trying to outcompete something else in the tank.

In the ocean there’s algae, but there’s also a biome that’s been around for millions of years where there’s myriad creatures that eat that algae, and there’s nutrient control that’s highly stable and allows creature like corals (that have evolved to survive in environments with almost no nutrients to outcompete algae at the trade off they need near absolute stability so they’re not having to expend energy adapting). So all this keeps algae in check.

Starting out a tank we have none of this. You have a very limited ecosystem, and all of it in an approximate recreation of the natural environment - that typically fluctuates much more.

The lack of herbivore species, higher nutrients, and unstable conditions are more favorable to algae than to corals, so algae that doesn’t have a counterpart herbivore present in significant numbers will have an opening to thrive.

And it will, and in doing so will jerk around the nutrient profile in the tank as it rapidly consumes some nutrient or another, creating unstable nutrients (ok for algae, bad for corals). So you’ll see algae come in that’s better in high nutrients, then algae that does better in low nutrients one the first algae has consumed the high nutrients, and so on. This will often happen in waves, as the microbiome (copepods, amphipods, tiny worms, etc) and larger critters (snails, conches, crabs) work out a population equilibrium with the oscillating food supply, creating openings for other algae/cyano to step in as a dominant species.

Once some sort of balance is reached the above mentioned critters will keep algae in check and parameters will be more stable, creating conditions where corals can outcompete algae.

Depending on luck, inverts you add, and tolerance for algae this “ugly phase” might not be as bad as you’re expecting. Or it could be worse!

You’ll get as many answers to this as people respond, but IMO once you have your tank up and running with fish and lights and algae has rolled up in a big way, hit up Reefcleaners.org and get a cleaner package. These contain herbivores that’ll eat most common nuisance algae, and also bring in their own diverse microbiome.

 

[MnFish1]

You don't 'need' to do anything - however, when you come home - it would make sense for you to add nitrifying bacteria if you're nervous before adding fish. But obligate autotrophs can go dormant during periods of 'low ammonia' - so - you likely do not need any. (I would add it - like a Fritz 900).

 

[Fish Fan]

In my opinion, as someone with a background in biology and microorganisms, this is the guy to answer this question, and I believe he would answer "yes". These bacteria will persist whether or not nitrogenous waste is immediately available for them to "feed" on (they don't really "feed"). They can persist in you tank or in a bottle for a very long time without nitrogenous waste to feed on. Please see Doctor Tim Hovanc's talk on this, he is a legit phd.

 

[jabberwock]

Wow.

Just enjoy your vacation, and don't worry about it...

 

[Rocktron1]

Yep as jabberwock said, enjoy your break, tank will be fine

I also love the minimalist aquascape. Looks really natural and will look great once you have some coral growing and filling in the gaps

Agree with previous poster suggesting adding a bit of live rock - start a tank thread and show/list items in your AIO filter compartment, that way we can see what will help keep the tank clean etc and depending on what's in there you may not need anymore in the display

 

[addictswife]

Lol….lights will be off… protein skimmer still in the box…got an ATO with 15 gallons of RODI water in the reservoir. Will dose with ammonia before we leave and maybe ask the neighbor to add some more in a couple of weeks. Absolutely cannot wait to get back and start adding fish…so tired of staring at an empty tank. Will post my wish list and look for advice.

I am with you. Tired of looking at no life. Ready for fish and coral. I have a 47 tideline aio. I am going through a gallon a day of RODI water. But my temp is 79 deg. You may want to leave more that 15 gallons for a month.

 

[Madd_Reef]

I am with you. Tired of looking at no life. Ready for fish and coral. I have a 47 tideline aio. I am going through a gallon a day of RODI water. But my temp is 79 deg. You may want to leave more that 15 gallons for a month.

We have the Tideline AIO 62G Lagoon. I started tinkering with the tank, and then I designed and created my own return adapters. Since the ones that came on my tank stopped spinning and I wanted to be able to control the direction of the flow. It wasn't long before I started designing and 3-D printing lots of accessories for my own tank and decided to make the accessories available to other hobbyists. Since you also have a Tideline, thought you might want to check it out; https://maddreef.com/

 

[bruceosterberg]

I think it is because the biodiversity in a mature tank is way more complex than what you can get in any bottle. It simply takes time to get all the good guys built up. Until the, the bad guys can get a foothold.

I have the same question. Now 23 days since setting up new tank. Marco dry rock, no life. Live Carib Sea Sand. Cycle completed 10 days ago. Only Nitrate at 7 ppm. No light either. Can I leave tank alone for the next 3 months as I will be going to Europe for 2 weeks in May, home for 1 month and then another vacation for 2 weeks, basically empty until late July. Will I be ok, Auto top off will keep adding water while I am away. Thanks