DeepBlueSomething
Active Member
My tank cycled up fairly quickly with respect to ammonia management - about 2 weeks. I cycled with established LR that I got from a fellow hobbyist -- that LR was also established with some Green and Brown HA. (40b with 20L sump; no fish, CuC only, set-up in Mid Sept 2017)
My nitrates climbed to 20ppm while ammonia and nitrites stayed at 0; PO4 has never been detectable with API or Nyos test. Added CuC and algae management was steady. Within the last 10 days, especially the last 5 I have seen a relative explosion and rapid growth of Brown Hair algae that has spread from the established rocks in the tank as well as in the sump (some established rocks placed there as well). Chaeto growth is great as well...but BHA is on sump glass and now throughout chaeto
But test results revealed that nitrates are now zero. PO4 still zero. One week ago Nitrates have fallen from 20ppm to 10ppm and I thought it was chaeto doing its job...but I think its was just the quiet before the BHA algal bomb!
TLDR: I have hair algae growing quickly in tank, sump and chaeto - my tank is only 1 month old, no livestock except CuC.
What is my best next step?
What I also don't want to do is panic...and not practice the patience that I kept reminding myself to have!
Over-analysis after tonight's World Series Game 1 loss by my Astros!
My nitrates climbed to 20ppm while ammonia and nitrites stayed at 0; PO4 has never been detectable with API or Nyos test. Added CuC and algae management was steady. Within the last 10 days, especially the last 5 I have seen a relative explosion and rapid growth of Brown Hair algae that has spread from the established rocks in the tank as well as in the sump (some established rocks placed there as well). Chaeto growth is great as well...but BHA is on sump glass and now throughout chaeto
But test results revealed that nitrates are now zero. PO4 still zero. One week ago Nitrates have fallen from 20ppm to 10ppm and I thought it was chaeto doing its job...but I think its was just the quiet before the BHA algal bomb!
TLDR: I have hair algae growing quickly in tank, sump and chaeto - my tank is only 1 month old, no livestock except CuC.
What is my best next step?
- My tank is new so is this typical new tank bloom that I ride out? (no diatoms, no cyano blooms)
- I know I need to manage nutrients but how with my current tank set-up?
- I have a reactor and Phosphate out & Phosphate Guard media that I am NOT running currently (due to the zero PO4 results)
What I also don't want to do is panic...and not practice the patience that I kept reminding myself to have!
Over-analysis after tonight's World Series Game 1 loss by my Astros!
