any idea what is going on??

[12PMER]

Biocube 32
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-0
Calcium-450
Phosphate-0.02 (if I did the hanna checker right. Kinda skeptical about the reading. Thought I was at 1.0 phosphate with api test. Retesting with hanna checker again tonite. I can explain more if you need more info)
20 lbs dry rock
Intake media basket
DIY refugium
Tunze skimmer

Tank 2+ months old

I would like to know if all the algae(s) shown in picture are part of the the natural cycling? The red slime is really starting to take hold. Wondering if I should just relax and let nature runs its course or start treating some of these issues. Its a real "ugly" looking tank kinda discouraging and I dont know if my OCD can take anymore of it. I got algae(s) growing in places....well you know. Alittle insight would be appreciated.

 

[Theulli]

That looks like cyano. The good news is that if you blackout your tank for a couple days it'll die off, and you can get away with it because you don't have any corals yet from what I can see. But in the long run you might need to look at how high your whites are turned up on your light, how long the light is on, and if your flow is too low. Cyano in my experience is basically too much light, too little flow, or both. Also, you can turkey baster it off really easily, or should be able to if it's cyano, to help the process.

 

[ZoWhat]

You have an ULNS going on and you need to raise NO3. Plenty of documentation for you to read on R2R Advance Search function

 

[12PMER]

You have an ULNS going on and you need to raise NO3. Plenty of documentation for you to read on R2R Advance Search function

I've been trying to get nitrates up with more food, and less skimming. I will search the advanced search section soon.

 

[ZoWhat]

I've been trying to get nitrates up with more food, and less skimming. I will search the advanced search section soon.

Tread cautiously when dosing nitrates. A lil solution goes a loooong way

That 1lb bag I showed in my post would last you 10 years

 

[12PMER]

You have an ULNS going on and you need to raise NO3. Plenty of documentation for you to read on R2R Advance Search function

My chaeto has been growing off the chains too. I have to take a hard ball+ size out every 2 weeks it grows so fast.

 

[12PMER]

Tred cautiously when dosing nitrates. A lil solution goes a loooong way

Not dosing anything yet. Haven't researched It a whole lot yet. But I will before I do ANYTHING.

 

[12PMER]

Tread cautiously when dosing nitrates. A lil solution goes a loooong way

That 1lb bag I showed in my post would last you 10 years

What 1lb bag?

 

[12PMER]

That looks like cyano. The good news is that if you blackout your tank for a couple days it'll die off, and you can get away with it because you don't have any corals yet from what I can see. But in the long run you might need to look at how high your whites are turned up on your light, how long the light is on, and if your flow is too low. Cyano in my experience is basically too much light, too little flow, or both. Also, you can turkey baster it off really easily, or should be able to if it's cyano, to help the process.

The light Is stock so can't control output of whites

 

[ZoWhat]

What 1lb bag?

 

[Timfish]

That's what I typically see when soemone sets up a tank with just dry rock. AquaBiomics did a pretty good article on setting up systems. His articel is here:

Establishing a Healthy Microbiome in a New Aquarium Using Live Rock

Studying the effects of live rock in a newly established aquarium shows that high-quality live rock promotes the rapid establishment of an effective biological filter and a microbial community similar to those found in mature reef tanks.

www.reef2reef.com

 

[JumboShrimp]

Short term: At this point you can easily hit that cyano hard with an old toothbrush; then like someone said, blackout the tank for 3-4 days. Then maybe add some “good” bacteria, and increase flow to make cyano unhappier. Best wishes!

 

[terraincognita]

Biocube 32
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-0
Calcium-450
Phosphate-0.02 (if I did the hanna checker right. Kinda skeptical about the reading. Thought I was at 1.0 phosphate with api test. Retesting with hanna checker again tonite. I can explain more if you need more info)
20 lbs dry rock
Intake media basket
DIY refugium
Tunze skimmer

Tank 2+ months old

I would like to know if all the algae(s) shown in picture are part of the the natural cycling? The red slime is really starting to take hold. Wondering if I should just relax and let nature runs its course or start treating some of these issues. Its a real "ugly" looking tank kinda discouraging and I dont know if my OCD can take anymore of it. I got algae(s) growing in places....well you know. Alittle insight would be appreciated.

You've gotten some good responses now but I'm going to add a couple things here seeing you said this tank is 2+ months old, and seeing that it seems fish-less? and completely stock-less for that matter, and you mentioned "cycle", I imagine you're at a point where you're waiting for "the tank to be able to sustain life"

I will simply relay to you my experience and my personal thoughts of what I've dealt with, not claiming this to be "the 100% right or true answer."

Firstly there's IMPO there's two types of "cycles"

There's the Nitrification cycle which makes your tank capable of sustaining life, which you've attained probably several weeks ago.

And the Cycle of a reef tank maturing, and establishing a healthy bacterial, microfauna, and other life and biome.

There's no way to speed that up short of cramming a tank to the brim with live rock and corals and hoping all the hitchhikers live and rapidly re-establish and fill your tank. But with a tank like yours it's gonna take 6 months to a year with you working on it and adding LIFE to the tank.

As people have mentioned so far your tank is "too clean", that is a factor, but additionally, by just "dirtying you tank up" and doing nothing else, you will 100% make that Cyano bloom.

Seems like you used a lot of Dry rock to start this tank. With the type of dry rock you used based on what I can see in the photos, I've had a lot of experience with that rock leaching phosphate for months after being in my tank.

If I were you I'd spend 2-3 days running your return pump at full speed, and basting your rocks every 3-4 hours. and doing a blackout for the same 2-3 days.

Once that's done, completely change your filtration media, and do a 50% water change, every week, for a month.

This coupled with, adding fish, CUC, and some beginner corals will add to the biome of your tank. giving whatever Cyano is left a big competition for their nutrients, and since hopefully by cleaning off those rocks a bit and basting them you'll reduce the phosphate leaching. You will be able to avoid fighting this cyano for Months on end.

An alternative to this would be doing the same black our and rock basting, but instead of using natural competition to finish beating out the Cyano using CyanoRX or a similar product.

However Starting at empty fish tanks has never been a hobby of mine.

I stock day 1. But I don't recommend it to first timers at all.

But I gurantee you that if you.

A. Just do a black out and nothing else.

or B. Just add nutrients and nothing else.

You will make your problem worse, whether it's 1 to 2 days , or 1 to 2 months from now, and then come back and be upset at everyone.