Cycle SOS

[sromero287]

Hello fellow reefers, this is my fourth reef in the last eight years but is the first one that I started 100% with dry live Tonga branch rocks.
I started to run the whole thing on January 12, it's been exactly a month since the nitrogen cycle started, did I mention is the first time I don't use live rock, I hate hitchhikers!!!!

And at the end of first week of the system running without lights or skimmer I added a bottle of Biospira, and started to ghost feed bio pellets not a lot but enough for 5 fishes.

At third week nothing was going on meaning diatoms or any other sign of the nitrates presence so I added a small bottle of turbo start nitrifying bacteria, then three days after the whole aquascape what's cover in diatoms then couple days after my whole aquascape were full of long hair algae not green but brown color. For me was time to add the cleaning crew, whole variety of trochus, turbos, bumblebees, zeriths and red leg hermit's.
The cleaning cree are doing an excellent job but there are some areas of the Aquascape they're not interested in, cause I bring them in but they just move to different places.
Finally I did a water change of 10 gallons today.
Then checked my parameters:

ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 10

My big two questions for you all:

-been this my first time doing a full nitrogen cycle with dry live rock, when all of this algae or better saying hair algae Will disappear?

-am I supposed to run the lights during this whole process? to be honest with you guys I've been using my radions for the last two weeks along with my skimmer bubble Magus curve five.

Really appreciate all your comments and suggestions, again it's not my first tank but honestly I feel like never did a Saltwater tank before!!!!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

odd. That looks like bryopsis..

 

[sromero287]

Dumb question, it is possible bryopsis in a new tank with dry rock, no fish yet, only the cuc, I mix my own water with 0 TDS and RSM blue bucket, its been only 4 weeks in the cycle

 

[redfishbluefish]

I'd turn the lights off and keep them off. You not only need to cycle the tank, but need to cure that dry rock.....allow the dead stuff within to leach out. A little flow and a heater is all you need. I'm surprised you haven't seen N's and P's from the cure.

 

[sromero287]

N's and P's ??? whats that

 

[redfishbluefish]

Nitrates and Phosphates. When curing rock, a simple way to monitor the decay of the old dead stuff is to test for nitrates and phosphates. You have some nitrates....maybe from the cycle, but most likely from the cure. Cure times vary, but monitor N and P and when high, do water changes. When they are no longer climbing, and on the decline with water changes, the cure is done. If you skip the cure, which some folks do, you're guaranteed a nice growth of algae.

 

[Joshua Hurst]

I'd turn the lights off and keep them off. You not only need to cycle the tank, but need to cure that dry rock.....allow the dead stuff within to leach out. A little flow and a heater is all you need. I'm surprised you haven't seen N's and P's from the cure.

I agree

 

[BigJim]

As others have said, you likely need to cure that rock. I started my current tank with 50 pounds of dry pukani. I cured it for months in a Brute container before adding it to the tank. The phosphate tested at 80 ppm when I first put it in the container. I suspect you will have high phosphate right now, but you should test it to see if that's the case. I recommend doing that redfishbluefish said and run the tank lights out until the issue resolves. I didn't sure my rock with a skimmer, but leaving it on can't hurt.

I also agree with saltyfilmfolks that there appears to be some strands of bryopsis in there. Definitely make sure you rid the tank of that before you move forward, or you could be battling it for the life of the tank.

 

[redfishbluefish]

............ bryopsis............you could be battling it for the life of the tank.

There is now a one dose, 14 day cure for bryopsis!!! Fluconazole :D:D:D

 

[sromero287]

Really appreciated all your comments!!!!

 

[najer]

How strong is you flow, what size water volume, what pumps?

 

[sromero287]

Display is 40Wx18Dx16H 52gal + 22gal in the Sump Eshopps 3.
MP40-QD Left and Gyre XF230 Right. Skimmer Bubble Magus Curve 5 and Return Pump RODC 5500. Lightning 2 Radions G3-Pro's and 2 T5's front and back and Radions in between.

 

[SandJ]

I think that is green hair algae, not bryopsis. Bryopsis is more of a fern structure, this looks too fuzzy. I do see a couple places that resemble a fern structure but I think that is just the GHA. I just pulled some out of my tank that looks like that.

I have noticed when I pull GHA out of the tank it does not hold its shape. Bryopsis tends to stay in a ball and seems to have some structure to it.

I started a tank with used but dry rock. Did. It cure it, just washed it off and put it in the tank. Also used dry sand. It was a disaster and had to tear the tank down. Nothing I did got rid of what ever kind of algae it was. Lesson learned, cure the rock.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I think that is green hair algae, not bryopsis. Bryopsis is more of a fern structure, this looks too fuzzy. I do see a couple places that resemble a fern structure but I think that is just the GHA. I just pulled some out of my tank that looks like that.

I have noticed when I pull GHA out of the tank it does not hold its shape. Bryopsis tends to stay in a ball and seems to have some structure to it.

I started a tank with used but dry rock. Did. It cure it, just washed it off and put it in the tank. Also used dry sand. It was a disaster and had to tear the tank down. Nothing I did got rid of what ever kind of algae it was. Lesson learned, cure the rock.

look at the first pic there in the middle. I would have to guess the rock was not dry for very long:mad: there a lot of different bryopsis species as well.

trust me, I want to be wrong. but in any case id dump a bottle of vibrant in there while you still can.

 

[SandJ]

look at the first pic there in the middle. I would have to guess the rock was not dry for very long:mad: there a lot of different bryopsis species as well.

trust me, I want to be wrong. but in any case id dump a bottle of vibrant in there while you still can.

Hmm,I see what you are talking about. Some of the algae looks like GHA too. Like on the rock on the right in the top picture. Maybe it is GHA with bryopsis growing around it :confused:

 

[sromero287]

Guys do you think it's better go with a bottle of vibrant or just go straight with the fluconazole???

If this thing I cannot handle it in the next two weeks I'm going to take down this MF and then I'm going to use live rock and done deal and never ever ever again in my life use dry rock without curing it!!!!

Just following somebody else suggestion about live dry rock, "specially tonga branch" and look all of this jeeeeeeeeeez, and even worst for me I have around 80 pounds of live rock in my common fuge from the other tanks I was able to use since beginning!!!!!
Lesson learned

 

[sromero287]

OK fellow refers just got home and I have excellent news, definitely is not Bryopsis just GHA, I am with an expert, he does maint/ in approx 180-200 high end tanks (he's the one that contagious me with this addiction lol)
he looked and said no worries is just GHA!!!! Took a couple pictures of the same spots and just judge by yourself guys!!! Night night!!!

Even in the first picture mostly all the GHA it's gone, we checked for nutrients again:
N:5-10 (NYOS-Salifert)
P:0.05 (Hanna)
Trites:0
Amonnia:0
PH:8.23
T:79

I am going to increase the magnesium with tech M from Kent to around 1600s to get all of this gone...