Good expected algae growth?

[CountryWellReef]

Hi,

120 gal tank
90lbs dry rock (bulk reef supply) / fishless cycle
Been fully cycled for about 3 weeks / 4 small starter fish, 1 clown, 3 benghai cardinals

Getting more and more growth covering the rock, a little bit on the sand but not much. Tiny bit of hair algae in a couple spots.
I'm not sure whats driving this growth or what it is. I don't think its cyno.. maybe a thin layer of cyno in spots? I don't think its coarline algae either, maybe the bright green is but I don't know how it got in there. Fish is the only thing i've put in that wasn't "dry"

Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate are at or near zero. Maybe .25 ppm Nitrate.
I'm on a well in a house with copper piping but use RODI water, Iron, Copper show zero. My water hardness is pretty high though.

I'm thinking silicates and phosphate is leeching from the dry rock as it continues to cure. Probably just going through the ugly phase, but its more growth every day.

 

[mmorrison55]

What are you running your lights at? What percentage and for how long? Most likely lighting is your cause of the unexpected growth. Im guessing You don’t have enough good bacteria to stave off the algae growth from your lights being on.

You can cut lighting time way back, add some live rock to your tank or sump, or add some microbacter7, PNS pro bio, etc. or just accept it’s the ugly stage and will have to go through it and increase water changes and sand bed vacuuming until you do to keep it from overwhelming your tank.

Im sure others who are more experienced will offer some other solutions, but your photos don’t look that bad to me if I’m being honest. Keep on top of the hair algae though. I’d remove it as quickly as you start seeing it. I’ve heard horror stories of people fighting hair algae constantly to the point of them giving up.

Hang in there, people here will help.

 

[CountryWellReef]

Its a deep 120 gal.. 30 inches high, so I have 2 APX9s running on the default day/night cycle. They reach up to about 60% power for full daylight I believe. I can try turning them down some. Thanks for the reply.

I do have a chunk of rock in the refugium, but it was dry too. Interestingly, it has zero of the same growth on it. Despite a light being on 24/7 down there. Its a weak light though, I may need to upgrade it.

I'll try toning down the lights and just letting it be for a while and keep an eye that i'm not starting to get overgrowth.

 

[TX_REEF]

agree with above, looks normal and fine. Definitely take a look at lighting, reduce intensity and/or photoperiod, especially when you have no corals.