Is this the ugly stage or should i be more concerned?

[LeafsReefer]

My ugly stage started about 2 weeks ago and I wasn't overly concerned, but now I'm looking at it get darker and it's starting to look more red, especially under the blue lights. Does this look like normal ugly stage or something more serious?

 

[Cichlid Dad]

How old is your tank?

 

[LeafsReefer]

How old is your tank?

The tank has been running for about two and a half months and the nitrogen cycling finished about 6 weeks ago.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

It looks like a small ugly faze to me, I would be more concerned about the euphyllia and zoa's not opening.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

just scratching the beginning of the ugly phase lol

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

Yup, looked like my diatoms.

I would not worry a bit unless you start seeing it appear to flow, or starts getting bubbly

 

[mangolove]

Cure for diatoms : Copepods

 

[reeftankdude]

Check the water filter. Water should read zero ppm. Use Seachem's Phosguard.

 

[Lavey29]

You are going to be seeing various ugly phases over the first year. You may want to hold off on any more corals until the 4th or 5th month so they don't get smothered by algae. Focus on weekly water changes with algae siphoning and keeping good all around parameters.

 

[LeafsReefer]

Thanks everyone for the advice. To answer some of the questions,

I had an anemone die last week and disintegrate so I think that's why I suddenly lost the torches and hammers that I had.

I put in a bottle of Apex pods last week.

I get my RODI water from the fish store, but I'll look into getting it tested. My phosphates are at 0 though.

 

[vetteguy53081]

My ugly stage started about 2 weeks ago and I wasn't overly concerned, but now I'm looking at it get darker and it's starting to look more red, especially under the blue lights. Does this look like normal ugly stage or something more serious?

Agree, using a term stage is what is happening. To many its unsightly but there are steps you can take if you want to reduce/control it. Diatoms feed mainly off of silicates but also consume dissolved organic compounds, phosphate and nitrates. Unfiltered tap water can contain silicates and is a good way to jump start a bloom if you use it to mix salt or to replace water that evaporated from the tank. The best way to prevent this from happening is to filter water through a RODI unit, although you can still get a diatom bloom when using RODI if the cartridge that removes silicates expires.
Some cleaner crew to help control it are : Cerith snails, Nerite snails and Trochus snails and also Astraea snails are effective at removing diatoms.

 

[LeafsReefer]

Agree, using a term stage is what is happening. To many its unsightly but there are steps you can take if you want to reduce/control it. Diatoms feed mainly off of silicates but also consume dissolved organic compounds, phosphate and nitrates. Unfiltered tap water can contain silicates and is a good way to jump start a bloom if you use it to mix salt or to replace water that evaporated from the tank. The best way to prevent this from happening is to filter water through a RODI unit, although you can still get a diatom bloom when using RODI if the cartridge that removes silicates expires.
Some cleaner crew to help control it are : Cerith snails, Nerite snails and Trochus snails and also Astraea snails are effective at removing diatoms.

Thanks, at the moment I have a hermit crab, 2 nasssarius snails and 2 cowrie snails.

 

[MyFirstCar]

Looks like ulgies: either Dino's or diatoms. Let it ride is my advice

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Pods will help.

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

Ugly it's all part of the journey don't sweat it

 

[LeafsReefer]

Thanks for the feedback. Overall it seems to be clearing up on its own, but some of the brown has turned red.