Should I turn my lights off?

[Leo95]

Turned lights on 4 days ago and already rock and sand bed are getting covered in brown diatoms.

How do I stop this from taking over? Do I let it play out? Do I turn my lights off?

I do have an anemone in here so I can't leave lights off for too long...

150 gallons system
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
0.05 nitrate

System is 3 months old and parameters have been stable for 2 whole months.

Livestock are:
2 clowns
1 foxface
1 bluethroat Triggerfish
1 cleaner shrimp
1 anemone

I know I'm heading for the ugly stage, but can I stop it in its tracks/avoid it?

 

[bark1ngspider]

I would not let the lights go off and just let the diatom bloom pass

 

[bark1ngspider]

Run chemi pure and maybe get a fighting conch

 

[bark1ngspider]

How long do you also keep lights on

 

[rubertoe93]

Welcome! Let it be!

 

[maceto]

Welcome!

 

[attiland]

Run it out. Doesn’t last long. Don’t dose anything

 

[Leo95]

How long do you also keep lights on

I have a Kessil AP9x right now I run the default tuna blue program. 8am-8-pm of blue working its way up and down in intensity and color.

 

[Ippyroy]

Welcome to R2R!

 

[bark1ngspider]

I have a Kessil AP9x right now I run the default tuna blue program. 8am-8-pm of blue working its way up and down in intensity and color.

I would try 10 hours you’d be surprised how much 2 hours makes a difference

 

[MERKEY]

Hello and welcome to R2R!

 

[Fred2482]

Welcome! I would shorten the light cycle a bit and let it ride.

 

[Zach B]

Welcome :) Sounds like a normal stage

 

[Timfish]

Welcome! :)

IMO you need to set your lights to the settings needed for the corals you will be getting and leave it. If you're not getting corals then set them to whatever setting you think will look good and leave it. I've been keeping saltewater for over three decades and the only thing I do for nuisance algae is manual removal. It also sounds like you didn't use any maricultured live rock to start your system. If not I would suggest you do so. See AquaBiomics article here on establishing a healthy microbiome. Also, get Forest Rohwer's book "Coral Reefs in the Microbial Seas" It's an excellent introduction to the roles of DOC (Dissolved Organic Carbon) and microbes in maintaining healthy reefs systems (kindle is ~$10).

 

[KJ]

Welcome to R2R!!!

 

[Timfish]

And here's some videos you might find infromative:

Forest Rohwer "Coral Reefs in the Microbial Seas"


Changing Seas - Mysterious Microbes


Nitrogen cycling in hte coral holobiont


Richard Ross What's up with phosphate"

 

[Peter_in_the_city]

The "ugly phase" is something I have had in 4 out of 5 of my tanks.

 

[G Santana]

Welcome aboard

 

[SPR1968]

Welcome to R2R!!!

 

[lavoisier]

Howdy. Welcome to R2R. As others above have said be patient.