Ugly stage done or just staring?

[Harry g]

Hello everyone,

I’ve had this 20 gallon saltwater tank started up since sept, 28th, cycled with turbo start 900 and bacter 7, and I added fish about 4 weeks later after it was done cycling, I was wondering if I am done with the ugly stage yet or if it is still starting I am yet to see anything like cyano or diatoms and it’s been about 66 days from start to finish, I’m asking because I wanted to see if I could add in a rock flower anemone or is my tank too new.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

What are your parameters? Personally, I think your tank looks a little too new for an RFA, but you are on your way to being able to have one!

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Hang on its coming, just keep check of your nutrients and don't let them get too high or low. I am not saying chase numbers but it can be confusing during this time when algae may be consuming nutrients that you can not measure. since you have corals, black outs can be done for a day or 2 if needed. cut your light schedule down to 6 or 7 hours when the tank starts looking bad

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

water changes are your friend to help control nutrients and possibly export unwanted algae

 

[Harry g]

What are your parameters? Personally, I think your tank looks a little too new for an RFA, but you are on your way to being able to have one!

What parameters exactly? I know that my ammonia is 0 nitrite 0 and I like to keep my nitrates in the 10-20 range I haven’t tracked anything else since I mostly have fish, gsp, and a small monti.

 

[Harry g]

Hang on its coming, just keep check of your nutrients and don't let them get too high or low. I am not saying chase numbers but it can be confusing during this time when algae may be consuming nutrients that you can not measure. since you have corals, black outs can be done for a day or 2 if needed. cut your light schedule down to 6 or 7 hours when the tank starts looking bad

I haven’t been tracking nutrients just nitrates but I do change 25 percent of water weekly using instant ocean and try to keep nitrate below 20.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

That's good, building up a strong biome is what makes a tank "mature" and help keep cyano and dino's under control. when the algae starts showing up I would recommend copepods be dosed into the tank. They help with the algae and uneaten food also.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

@Harry g , Have patience, the tank may get to were it looks bad. But time is your friend and keeping up with what your doing will help it along. I do recommend that you look at getting test kits for pH, dKH, and calcium. This will help you maintain the tank in the future to give your corals what they need. Salifert is the test kits I use

 

[Harry g]

@Harry g , Have patience, the tank may get to were it looks bad. But time is your friend and keeping up with what your doing will help it along. I do recommend that you look at getting test kits for pH, dKH, and calcium. This will help you maintain the tank in the future to give your corals what they need. Salifert is the test kits I use

I’ve already added cope pods and I’ve been dosing phyto, one capful a week, I have hannah checkers for alk phosphate and calcium but I don’t have any reagents for them since the reagents are expensive to me so I’ll probably sell them to get salifert kits, which others should I buy?

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

@Harry g , forgot to add, phosphate is a nutrient you need to test. plenty of info on here about it and what roll it plays in your tank.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

I’ve already added cope pods and I’ve been dosing phyto, one capful a week, I have hannah checkers for alk phosphate and calcium but I don’t have any reagents for them since the reagents are expensive to me so I’ll probably sell them to get salifert kits, which others should I buy?

just work on the nitrate and phosphate right now, if you use regular Instant ocean, this will keep calcium and magnesium levels where you want it right now. Instant Ocean has calcium reading at 415 and dKH at 10, regular water changes will keep these numbers up.