What am I doing wrong

[Juansamdi]

So I have had this happen to me recently. I am doing weekly water changes, and this keeps happening to my tank. It’s about 5 months old so I may be in the ugly phase.

I’m planning on doing a deep clean of the AIO chambers because I need to, and vacuum the sand bed and rocks. I’m trying to get this tank ready for some corals for the first time, but I keep getting outbreaks of nuisance algae.

I got a roller mat and a new power head coming in. I am also dialing in my lights to combat the algae, shortening the time they are on and reducing feeding for my tank.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Sophie"s mom]

I see some cyanobacteria starting in there. If you do not have any corals or anemones, you do not need lights yet. I completely avoided the ugly phase by leaving my lights off for the first 3.5 months. Fish do not need light. I would definitely get some more flow in the tank. Cyano thrives where there is low flow or no flow. Also, you can add some bacteria like Microbacter 7, which will out compete the cyano.

 

[c4haskett]

It doesn't look like you're doing anything wrong! The stuff on your sand bed looks to either be diatoms or cyanobacteria which is typical in a new system. Diatoms will go away on their own but if its cyano it may take a little work. You can point a powerhead to get flow on the sandbed. I don't think changing your light will help and I would leave them how they are set. Once you add corals, don't change them at all. Find a good color you like that looks good to your eyes and let them coast.

 

[Uncle99]

Maybe doing too much.

You need a handle on nutrient levels of nitrate and phosphate to ensure that our micro friends are being fed and increasing their numbers.

A base of 5-10ppm nitrate and 0.1-0.2 ppm phosphate and remaining stable week over week is my target and use water changes to help maintain them.

Roller mats are good, but sometimes are so good, they can strip all the good stuff from the water. Good for older systems, counterproductive for newer ones.

It’s full development of your bio-filter guys which keep rocks clean and sand white.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I see a tiny bit of cyano but nothing very concerning. Adding more flow is a good idea and should help.

I see very little coral nor any life in the tank, its like a blank canvas for algae. Adding more corals adds more bacteria's and more micro organisms. Corals also shade rocks giving less space to algae to grow.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

What are your parameters?

 

[Juansamdi]

What are your parameters?

I’m waiting for a more accurate test kit. Because I don't trust API

 

[Juansamdi]

I see a tiny bit of cyano but nothing very concerning. Adding more flow is a good idea and should help.

I see very little coral nor any life in the tank, its like a blank canvas for algae. Adding more corals adds more bacteria's and more micro organisms. Corals also shade rocks giving less space to algae to grow.

There is a conch, 2 big nassarius snails, a royal gramma, pistol shrimp + watchman goby pair, and a clown fish pair.

 

[Juansamdi]

I see a tiny bit of cyano but nothing very concerning. Adding more flow is a good idea and should help.

I see very little coral nor any life in the tank, its like a blank canvas for algae. Adding more corals adds more bacteria's and more micro organisms. Corals also shade rocks giving less space to algae to grow.

There is a conch, 2 big nassarius snails, a royal gramma, pistol shrimp + watchman goby pair, and a clown fish pair.

And 6 turbo snails doing there thing and collecting algae on their shells.

 

[Juansamdi]

So I have had this happen to me recently. I am doing weekly water changes, and this keeps happening to my tank. It’s about 5 months old so I may be in the ugly phase.

I’m planning on doing a deep clean of the AIO chambers because I need to, and vacuum the sand bed and rocks. I’m trying to get this tank ready for some corals for the first time, but I keep getting outbreaks of nuisance algae.

I got a roller mat and a new power head coming in. I am also dialing in my lights to combat the algae, shortening the time they are on and reducing feeding for my tank.

Any help would be appreciated!

This is the tank before I do a water change and a deep clean of the equipment that I haven’t touched in three months. Can’t see because of the light but there is a purple sheet of algae and a little orange sheet on the rock.