When Did Your UGLY PHASE End?

[G Santana]

Some 25 years ago I started with live rock and after a few months my tank was matured.
Now with dry rock, my tank is in its 6th month and still battling the uglies. GHA with a light dusting of Dinos currently.
I do see the light at the end of the tunnel I just hope it isn't an oncoming train!!!

 

[CanuckReefer]

This is why I'll never use or recommend dry rock again.

Some 25 years ago I started with live rock and after a few months my tank was matured.
Now with dry rock, my tank is in its 6th month and still battling the uglies. GHA with a light dusting of Dinos currently.
I do see the light at the end of the tunnel I just hope it isn't an oncoming train!!!

And here I have been back and forth on this forum about my desire to supplement my existing very old rock with another 10 pounds or so of Live or Dry....I don't want to intro some unwanted pest, but don't care to have a battle of phos/ algae on my hands either....sigh....

 

[CanuckReefer]

I’m hoping that the mixture of my livestock and phyto helped “defeat” the uglies. I do believe there has to be a healthy mixture. Too heavy or too light on livestock gives the uglies an edge

Yep...I am light on fish stock, heavy on inverts ( mainly CUC) now....seems to be a winning combo for me....

 

[G Santana]

And here I have been back and forth on this forum about my desire to supplement my existing very old rock with another 10 pounds or so of Live or Dry....I don't want to intro some unwanted pest, but don't care to have a battle of phos/ algae on my hands either....sigh....

This would be the current dilemma most reefers have!!!

 

[CanuckReefer]

This would be the current dilemma most reefers have!!!

If I could find some nice thinner plate Live here ( original Fiji type plate) I would jump at that, but it's almost impossible to find local.

 

[Luke Schnabel]

My personal reef I never had one. I left lights out for the first 3 months and had established bio media in the sump. Once I fired up the lights I put my fish in and ran GFO/carbon for the next month. Beside one cyano outbreak nothing happened.

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

Keep it coming! This is definitely very interesting

 

[flyfisher2]

Strictly dry rock. Let it cycle for close to three months without adding anything but Bacteria and ammonia. Quarantined anything going in. Had green hair algae, a little of this a little of that. Had the weird turf algae and got rid of that with CUC. As it stands setup turned a year. The contents were transferred to a smaller tank in September than torn down for a day to swap the stand about two months ago and it seems to be doing well right now... Keeping fingers crossed.

 

[melfish]

My tanks have taken a solid couple of years to really properly settle in from dry rock & sand. I still get GHA if I go too long without maintenance, but as soon as I do a couple of water changes, it essentially resolves itself. I don’t mind it so much as it serves as a nutrient export when needed, and gives the pod population a boost. My current tank is at about 4 years-ish and uglies don’t happen so easily, and when they do, there’s usually a clear reason. They don’t get so bad, and it’s easier to fix.

The first couple of years was a constant rotation of ~something~, dinos being the worst and most persistent- but I haven’t seen them in aprox 2 years now. I think it may have also been linked to using NSW. I now use a synthetic salt mix & RODI.

But the most noticeable difference is that anything I put in the tank just seems to really want to live now. Nothing is so delicate anymore. I’m upgrading to a larger tank and will really miss this stability & maturity.

 

[Yazannreef]

Tanks is a year old and never had to go thru the ugly phase!! Knock on wood.

Started with cultured seeded rocks
Kept lights off for first months
Introduced light gradually to the tank over 2 weeks after.
20% water changes weekly.
Kept parameters in check: ALK 8.6/ Cal 420/ pH 8.2 ( using co2 scrubber)/ salinity at 0.026.

 

[Paul B]

Probably when I was 16 and stopped getting pimples. As to my tank, I don't remember.

 

[jmichaelh7]

Truthfully about a year and a half

I’d say my tank is established finally . Just got rid of dinos completely too.

1 year 2 mo

 

[ffmurray]

This is why I'll never use or recommend dry rock again.

What if I cure the rock for months?

 

[Michael E.]

This is why I'll never use or recommend dry rock again.

This right here.

 

[joshbd]

Never really had one and started with 100% dry rock. Cycled with Dr. TIm's & ammonia (3-4 weeks), added fish slowly (another 3-4 weeks), first coral added at 2-months. Didn't turn the lights past 10% until I started adding corals. Also, kept parameters stable and nutrients level pretty low (but not zero). BRS has a video. It really isn't bad if you take it slow.