Ugly Stages

mommahen · 02/23/2018, 03:25 PM

Ok, so I’ve been reading and learning and cycling. Tank (90 Gal) has been going for about 6 weeks. I just added 2 small blue reef chromis this week. Will probably add a small CUC in the next week or 2.
Everything going well so far

My question, what ugly stages are to be expected?
Green hair algae
Diatoms
Dino
Cyno
Anything else?

Expect the uglies for how long? 6 mo? A year? I have no plans to add corals for another few months.
Just curious. I don’t want to have a knee jerk reaction should anything start looking bad, but also don’t want to let it get out of control

I know it is all patience and balance. Just wondering what the norm is to be expected.

TIA! You guys have been very helpful to me... the creeper of the forum.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

mcgyvr · 02/23/2018, 03:31 PM

Its typically.. diatoms.. then green hair/film algae then sometime cyano and usually in that order..
Diatoms typically only last for a few weeks if that as excess silicates are consumed by them.. Once their main food (silicates) are gone then their population dies..

The hair algae can continue indefinitely if you don't keep up maintenance to keep nutrient levels low.. Algaes feed on light and nitrates and phosphates..

In general a month or 2 should be plenty post cycle to be out of the ugly stages and is usually just a few weeks..

Now many of us believe that a tank takes about 8 months to a year to "mature".. and I find that after the 8-12 month mark a tank gets pretty easy to take care of. Nitrates just take care of themselves,etc...
I think thats about the amount of time to develop the anaerobic bacterial populations which can process nitrates into nitrogen gas,etc..
The initial ammonia processing bacteria comes on quick but that other bacteria takes longer..
It could just be that it takes longer to develop the low oxygen environments that the type of bacteria needs/thrives in..

top shelf · 02/23/2018, 03:54 PM

Great advice as always by mcgyvr. If you go very slowly and stick to strict stocking guidelines as mcgyvr stated you can be out of the ugly stages fairly quickly. My tank is nearing the 6 month mark and all I had was diatoms for maybe a week then some light algae on the rocks and sand bed which went away in about a month or less. I started with mostly dry rock and a few pounds of live and now it's all being covered in a healthy layer of coralline with no other visible algae. Maybe I got lucky but I attribute it to taking things very slow and having patients. To give you an idea of how slow at this point the only residents are a few trochus snails, nassarius, 3 soft coral frags, a firefish, and a swales swissguard basslet.

Dmorty217 · 02/23/2018, 03:59 PM

My tank had GHA first and now I’m dealing with diatoms. Set the tank up end of September with all dry rock

nereefpat · 02/23/2018, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mommahen

My question, what ugly stages are to be expected?
Green hair algae
Diatoms
Dino
Cyno
Anything else?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Any of that, besides the dinos, would be expected for a few days/weeks at a time.

I would be surprised to see a problem with dinos. Those seem to show up in more mature tanks with nutrient balance issues.

mommahen · 02/23/2018, 04:06 PM

Perfect! Thank you guys! Exactly the info I was looking for!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

AlSimmons · 02/23/2018, 04:11 PM

For whatever reason when I set up my current 20 gallon long I went from Diatoms straight to Coralline algae. No GHA, no Cyanobacteria etc and I used live rock from various LFS in my area. The really strange thing about this is that I used tap water too. Go figure...

ramseynb · 02/24/2018, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlSimmons

For whatever reason when I set up my current 20 gallon long I went from Diatoms straight to Coralline algae. No GHA, no Cyanobacteria etc and I used live rock from various LFS in my area. The really strange thing about this is that I used tap water too. Go figure...

It may have been because you used cured live rock and didn’t have die off.

02/23/2018, 03:25 PM	#1
mommahen Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2018 Posts: 15	Ugly Stages Ok, so I’ve been reading and learning and cycling. Tank (90 Gal) has been going for about 6 weeks. I just added 2 small blue reef chromis this week. Will probably add a small CUC in the next week or 2. Everything going well so far My question, what ugly stages are to be expected? Green hair algae Diatoms Dino Cyno Anything else? Expect the uglies for how long? 6 mo? A year? I have no plans to add corals for another few months. Just curious. I don’t want to have a knee jerk reaction should anything start looking bad, but also don’t want to let it get out of control I know it is all patience and balance. Just wondering what the norm is to be expected. TIA! You guys have been very helpful to me... the creeper of the forum. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

02/23/2018, 03:31 PM	#2
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Its typically.. diatoms.. then green hair/film algae then sometime cyano and usually in that order.. Diatoms typically only last for a few weeks if that as excess silicates are consumed by them.. Once their main food (silicates) are gone then their population dies.. The hair algae can continue indefinitely if you don't keep up maintenance to keep nutrient levels low.. Algaes feed on light and nitrates and phosphates.. In general a month or 2 should be plenty post cycle to be out of the ugly stages and is usually just a few weeks.. Now many of us believe that a tank takes about 8 months to a year to "mature".. and I find that after the 8-12 month mark a tank gets pretty easy to take care of. Nitrates just take care of themselves,etc... I think thats about the amount of time to develop the anaerobic bacterial populations which can process nitrates into nitrogen gas,etc.. The initial ammonia processing bacteria comes on quick but that other bacteria takes longer.. It could just be that it takes longer to develop the low oxygen environments that the type of bacteria needs/thrives in.. __________________ Who me?

02/23/2018, 03:54 PM	#3
top shelf Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,022	Great advice as always by mcgyvr. If you go very slowly and stick to strict stocking guidelines as mcgyvr stated you can be out of the ugly stages fairly quickly. My tank is nearing the 6 month mark and all I had was diatoms for maybe a week then some light algae on the rocks and sand bed which went away in about a month or less. I started with mostly dry rock and a few pounds of live and now it's all being covered in a healthy layer of coralline with no other visible algae. Maybe I got lucky but I attribute it to taking things very slow and having patients. To give you an idea of how slow at this point the only residents are a few trochus snails, nassarius, 3 soft coral frags, a firefish, and a swales swissguard basslet. __________________ Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it into a fruit salad. Philosophy is wondering if that means ketchup is a smoothie. Current tank info: 45g SCA Cube

02/23/2018, 03:59 PM	#4
Dmorty217 Saltwater Addict Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Vandalia OHIO Posts: 11,624	My tank had GHA first and now I’m dealing with diatoms. Set the tank up end of September with all dry rock __________________ Fish are not disposable commodities, but a worthwhile investment that can be maintained and enjoyed for many years, providing one is willing to take the time to understand their requirements and needs Current Tank Info: 625g, 220g sump, RD3 230w, Vectra L1 on a closed loop, 3 MP60s, MP40. Several QTs

02/23/2018, 04:06 PM	#6
mommahen Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2018 Posts: 15	Perfect! Thank you guys! Exactly the info I was looking for!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

02/23/2018, 04:11 PM	#7
AlSimmons Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: California Posts: 2,482	For whatever reason when I set up my current 20 gallon long I went from Diatoms straight to Coralline algae. No GHA, no Cyanobacteria etc and I used live rock from various LFS in my area. The really strange thing about this is that I used tap water too. Go figure...