cycle question - green hair algeae

RussR19146 · 09/17/2009, 06:41 PM

Im a little confused. tank has been cycling with fully cured LR (from an established tank) for almost tree weeks. Ammonia is somewhere between 0 and .25 (hard to tell) and ntrites are still 0. nitrae are at 10 - 20.

is this normal? should i have seen nitrites by now? tank is getting more and more green hair algae (diatoms have come and gone)

i am running the skimmer 24hrs the lights are on about 6hrs per day

any advice is appreciated

thanks

russ

mtisc323 · 09/17/2009, 06:44 PM

Hand pick as much as you can out and cut your lighting cycle ... If all you have is lr, the lights dont necessarily need to be on that long. If left untouched the hair algea will overgrow the tank ...

reefqueef · 09/17/2009, 06:51 PM

Sounds like its time to add a few snails maybe a crab or two.

drillsar · 09/17/2009, 09:15 PM

Yes Hair algae is a pain, When you pick it out I recommend moving the LR in another bucket because anything you miss it will spread. I would do a water change first to see where your at you will need to if your cycled anyway.

seapug · 09/17/2009, 09:51 PM

if you have ammonia, no nitrite, but measurable nitrate it could be that there's something dead in one of the rocks. I'd hold off on adding any snails or cleanup crew until the ammonia problem subsides.

Aquarist007 · 09/17/2009, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RussR19146
Im a little confused. tank has been cycling with fully cured LR (from an established tank) for almost tree weeks. Ammonia is somewhere between 0 and .25 (hard to tell) and ntrites are still 0. nitrae are at 10 - 20.
russ

that is perfectly normal not to see a spike in nitrites. I usually monitor ammonia and nitrates. When they are both zero then it is time to add a clean up crew

It is also possible not to see a spike in ammonia or nitrates also in a cycling tank.
But in your tank that is great--you will be able to tell when they are both zero

09/17/2009, 06:41 PM	#1
RussR19146 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 104	cycle question - green hair algeae Im a little confused. tank has been cycling with fully cured LR (from an established tank) for almost tree weeks. Ammonia is somewhere between 0 and .25 (hard to tell) and ntrites are still 0. nitrae are at 10 - 20. is this normal? should i have seen nitrites by now? tank is getting more and more green hair algae (diatoms have come and gone) i am running the skimmer 24hrs the lights are on about 6hrs per day any advice is appreciated thanks russ

09/17/2009, 09:51 PM	#5
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	if you have ammonia, no nitrite, but measurable nitrate it could be that there's something dead in one of the rocks. I'd hold off on adding any snails or cleanup crew until the ammonia problem subsides. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

09/17/2009, 06:44 PM	#2
mtisc323 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 53	Hand pick as much as you can out and cut your lighting cycle ... If all you have is lr, the lights dont necessarily need to be on that long. If left untouched the hair algea will overgrow the tank ...

09/17/2009, 06:51 PM	#3
reefqueef Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 60	Sounds like its time to add a few snails maybe a crab or two.

09/17/2009, 09:15 PM	#4
drillsar Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: West Orange, NJ Posts: 2,838	Yes Hair algae is a pain, When you pick it out I recommend moving the LR in another bucket because anything you miss it will spread. I would do a water change first to see where your at you will need to if your cycled anyway.