Algea growth in 4 week old tank...End of cycle?

jessicaparker · 12/20/2010, 12:41 PM

I recently just stared keep my lights on for about 6 hours a day in my tank that has been setup with 60plbs of uncured rock and left alone for 4 weeks. algea is growing like crazy, does this signal the end of it cycling?

Percula9 · 12/20/2010, 12:50 PM

The end of the cycle is when there is no longer ammonia and nitrites.

Ammonia>(nitrosamonas)>nitrites>(nitrospira)nitrates This is the cycling process. So get a master API test kit foe salt water and test for these chemicals.

GT3 · 12/20/2010, 01:10 PM

Usually you get brown algae after the tank is cycled but at same time meaning the tank is not mature yet.

Amphiprionocellaris · 12/20/2010, 02:02 PM

Algal growth can be fueled by ammonia/ammonium, so seeing algae is not necessarily an indication that the tank is ready for "higher life" like fish. The cycle is technically only done when the tank has reached a steady state, which can take months depending on the thickness of the sandbed etc; however for the purposes of adding new fish, the cycle is done when nitrites and ammonia are at 0. As others have rightly said, the only foolproof way to know is to play with the test kits.

Cheers!

12/20/2010, 12:41 PM	#1
jessicaparker Moved On Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 146	Algea growth in 4 week old tank...End of cycle? I recently just stared keep my lights on for about 6 hours a day in my tank that has been setup with 60plbs of uncured rock and left alone for 4 weeks. algea is growing like crazy, does this signal the end of it cycling?

12/20/2010, 01:10 PM	#3
GT3 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 294	Usually you get brown algae after the tank is cycled but at same time meaning the tank is not mature yet. __________________ 20G Reef Tank, DSB, 25lbs of live rocks. Spec: Ph 8.2, >520 cal and 8 kh, Temp 77F, SG 1.026 Equip: Coralife 24x2 T5HO, 2x Koralia 425 powerheads, no skimmer. 2L HOB Sump: Cheato, feather dusters, copepods, bristleworms Livestock: 4 blue-legged hermits, 2 nassarius snails, 1 astra snail, 1 Argent Mono, 1 FireGoby Corals: Mushrooms, yellow polyps, zoanthids

12/20/2010, 02:02 PM	#4
Amphiprionocellaris Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 588	Algal growth can be fueled by ammonia/ammonium, so seeing algae is not necessarily an indication that the tank is ready for "higher life" like fish. The cycle is technically only done when the tank has reached a steady state, which can take months depending on the thickness of the sandbed etc; however for the purposes of adding new fish, the cycle is done when nitrites and ammonia are at 0. As others have rightly said, the only foolproof way to know is to play with the test kits. Cheers! __________________ Some of us are obsessed with the hobby...some of us just can't control it...those are the ones who get their PhD in it... Current Tank Info: 1 40 gallon breeder mixed reef; past tanks: 75 gallon mixed reef, 3 140 gallon mixed reefs, 3 10 gallon nano species/coral displays, 2 30 gallon reefs, 4 10 gallon research tanks

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12/20/2010, 12:50 PM	#2
Percula9 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Orange County CA Posts: 3,819	The end of the cycle is when there is no longer ammonia and nitrites. Ammonia>(nitrosamonas)>nitrites>(nitrospira)nitrates This is the cycling process. So get a master API test kit foe salt water and test for these chemicals.