Algea.............................

[minichops]

Hey Ive got a new 12g nano cube nearing its second week of cycling. Ive got a lot of diatom and hair algea all over, so should I leave it alone, wait 4 more weeks and get a cleaner crew, or can I use algea kill at this point?

[MizTanks]

If you have no livestock or corals I'd turn you lights off while it's cycling. Diatoms will go away on it's own. The hair algae is a bigger pain. You gotta starve it out. You could also add Phosban, which will eliminate the phosphates feeding the hair algae.

[jojo22]

I would hold off, the diatom bloom is part of the cycle and is in a way a good thing. The hair algae I would just pick out what you can and when you add your clean up crew make sure to get a critter or two that likes HA.

[jojo22]

If you have no livestock or corals I'd turn you lights off while it's cycling. Diatoms will go away on it's own. The hair algae is a bigger pain. You gotta starve it out. You could also add Phosban, which will eliminate the phosphates feeding the hair algae.

I think a better solution would be to find the cause of the phosphates and get rid of them, band-aids are never a good idea in this hobby and should only be used as such, never a solution to the problem.

But I suspect they will go away with a few WC's

[tazzy695]

what are you using for your sorce water if you are just using tap water then you are adding phos and other things that can feed the algae

also are you runing a sump or fuge of any kind if so get one started with macro algae as the macro will usualy outcompeet the ha if that is what it is

but I agree shut the lights off durring cycle no need to run them the algae die off will actualy help the cycle by creating dead material in the tank producing ammonia wich then processes through nitrite and nitrate

or can I use algea kill at this point?

dont waste your money on these products as they can quite often be very detrimental to a tank and also a lot of times contain copper wich will prevent you from beeing able to keep corals later on

[Mike]

Diatoms you just have to wait out. I use onpy R/O DI water and I get them whenever I start a new tank.

[minichops]

Thanks everyone for your input! I really appreciate it! I am using RO water, with no sump, just the included filtration space.

I have a couple of small pollips that came on the live rock and something that might be a small ennnmmeneini. Will turning the lights off kill them?

[tazzy695]

do you have some pics of them if so please post also do a search on glass anemone or aptista to make sure it isnt one of those if it is kill it

turning the lights for 4 weeks may kill the coral polyps though

[jojo22]

It could (if you left them off for a long time) but black outs are used in extreme cases of algae in established tanks as well.

I have a feeling that your cycle may kill them anyways depending on how you set up the tank and are cycling it.

[MizTanks]

Dont mean to highjack this thread but as it pertains to the subject I gotta add my little mishap here.
Hair Algae issues but no phos readings? No readings cause the algae's eating it all up? Where's the phos/nitrates coming from? Hmmmm ahdah! Could it be the LR rubble I added to chamber #2 of my biocube? The LR rubble I got from the LFS and didn't even clean it, but just put it right in there from the bag. Thinking I was doing something cool? Something IN! NOW what do I do? Anybody????