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]

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?

[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.

[MizTanks]

Just another thought on my HA issues~I've been using pillow stuffing for my filter floss~making sure it's the kind that hasn't been treated with any type of flame retardant~could this be a source of phosphates? Not sure but I'm going to discontinue using it~will use a carbon fiber instead~one made for tank filtration.

[Corvette Reefer]

Hair Algea in my opion are the worst because its hard to get away i had it for about 3 months, i did WC and alot plus i would use the water i took out and take out the rock and scrap it off with a hard bricle brush to get all the algea off

[MizTanks]

Trust me scraping your LR with anything to ride it of HA is a big no no~did it and it came back with a vengeance~I recently started using a product called *Chem-Marin Stop Hair Algae*~so far it's working wonderfully~there's been no adverse effects on any of my corals or live stock.