tank running thru 2nd cycle??? I think

[alharrison]

I've had my 55gal reef tank up and running for about 12 weeks now. It went thru it 's cycle after about eight weeks. I added my clean up crew ,hermit crabs, turbo snails and urchins and they are doing a great job. I read on the forum that I should replace the bio balls in my wet/dry sump with live rock and cheato, which I did last weekend. I also did a 30% water change at the same time (RO/DI water). Today it looks like the tank is starting to go through another cycle. I'm getting brown Diatom algae on my sand live rock and glass. I'm not showing any water problems with nitrates phosphate or ammonia. I'm running my T5 light for the sump about eleven hours a day and tonight I am starting to cover the tank and I'm only going to run the tank lights about four hours a night to try to kill off the algae. The first time the tank cycled I had a major problem with hair algae and the only way I could control it was to cover the tank for about a week. I try to do 30% water changes once a week. Am I doing things right or is there something else I should be doing. Thanks.

 

[JohnVH]

Did your ammonia spike? Diatoms are are common in new tanks and it should clear up in time just be sure to continue using RO/DI and keep control of your Nitrates and Ammonia and Phosphates. If all those parameters are kept in check your Diatoms should clear up.

 

[FishyReef]

Are you throwing food in the tank to feed your CUC? If so, what, how much, and how often?

Diatoms are just a natural occurance with new tanks. Once you add a fish you'll probably also go through a hair algae outbreak. As long as you keep up with water changes, aren't overfeeding foods high in phosphates, and are using RO/Di water then they should go away on their own as the tank matures!

 

[alharrison]

I feed the CUC one small frozen cube of brine shrimp a day. I also have a couple of small Damsals in the tank and a few peppermint shrimp. My biggest concern is that I just don't want the hair algae back. It was a real pain to get rid of the first time. Thats why I've been limiting the amount of light I let in the tank until it finishes this second cycle..

 

[Treezer8]

I had a pretty big hair algae problem after my tank cycled. Put more live rock in, some urchins, nudibranch, and a really big CUC. Hair algae was all eaten/killed in about 4 days. Water changed as well.

 

[yote]

With just a CUC and a couple of Damsels in a 55, one cube ( even the small cubes ) of frozen a day is to much. That cube should really get you a week of feedings.
We tend to forget that when we've got live rock in our tanks, that the fish have a readily available and natural food source present 24/7. The fish will pick at the algae and pods that live on,in,and among the rock.

 

[alharrison]

thanks, I'll cut back on the food. This may have been what addede to my algae problem.

 

[tritan]

Yeah I agree, I feed 2 cubes every other day to 8 fish. You can probably cut it to 1/4 of a cube, if even that.

You also may have kicked up some stuff and had another cycle taking out the bioballs.