Algae help needed!

Brookesy

Member
Since adding my first fish I have noticed this greyish purple algae growing on my LR and on the back off the tank. Is this anything to worry about? I tested the water yesterday and everything seems ok. The water in the tank is slightly cloudy as well. The tank has been up and running for about 3 weeks and I've been following the Red Sea max reef mature program.

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PSU4ME

JoePa lives on!!!
Staff member
PREMIUM
Yeah, it will come and go, nothing to worry about. The clean up crew will enjoy it :)
 

DianaKay

Princess Diana
RS STAFF
Hi Brooksey :wave:
Your tank needs time to cycle...normally this takes MUCH LONGER than 3 weeks.
You might not should have fish in your tank this soon :ponder2: Best to be testing daily as the ammonia spike associated with the nitrous cycle could very well kill or damage your fish. :(
You will most likely see LOTS of normal algae growth before you should add any CUC or any other life to your tank.
Hang in there with GREAT PATIENCE. Go SLOW & Let your tank get itself ready for handling life before you add anything else.
Very BEST WISHES....:biker
 

Brookesy

Member
Ok thanks I'm following the Red Sea reef mature kit and it said to add the first fish after 2 weeks as long as the water is in parameters. The lights are on for 10 hours a day and I have a small clean up crew at the moment. Question should I add more snails or should I just leave it for a few more weeks?


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PSU4ME

JoePa lives on!!!
Staff member
PREMIUM
There is no magic number out there for anything.....just the logic behind it.

Take for example adding the first fish after 2 weeks......it assumes the cycle has completed and the tank is "ready" in terms of parameters. to keep the tanks cycle in check, it needs waste to feed the bacteria you just "set up" that's why you add the fish. Add too many too fast and the tank can't handle it so thats why you go slow.

Keeping the CUC small in the beginning is because there is not a ton of natural food for them in a new tank. As a tank gets older you add more until you see them "handling" the algae in the tank and stop.

If you look at the logic behind recommendations you are better able to understand why you're doing certain things and before you know it, you have a great understanding of the ecosystem and what it takes to make it tick!

Good luck!
 

Brookesy

Member
That makes sense! I've kept tropical fish for years and it sounds like the same principles of slowly building up your Eco system until the bacteria can grow and cope with the increased bio load. I'm going to give it another week and then add a few more snails and crabs


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