Wow, this thread has been going for awhile, but a great read!
So my tank has been up for about a week now with live sand and live rock..I have one yellow tailed damsel in the tank(I know people say not to put livestock in this soon, but it was a suggestion someone gave me before I knew not to). Anyways, the brown algae just started popping up, covering the sand, and spreading to the rock. Is this super early to be getting the brown algae? Most people report getting this like a month or more after they set up, just seems like it came really fast. Also, I shouldn't add any CUC yet, correct?
Thanks!
Brown & Green algae came & went in cycles the 1st 6 months my tank was running. So it's not too early for you to see it IMO. Not time for any CUC YET! You should be testing your ammonia, nitrites & nitrates everyday to make sure your tank is progressing through the nitrogen cycle. This is very needed!
As for the (Blue?) yellow tail Damsel, this is notoriously a very aggressive fish (as most damsels are) and having it as your 1st fish (and also subjecting it to ammonia) might not be a good start to your tank if it even survives.
I'm glad You are here & doing some reading up on things you need to know. Keep asking questions and getting here because the advice you get here will make you more successful than what you will be told at the LFS.
Are you testing your water daily? Starting a tank thread will be an excellent thing to do also!