Joeys Tank
Well-Known Member
Jumping in new on the topic and wanted to add a few cents 
UTS, diatoms, algae growth, cyano ... all natural occurances as your tank finds a balance. Completing the nitrogen cycle of a tank is a start, but there is so much more that needs to occur within your tank. Denitrifying bacteria which break down nitrates into nitrogen gas, slowly pulling phosphates out of your rock, rejoicing the diatom blooms because they are working on the silicates in your system, waiting for the multitudes of life to grow/reproduce in your rock and sand, etc. Many things will occur within your tank during the first year and most of those things that occur need to happen for the tank to mature.
You have some great advice on adding fish and bioload concerns. Bioload is increased as a result of adding nutrients to a system and the amount of waste products being produced. Your tank will naturally respond to both cases; however, a large increase in either one can cause issues with your tank as your system struggles to keep up. Fish (mainly) and invertebrates (to a lesser extent) bring increased bioload because you are adding foods to sustain them. As they process the food, the generate waste products which need to be broken down (the nitrifying process). Coral, on the other hand, tend to not significantly contribute to the bioload of a system (except those corals which you are directly target feeding or feeding the general tank in the attempt to get food to the coral). Because of this, you can add coral at a larger rate than adding a fish.
Here is a good read of a post I put together. It starts off with an article on the subject and then I try to summarize.
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?threads/striving-for-the-half-million-mark.93161/
UTS, diatoms, algae growth, cyano ... all natural occurances as your tank finds a balance. Completing the nitrogen cycle of a tank is a start, but there is so much more that needs to occur within your tank. Denitrifying bacteria which break down nitrates into nitrogen gas, slowly pulling phosphates out of your rock, rejoicing the diatom blooms because they are working on the silicates in your system, waiting for the multitudes of life to grow/reproduce in your rock and sand, etc. Many things will occur within your tank during the first year and most of those things that occur need to happen for the tank to mature.
You have some great advice on adding fish and bioload concerns. Bioload is increased as a result of adding nutrients to a system and the amount of waste products being produced. Your tank will naturally respond to both cases; however, a large increase in either one can cause issues with your tank as your system struggles to keep up. Fish (mainly) and invertebrates (to a lesser extent) bring increased bioload because you are adding foods to sustain them. As they process the food, the generate waste products which need to be broken down (the nitrifying process). Coral, on the other hand, tend to not significantly contribute to the bioload of a system (except those corals which you are directly target feeding or feeding the general tank in the attempt to get food to the coral). Because of this, you can add coral at a larger rate than adding a fish.
Here is a good read of a post I put together. It starts off with an article on the subject and then I try to summarize.
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?threads/striving-for-the-half-million-mark.93161/
WELCOME to Reef Sanctuary nmsalty!!