Algae bloom just after cycling

When your lights get old they produce light in the spectrum loved by algea. The rule of thumb is to change bulbs annually.

 

The maroalgae, would you keep that in your fuge or in your display tank?

 

I keep the macro algeae in my refugium!

 

I keep my macro algae in my display tank,  It adds color and looks more natural,  If you have fish that will eat it like tangs then buy the calciferous type macro algae or plants like the money plant or shaving brush.

 

Should this algae be added after the tank has cycled?

 

Yes!

 

Yes add the macro algae after the tank has cycled because it uses nitrates and phosphates for food as well as carbon dioxide. It also releases oxygen back into the water. Hope this helps.

 

thanks guys. i'll add some as soon as the tank is finished cycling.

 

i have had my reef up now for 5 months and I have some snails and crabs and some corals. I have brown algae still growing on my tank and I want coralline algae shoulnd't it be growing by now. My cal is at 495 and alk at 4.5. How does the silicates be removed.

 

You can remove the silicates and phosphorus with phosphozorb granules, check out petwarehouse.com or thatfishplace.com. Your coralline algae should start taking off. Do you have any live rock with coralline algae
on it to seed the tank? If not buy a piece of rock with good C. algae growth and it will seed the tank. Make sure your calcium levels are good and that your light bulbs are not too old.