When does the Algae REALLY start?

Is break-in over??

Hello all,

My RSM250 (65 gal) has been now running for 2months (well 4 days shy of 2 months) and I have been VERY happy with the results. I have 80lbs of live Kupang Rock with water conditions now perfect....Just await the corals next. Taking my time with the absolute best break in I can. But I am still awaiting an Algae bloom? Brown algae came and went with 3 of my snails getting VERY fat! So far everything is clean as a whistle. Water changes every 2 weeks (15gal) with Catalina Bio Salt water with RO tops offs. I have a 1/4hp Oceanic chiller as well hooked into the system. Glass (typically) getting the light green film stuff on it. ONLY a few signs of thread algae on the rocks but a few hermets seem to be doing their night time duties. Some of my live rock is now showing some lime green at the tips and purple/green on others. VERY pretty. I am using Salifert All in one (10ml per week) and Purple up (10ml per week as well). I also have been putting in and replacing 1 pad of ALGONE each week. One of my local and respected LFS that services many business tanks highly reccommend this each week. Coming from a hight tech planted tank, I never used ALGONE, but thus far everything is working well. As mentioned, all water parameters are optimal. Tested with Lamotte Tester excpet for PH and Salinity (Electronic and recently calibrated)

PH 8.01
Salinity 1.023 (Maybe need to come up a bit)
Temp 77deg F (Constant)
Amonia: 0.0
Nitrate 0.02
Phosphate 0.0
Calcium 420
KH 11

Fish load consist of
3 Chromis
2 Watchmen Gobies
2 Pistol Shrimp
1 Blood Red Shrimp
3 Peppermint Shrimp
3 Hermet Crabs (2 Red Scarlet and 1 Electric Blue)
2 Scarlett Skunk Shrimp
1 Banded Trochus Snail (Loves the brown algae!)
1 Zebra Turban Snail (Loves the brown algae!)
2 Turban Snails (Seems to prefer green algae)

The only other fish I will add is a pair of tank bred clowns when I am ready to place an Anemones or two but I think that will not happen for at least another 6 months or so?

In closing, I am still awaiting some serious algae I have heard about during break-in with salt water systems? So am I outta the woods sorta speak? When will be a good time to put in some corals? I am in no hurry.

 

i think it depends on if the rock was cured or not when you started your tank. it kind of looks like you put your rock on top of your sand bed and if so is it secured. wouldnt wish a rock slide on anyone, especially with the snails and gobies

 

Rock was fully cured when I got it. Looked great and smelled great as well! I understand rock is never FULLY cured but of course the Kupang rock my LFS has is some great stuff. Rocks are secured, but living in southern California NOTHING is secured unfortunately. :-(

 

You should be ready to put your corals in. You algae blooms in the future will most likely come from a bigger fish load. You will feed more which will mean more nutrients for the algae to feed on. By the sounds of it your bio load is going to be very very light. Should be an awesome reef tank. You may also get algae blooms from feeding your coral too much. All you can really do to prevent algae is feed as light as possible.

Also sounds like your cleaning crew is pretty light. I would advise visiting reefcleaners.org and requesting specs on a custom crew for your tank. Awesome web site.

 

your coraline algea looks to be growing nicely already

 

Thanks for the advice guys....The coraline on the rocks are doing quite well and I will visit the reefcleaners.org folks.

Vic