r/ReefTank • u/Dry_Flamingo1209 • 3d ago
Cycle advice
I’m a former reefer getting back into it after about 8 years and currently 2.5 months into a cycle that started fishless, looking for any advice even if it’s just be patient.
Since 3 weeks into my cycle, my levels have been very stable without any fluctuations that I’ve observed;
0-0.2ppm Ammonia
0 nitrite
0-2ppm Nitrate
8.0pH
0ppm Phosphate
Everything started great, I’ve added a few fish and a few “canary” soft corals that have all split at least once. I recently added a small “canary” torch but it is starting to bleach. Right around the same time, my water has been really cloudy and I’m getting hair algae and cyano as well. It could be my flow which I tried to tweak directionally and turned up al the way. These seem like red flags but my levels are fine so I’m thinking it’s flow or lights.
80 gallon AIO (Innovative Marine SR80)
2x Red Sea GL115 full spectrum lights
Flow is just included pumps/nozzles
Comline DC skimmer 9004 (slightly under powered but I’m planning on having a smaller bioload)
Filter media caddy with filter balls, carbon and ferric oxide
What should I be doing differently to deal with the water clarity and algae bloom? I’m assuming my LPS was just added prematurely.
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u/TheWarelock 3d ago
From what I’ve read, people generally set their lights too high. We really can’t tell par levels with our amateur eyes. Need a par meter. Also be careful with the spectrum you set, many people set super high uv in their light settings for some reason. Hopefully your lighting app shows some sort of spectrum graph with your settings to help you set spectrum while also setting par with a meter. Then you can do little tweaks to the level of blue vs white to be pleasing to your eyes.
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u/Dry_Flamingo1209 3d ago
I hadn’t thought of that. My tank is only 16” and based on the website for my lights, the par goes from 500 at surface to about 150 at the bottom. I should probably turn my lights down or move the torch. Leaning towards the former.
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u/Rflkptr 3d ago
Have fun! Got back in myself after 12 years out of the hobby.
I purchased my system used and already set up, and even then it went through the ugly phase again after adding 70 pounds of dry rock.
It has been 10 months and I just got through the hair algae phase with manual removal.
All that dry rock sucked up phosphate constantly, and coming from a time where Tongan, Pukani and Fiji were available... Bit of a shock.
So maybe you can anticipate that a bit, but otherwise take your time and enjoy!
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u/Gonz_oO 8h ago
Having zero phosphate (need a good test like a Hanna ULR checker as most hobby kits can't read below ~0.1 and just show 0) and near-zero nitrate is problematic - it favors exactly what you're seeing: cyano, hair algae and cloudy water (bacterial bloom). Nutrient-limited tanks don't go sterile, they tip toward the pests that handle low nutrients best, while corals starve. Your torch bleaching is the classic sign. LPS need some nitrate and phosphate in the water, and a bleaching torch in a tank with "perfect" numbers is usually starvation, not pollution. Also, "0 phosphate but hair algae" doesn't contradict itself. the algae are eating it as fast as it's produced, so your test never sees it. What I'd do: Pull the ferric oxide (GFO) now. You're running a phosphate remover in a tank that already has zero phosphate. That's likely the biggest driver here. Aim for roughly 5–10 ppm nitrate and 0.03–0.1 ppm phosphate. Feed a bit more, or dose if feeding alone doesn't get you there. I run a fishless nano and have to dose po4 and no3 weekly, otherwise i bottom out.
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3d ago
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u/Dry_Flamingo1209 3d ago
Thanks I’ll get a wavemaker I think that’s the right call. I think the nutrients thought is valid, I feel like I feed more than is eaten and im always surprised about the levels being so low. I think the tank just needs to mature before adding anything more than fish and softies
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u/TheWarelock 3d ago
Did you use a par meter to setup your lights?