Cycle question - early diatoms

[joeysreef]

Question on early diatoms in cycle.

So I'm upgrading from a 20 long to a 75 gal. Set up the 75 on Dec 15th
"Live" sand (However live it is I know) Carib sea oolite , 2 to 2.5 inch bed, 40 lbs approx live cured "real reef" rock brand , 20 lbs approx BRS dry reef saver tock, left over from 20 long orig set up

So put rock then sand then water, IO brand and 20 gals NSW from Petco ( in the boxes) , added bio spira. Ghost fed every other day about a smidge of marine flakes. Salinity 1.026. Two Hydra26 HD led lights, just on very low blue spectrum, not many hrs. Eshopps hob skimmer. Koralia 1500 pointed up cause my oolite (will move my MP10 over from 20 long or maybe get another koralia unk power) . AC 110 hob w carbon, purigen and filter floss and a heater No sump

I didn't test the first week at all. I should have. Test results from last few days:

Dec 24th & Dec 26th and Dec 27th all same results

A 0
NI 0
Ph 8
NA 0-5

So I had diatoms on the sand and rocks starting the 24th , is what prompted me to start testing.

That's not possible right? Cause I thought if I had 1/3 dry rocks in it would take a long time to cycle? I'm a little confused.

I need to do the other tests for you guys but they're a little confusing cause it's the Red Sea ones. For calcium alk mag etc. I will do them on days off

What do you think? Diatoms? Wow. Should I be doing CUC ? Or leave it? I'm scared to add anything since like 1/3 is dead rock and i don't think the live rock could have had such an impact that the dead rock is now cured? i'm afraid to add a CUC and harm them if a spike comes later.

**moved this question from my oolite thread to its own cycling question thread**

 

[Bogue Chitto]

You will have diatoms weather or not the tank is cycled. The silicates in the sand will give diatoms nutrients to grow. Also the light will make it grow faster. The diatoms will go through a cycle as well. You have to be patient and let it run it's coarse.

 

[whosurcaddie]

There is an abundance of silicate build up when you set up a new tank. Your showing nitrates because the rock from your old build is already cycled. there will be no ammonia spike because the reel reef rock is already cured and there is no die off from the dry rock. It will take time for the dry rock to become live rock.

Your tank is cycled. Your bio filter isn't going to perform to its full ability for about 8 weeks and then some as the dry rock matures. I would still dose ammonia to 2ppm and test the day after to see what readings you get. If you only show nitrates one day after dosing the ammonia your good to go. Start slowly though.

 

[Coelli]

Diatoms are independent of cycling, as stated above they're from silica. When I added more new sand to my established display, I got diatoms. I just set up a new display refugium that did not need to cycle; used new sand and there are diatoms all over it (but thankfully so far not in the display tank, or my cuc is eating them faster than I can see them). People just link them to cycling because they usually happen in new tanks because of the new rock/sand.

 

[joeysreef]

Thanks!

So it's still doing its thing for approx 6 more weeks then? To total 8 weeks? So do I just treat it like a real active tank then? Keep ghost feeding and change 15% water every week , blowing off rocks vacuuming sand? Keep running skimmer and AC110 w filter floss purigen Carbon or chemipure blue when the carbons a mos old or chemipure elite.

That's my plan unless I'm wrong? Or you all suggest no water change during cycle. I did this same thing w my 20 long. Just pretended it was full on running w fish etc and did everything accordingly

Also last question for now, chemipure blue or chemipure elite and purigen ? To run. Cause I've read the blue has purigen also so why double it. Or stick to elite and purigen?

 

[Coelli]

Thanks!

So it's still doing its thing for approx 6 more weeks then? To total 8 weeks? So do I just treat it like a real active tank then? Keep ghost feeding and change 15% water every week , blowing off rocks vacuuming sand? Keep running skimmer and AC110 w filter floss purigen Carbon or chemipure blue when the carbons a mos old or chemipure elite.

That's my plan unless I'm wrong? Or you all suggest no water change during cycle. I did this same thing w my 20 long. Just pretended it was full on running w fish etc and did everything accordingly

Also last question for now, chemipure blue or chemipure elite and purigen ? To run. Cause I've read the blue has purigen also so why double it. Or stick to elite and purigen?

You can add a small CUC now to clean up the diatoms and see how they do.

Chemipure Elite has some GFO, so you could run that; or run carbon and GFO separately (it's cheaper). I ran Purigen for a long time but recently stopped. I could never tell if it was actually doing anything for the tank.

 

[joeysreef]

Yeah I've always on my first baby sw tanks run CPE, purigen and ff. Kinda the holy grail of media for nanos as far as forum reading. Lol.

So when you say small CUC what's small for a 75? And stick w same? I do cerith, Astrea, blue or red legged hermits, emerald crabs , nassarius and turbos in my 20 long? And I have urchin in there also. The 20 long.

I'm assuming not the emerald crab now cause nothing for them to eat? And not nassarius cause not much in there? Course they could eat my ghost feed? Not an urchin cause not enough stuff to eat. I don't know. Not a turbo he'd starve.

What do u suggest and how many ?