First Time Reef Tank

[Jatx]

So I took the plunge and I'm now 22 days in to my first reef tank cycle. I spent months reading articles and watching videos before getting started but have a couple questions that I didn't see covered.

1. I purchased live rock from my LFS that started out dark but over the first two weeks got lighter and lighter. It had lost almost all of its color before the brown patches (diatoms?) started showing up about a week ago. Is that normal? Thoughts on what might have happened?

2. The tank is showing signs of life (diatoms and algae) but I'm not seeing the cycle in my water chemistry. On day 12 I saw a small bump in nitrates then they immediately went back down to unmeasurable levels. Ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates have been 0 ever since. Also confirmed by taking a sample to my LFS to make sure it wasn't an issue with my kit. I'm really confused that I haven't seen the classic patterns described in every article/post about cycling. Any ideas?

Setup:
Red Sea Reefer 170 - 34g display 9g sump
~40 lbs live rock
~15 lbs CaribSea live sand
2 8x8x1 MarinePure bio plates
2 quart 1.5in MarinePure bio balls
Bubble Magus Curve 5 skimmer
VorTech MP10QDW propeller pump
Sicce Micra return pump
2 Eheim 50w heaters
1 AI Prime HD LED light

Water:
Temp 78
Salinity 1.025
pH 7.8
KH 8
NH3/NH4 0
NO2 0
NO3 0

And photos: https://imgur.com/gallery/uZYxF

 

[Jatx]

Update: The brown (diatoms?) started as a thin layer across a lot of the sand but are now concentrated in small dark spots. There are a couple more very tiny spots of algae (like the last picture I linked in first post). Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate levels still reading 0. Shouldn't I be seeing nitrates if I've got diatom and algae growth?

 

[thelawnwrangler]

you do any thing to start your cycle? shrimp piece or straight ammonia?

Diatoms and Algae may be binding nitrates giving you the 0 reading?

Are you running your lights? You don't need them right now imho

http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/resources/fishless-cycling

 

[AnnaCassandra]

It's possible that the rock you purchased was "live" enough that you didn't see much of a cycle, also with the amount of filtration you've got in and the fact that you haven't really added a nitrate source (ammonia, food, fish, etc. ) I'm not too surprised that your nitrates are low.

I'd say you've got two choices
1- safe route, get some pure ammonia (without any fragrances or additives) and dose your tank to get an ammonia reading of 2ppm then test to see how fast it goes from 2ppm to 0ppm and as long as nitrites and ammonia get to 0ppm within 48hrs you can start adding a CUC and a fish.
2- call it cycled and get a CUC, wait for diatoms to settle down and add a fish.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I'm with Anna. And I'll just add to look for surfactants in the ammonia, you don't want any in what ever you use. You should be able to find some at the grocery store.

 

[Jatx]

@thelawnwrangler - I read that natural die off from the live rock would be enough to kick start the process so I didn't add ammonia or a shrimp. I am running my lights when I'm there just because I hate looking at a dark tank. I figured as long as algae wasn't blooming, having the lights on for awhile each day wouldn't be an issue. If it is though, I'll keep them off.

@AnnaCassandra - I did read about the ammonia test. I think that is my next step. I'd hate to take the second path just to become another newbie that gets into trouble because I was to eager to get started.

 

[TYC]

@thelawnwrangler - I read that natural die off from the live rock would be enough to kick start the process so I didn't add ammonia or a shrimp. I am running my lights when I'm there just because I hate looking at a dark tank. I figured as long as algae wasn't blooming, having the lights on for awhile each day wouldn't be an issue. If it is though, I'll keep them off.

I'd keep the lights off during 1st month or else nuisance algae will take over ur tank.