Is this a diatom spike or something else??!

[Lizzy_lray]

We are at day 9 cycling ammonia is pretty much at 0

 

[QPWithCheeseQP]

Cyano

 

[Lizzy_lray]

There isn't all that much about cyano online. I have used only ro/di water and Red Sea premium salt crystals, no water changes and I've been running my lights 8hrs per day. Should I cut the lights or vacuum it out or just leave it be? I used very good liverock that's cured, only in a 15 min car ride home so I doubt there was much die off. My cycle has been very short, I had one very small ammonia spike and my nitrites and nitrate are going down every day.

This morning I'm at
60ppm nitrates
3 nitrites
0 ammonia
1.024 salinity

 

[Mrramsey]

Is it brown or red? hard to tell in the pics. red and fuzzy would be cyano but if it is brown and rubs off with your finger it is probably diatoms.

 

[Lizzy_lray]

It's light rusty brown

 

[Lizzy_lray]

Does that mean the cycle is ending?

 

[acabgd]

That would be diatoms, especially if you're running the lights.
Cycle end oe not would depend on how much ammonia you've added, but with such high nitrates I would say it is. You can do a large water chamge or two to bring them down then add CUC.

 

[morleyz]

Not necessarily. Your cycle is over when the ammonia and nitrites are both zero (not pretty much...absolutely 0).

Keep in mind if you used live rock from an LFS or existing tank, you have imported who knows what...meaning a bloom of any type of nuisance algae could be expected during the cycle when water chemistry and nutrients are all out of whack.

I'm assuming you haven't added any livestock. Turn the lights off and when your ammonia and nitrites are finally zero, do as big of a water change as you can to get rid of the nitrates and whatever else is hanging around in the water. You'll want to continue water changes until your nitrates are low (how low depends on what you're stocking plans are). You'll probably want to get a test for phosphates as well since phosphates and nitrates seem to be the biggest drivers of algae blooms.

You definitely want to confirm if it's cyano vs. diatoms though...so maybe some better pictures in a whiter light could help. Diatoms are no big deal, cyano can be a pain.

 

[pinnatus]

Diatoms are a normal part of cycling, and day 9 seems about right for them showing up. They will probably get worse, and then they will eventually go away.

 

[Lizzy_lray]

Great advice all around thank you all!

No I have no livestock. Luckily I have a really amazing LFS where I live. They only sell reef supplies and livestock nothing else and the owner has been a reef enthusiast and in saltwater tank service for over 20 years so I'm very grateful.

Now I only used liverock to cycle with I did NOT add any other ammonia source and like I said before my ammonia spike was very minimal so I want to make sure it's cycling enough before I add anything.

 

[coralsnaked]

Good live rock well handled equals fast mini cycle. But let it ride until 0 ammonia 0 Nitrites an < 20 Nitrates. Do a 20% water change and add 1/2 of the finished amount of CUC. Wait a week and add the other half. Wait another week and begin your well planned fish stocking list.

 

[Lizzy_lray]

My nitrates were all the way up at 160ppm but they tapered off to 60