Question: Cycling a bare bottom tank

[chunkylovah]

I cycled my 34g bare bottom tank with a dead shrimp and live rock and no light. After a month and a half ammonium was 0 nitrite was 0 and nitrate was off the charts high. I did a mass water change and added my clownfish. I never got an algae bloom or anything. I just added my light to my tank and am wondering should I still expect bad algae or diatom blooms? Are my cute fish safe!?

 

[Dr. Reef]

sometimes if liverocks are well established and bioload is not that great there are reports/chances of mini to no cycle at all like in your case. High nitrates show end of cycle and dead shrimp for over 1 month definitely tells me that.
Diatoms are expected in any new tanks if there are silicates but bare bottom tank with some rock may not see them. Algae is more to appear due to high nitrates and moderate light source.
Fish are safe in any case.

 

[whosurcaddie]

Once the light source is introduced you can expect some algae growth, especially in a young tank.

Not a big deal though just have a nutrient export plan GFO, water changes, etc and you will see the algae start to disappear.

 

[homer1475]

Every new tank goes through what we like to affectionately call the uglies. Reagrdless of whether you have dry rock, live rock, dry sand, live sand, use a shrimp to cycle, use ammonia to cycle, etc, etc, etc.....

Algae needs 2 things to live, nutrients and light. As soon as you turn those lights on, you'll start to see some algae.

With that said, no tank is healthy without some algae.

 

[chunkylovah]

Awesome information. Thanks a lot everyone! I was worried that I did something wrong because I didn't get an immediate and obvious bloom of bad stuff. But now that my lights on I will keep my eyes peeled 0_0