New tank syndrome in an addition?

[reefermadness]

Originally Posted by Myka

Explaining algae with NTS is a crock imo. The only algae that should be expected is diatoms. Anything else is a nutrient problem. Do you have GFO? Have you tested nitrate and phosphate? If so, which kits, what readings?

I agree that it's not NTS or a "cycle". But I don't agree that it has to be a nutrient problem. I have done this a few times and what I notice is that when adding a new brightly light frag tank to an existing system, you will get algae in the frag tank for months till the new surfaces get coralline and bacteria coated.

In fact I just did the same thing again about a month ago....and my frag tank is growing algae like no ones business....yet my display is awesome with not a sign of algae and 0.00ppm p04 on a hanna in the system. I know I don't have a nutrient problem.

This can be explained by my above statement about new surfaces and also the fact that I have many algae eating inhabitants in the display tank and none in the frag tank.

People say if you can grow algae you have a nutrient problem.....which you may but it's not a very good sign. Many algae's (especially macro algae such as hair, cheato, clalurpa and bubble) need very little nutrients to grow. Think of awesome tanks with refugiums loaded with algae.

Micro alage like diatoms should never be an on going problem.

I say you manually clean for now and add some fish or snails if you can. It should get better in time. It's good to run the tank for a few months with nothing in it and the light on it.