The 75gal reef tank cycle has started!!!!!!!

From reading and personal experience, I agree with Subliminal. I have seen my neighbors tank covered in red slime and algae and yet his phosphates read near 0.. we know that isn't true.. but it is the algae grabbing the phosphates so it doesn't read on the tests.. the phosphates aren't in the water.. its in the algae. That is one of the "odd" ones when it comes to testing. Maybe if you test the water from the beginning, and are super religous about doing weekly tests you will see better results on phosphates.. but if you wait until you have an algae outbreak and suspect phosphates as the cause.. the tests are not going to give you accurate results.

So.. say you started testing phosphates as soon as you put your first fish in.. if you see it rising for a while.. then all of the sudden start to fall, yet, have an algae outbreak at the same time, chances are it is the algae consuming the phosphates.

That is why I highly recommend on of those Phosphate reactors.. cheap and easy and really helpful. I am just starting to use Rowa Phos as the media instead of Phosban because I was seeing a silicate problem in my tank and the Phosban wasn't removing silicates.. Rowa Phos does remove both Phosphates as well as silicates (something you get by using RO water that has bad filters or tap water.. those are the main 2 sources of silicates). You shouldn't have that problem with your new RO setup.. so you can probably save a few $ and go with the Phosban yourself. My RO water comes from the grocery store.. and even though it is "inspected" weekly.. who knows what that means or when the last time filters were changed out.
 
Well we have bugs. They are the Little white ones everyone talks about. I'm not sure which ones they are but there there and there allot of them. I guess that is a good sign. I saw them for the first time last night when I couldn't sleep. I was using a flash light and they were running all over the rocks. Now there on the glass also.

I have a question! When do I buy and add pods to the refugium?
 
Stick a small piece of your rock from your tank into the fuge.. that will be enough to get the pods started in there. Plus there may be a few just from the overflow. You can get some small golf ball size pieces at your LFS and start making a rubble pile in your fuge to give them a place to breed and grow. Also add come macro, some of your halimeda that you got, or anything else.. Chaetomorpha, caulerpa, maidens hair, shaving brush plants.. lots of options to make the fuge a really cool planted area. It can be as entertaining as the main tank at times when its full of plants and copepods.
 
Ace25 said:
Stick a small piece of your rock from your tank into the fuge.. that will be enough to get the pods started in there. Plus there may be a few just from the overflow. You can get some small golf ball size pieces at your LFS and start making a rubble pile in your fuge to give them a place to breed and grow. Also add come macro, some of your halimeda that you got, or anything else.. Chaetomorpha, caulerpa, maidens hair, shaving brush plants.. lots of options to make the fuge a really cool planted area. It can be as entertaining as the main tank at times when its full of plants and copepods.
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How do I trans plant the Macro/Halimeda off the rock it's on and put it on a smaller peace for in the fuge?
 
Reading others opinions about halimeda it doesn't appear to be the best thing to have in your tank. Sounds like you can just pull out a piece and put it in your fuge and it will grow by reading what others say about it. Not sure myself though if that works. Never had any.

I considered this a nuisence algae in my last tank as it competes for calcium and I could never get rid of it no matter how much I pulled it out it always grew back. In a display it can be very invasive as well and smother out corals.
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Link
Green macroalgae, however, will show warning signs of impending sporulation, or sexual, events. Both Halimeda and Caulerpa bleach slightly and show several hundred tiny green dots on their surface just prior to releasing their spores. Any algae suddenly covered in these spots should be quickly removed from the tank.

Sporulation events can be disastrous in reef systems because the spores are released along with all the cellular contents of the alga. These contents break down in the aquarium and can overload the biofilter causing dangerous spikes in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and phosphate levels. The break down of all these organics can also strip the water of oxygen.

Beyond the nuisance and volunteer algae, some useful and decorative genera are available in the trade today. Both Sargassum and Halimeda, which often are volunteers, can be beautiful additions to an aquarium. Halimeda is a calcareous macroalgae, and takes up more calcium, magnesium and alkalinity than other macroalgae, so attention should be given to these levels when maintaining lots of coral and large stands of Halimeda.
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OK so I should take the Macro out?
 
That is your call. I am just showing you information.

If it were me, I would take it out of the main tank before you add a fish. I like the look of it though, so I would probably put it in the fuge and just keep an eye on it, making sure if it is about to go sexual I remove it. It may grow back in your main tank though. Just something to look out for.
 
Well I'll talk it over with the GF and see what she wants to do. I do like the way it looks but don't want to start off on the wrong foot. I think I have enough to get use to already and don't want to have to worry about the tank tanking.
 
Ashlee says when ever you want to send the money for them she'll order them.
 
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