New tank. Forcing ugly stage in the fuge before turning in DT lights?

[CON CAC]

My tank has been running for about a month now.

Ive been dosing phyto and pods daily.

I run a fuge for 12 hours with some macro in it. I already see algae growing on the walls of the fuge.

Should I just force the ugly state to occur in the fuge for a few months before turning on the lights over the DT.

Thanks

 

[blaxsun]

I don't entirely understand the question. Your tank has cycled, yes?

 

[collins.jason.k]

I'm not an expert but I would definitely recommend keeping display lights off for awhile especially if you have no photosynthetic organisms that require it. Fish will be fine with ambient light from the room.

Don't know if you can force the uglies to confine themselves only to the refugium but it sounds like that would be where more would occur with the light source helping them along.

 

[CON CAC]

I don't entirely understand the question. Your tank has cycled, yes?

Hi

yes the tank is cycled. I’m just trying to isolate the ugly stage in my refugium instead of my display.

so I have my fuge light on instead of display lights in order to force all the crap to grow in the fuge for the first few months.

then after most of the uglies grow and die, I’ll turn on my DT lights.

was wondering if it works this way lol.

thanks

 

[CON CAC]

I'm not an expert but I would definitely recommend keeping display lights off for awhile especially if you have no photosynthetic organisms that require it. Fish will be fine with ambient light from the room.

Don't know if you can force the uglies to confine themselves only to the refugium but it sounds like that would be where more would occur with the light source helping them along.

thanks for the response

yea I’m trying to confine the uglies to just grow in the fuge.

hopefully it works that way lol.

or it might just grow in the DT as soon as I turn on the DT lights

 

[exnisstech]

Following as I'm curious as well. It makes sense but I have a hunch it won't be that easy. I just set up a new tank and was considering doing the same as you are trying. But then I bought a new light and moved a few frags over so the lights are on. I'm only running a 4 hour peak cycle for now and already have chaeto growing in the sump so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[RedoubtReef]

I'm basically doing the same thing right now although I run my light 16hrs on the fuge. I won't turn on display lights until I have the rock and sand in. You can see it in my build thread.

 

[Lavey29]

Hi

yes the tank is cycled. I’m just trying to isolate the ugly stage in my refugium instead of my display.

so I have my fuge light on instead of display lights in order to force all the crap to grow in the fuge for the first few months.

then after most of the uglies grow and die, I’ll turn on my DT lights.

was wondering if it works this way lol.

thanks

Sustaining a fuge in a new tank with unstable parameters can be a challenge. Typically they can be added after 3 months maybe 4 and the macro will grow.

I kept my lights off the first 4 months. This kept my eventual ugly phases to minimal levels and very manageable but you will still get them in your DT eventually.

 

[killer2001]

Sounds good in theory, but I'm not entirely convinced that's how it works. I recently did the opposite of this, my DT finally overcame the ugly phase and I decided to set up a little refugium with some chaeto just for further nutrient export. I put a sponge filter, about 1/2 inch deep sand, and threw the ball of chaeto in there. A week later, the refugium is experiencing the ugly phase hardcore, meanwhile my display is fine.

Nuisance algae is going to take up real estate first. Think of each surface exposed to light and nutrients as a vacant lot. The reason why its nuisance algae in the first place is because it doesn't take much for it to develop and spread. Only with time and continuous removal of the problem will the "good" come in and basically rework the area. Sort of like when a landlord evicts a bad tenant and replaces them with a good one. But as you know, the ugly phase has its stages. The first bad tenant to get kicked out will be replaced by another bad tenant, its not until months later, when the bad tenant finally gets booted for a good one. This has to happen on every surface.

Until we can find a hack that will take diatoms and turn it into coralline, essentially skipping any cyano, dinos, and those GHA "tenants"; we must endure the ugly phase. Unless of course you get real live rock out of the ocean, then all the work is done for you.

 

[CON CAC]

Thanks for all your responses!

I've seen people connect multiple tanks to an establish tank and still get the uglies in the new tanks.

Its so weird

It must be the new rock that is constantly leeching stuff in that particular new tank and the bacteria trying to colonize over the new rock that is isolating the uglies despite the tanks being connected to an established tank.

This goes to show that bacteria really doesnt live in the water column as much as it does on rock lol.

I do suspect to see an ugly stage in the DT as soon as I turn on the lights.

I plan on keeping them off for another couple of months as @RedoubtReef is doing currently.

I do hope to use the fuge to see what type of uglies I will get though and prepare to battle those same uglies in the DT.

This might be a viable method. Growing out the uglies in a fuge to prepare in advanced for the same uglies to show up in the future.

Lets hope for the best haha