Ugly stage

[lianne1988]

So, I’ve an Aqua nano 40 ltr salt water tank. Starting out my hobby and the kids are enjoying Nemo and co.
We’ve had it three weeks and we were warned it would go through an ugly stage, is this too ugly?! Should I be worried?
Tested the water last week and phosphate was too high 0.2. Went back to the shop and they gave us some phosguard, which we were advised to put half a tub in a bag in the filter. It’s been in a week and husband this phosphate is now between 0.2-0.1 so still a little high.
Should we wait it out?
Salinity is a little low at 1.0235, we’ve had some evap this week so will top up with salt water and keep checking that.
We were advised by the shop not to do a water change until 6 weeks.
Shall I take the anything out I can and give it a clean or let the tank do its job?
Thank youuuuu - I’m desperate not to mess this up, always wanted my own tank.
Also, not sure it makes any difference but we are in the UK.

 

[UnnamedReef]

Phosphate is going to be high for a bit since you have a new with fish in it and nothing consuming the phosphate. Once algaes start to grow and thrive that will start to decline. Water change at this point is unnecessary unless you're showing high ammonia.

That looks like a typical case of uglies (diatoms, most likely). Totally normal. My tank is ~8 months old and has gone through diatoms, cyano, dinos, the works. One piece of advice make sure you're using a good RODI system and never let nitrate and phosphate stay at 0. Then dinos will set in, and you'll want diatoms back.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Just my 2 cents, but more alarming to me than the phosphate level - Your tank is very overstocked, you should only have 2 fish in that size tank. 2 clowns should be in a 20 gallon, so you cut the tank size in half and added 3 more fish. The fish won't last very long, you should return the 3 firefish.

Water evaporates, salt does not. So when the water line drops, you add freshwater, not saltwater. If you keep adding saltwater, the salinity will increase. An Auto-top Off (ATO) is a priceless tool in aquarium hobby, it will keep the salinity stable.

Phosphate doesn't matter in a fish only tank, nitrate does, so you should be measuring nitrate. When nitrate gets up to 20-30+, then you should be thinking about the next water change.

However, its always good for new hobbyist to practice weekly water change in the beginning, because new hobbyists often overstock and overfeed causing water to become foul which can cause algae problems or even health problems for your livestock.

Plastic plants can deteriorate and leach chemicals in salt water.

I would suggest to move the powerhead up a few inches so that the flow is agitating the surface, this will help with gas exchange and help oxygenate the water. The surface should not be flat.

This is an introductory article that goes over a bit of everything, suggest that you read it. Reading and research is vital in this hobby.

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium This article was sponsored by @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com. Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Lavey29]

I totally agree with the above post. Your tank will experience a variety of ugly phases throughout the first year so be prepared when you see different algae take over.