When to add PO4 remover when cycling

[dshel1217]

Like then title says my 140 gallon tank with dry rock (beached) has been cycling for 2 months now. Im going into the ugly stage diatoms on the sand and gha on the top part of the rock. 3 fish no CC  yet. 

Skimmer is running well and refuim is growing cheato and gha fast.

All po4 reading are with a hanna .      .1 was todays reading

I figure the answer is to wait but i just need some reassureance from the vast knowledge base that is ARC.

[eddius-maximus]

Diatoms in the sand is normal. GHA this early on tells me your rock probably has some phosphate leeching. The first year or two will be gross. It's normal.

What PO4 remover were you thinking of using? GFO? In a perfect ideal world your skimmer and chaeto would be enough nutrient export, and in a few months, it likely will be enough. For now, it isn't a bad idea to start the GFO. Take BRS's calculator recommended amount and cut it in half, especially if using the high capacity stuff.

[Sascha D.]

In a normal cycle the GHA would consume the PO4 and then start to turn white when it reaches the point of starvation. Since you've added fish, you've also added a source of food for the algae and it will be harder to remove. At some point the macroalgae and film algae will outpace the GHA and manual removal will be the best solution. You could also add a couple of CUC members to keep the algae in the display trimmed while the other parts of the system mature. I would be against stripping the water with carbon or GFO because you'll affect the refugium in a negative way and prolong the cycle. I would say around the four month mark you should see significant improvements. Unfortunately, the diatoms will grow until the silicate has been consumed and there's nothing useful that you can do about that one. 

[dshel1217]

13 hours ago, eddius-maximus said:

Diatoms in the sand is normal. GHA this early on tells me your rock probably has some phosphate leeching. The first year or two will be gross. It's normal.

What PO4 remover were you thinking of using? GFO? In a perfect ideal world your skimmer and chaeto would be enough nutrient export, and in a few months, it likely will be enough. For now, it isn't a bad idea to start the GFO. Take BRS's calculator recommended amount and cut it in half, especially if using the high capacity stuff.

The normal GFO I have used the high capacity in the past and I wasn't a fan. I think its strips too much too fast

[eddius-maximus]

Another viable course of action is just to wait and let it burn out. I'm about 4 months into a new anemone tank. I got GHA a month in and instead of doing anything I just dropped a few turbo snails in and let it ride. It turned lighter and wispier and eventually vanished.

[dshel1217]

5 hours ago, eddius-maximus said:

Another viable course of action is just to wait and let it burn out. I'm about 4 months into a new anemone tank. I got GHA a month in and instead of doing anything I just dropped a few turbo snails in and let it ride. It turned lighter and wispier and eventually vanished.

Yeap I did the same thing on my last tank after I had a GHA after a tank move. I love turbos.

[Timfish]

I wouldn't use it while cycling.  once a system is mature you might use it if you're feeding a lot and PO4 is climping above .5 mg/l.  Keep in mind PO4 defciency can really screw up phototrophs (animals with zooxanthellae).

[dshel1217]

Just to add a update. After posting this I got really busy at work and with the holidays. So I did nothing outside of the normal 15% water change. Now 90% is gone and the last bit is brown and not looking to hot.

 

[+Dogfish]

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