Green Algae

[64Texan]

This is a long post and I have to apologize now for it.

I set this tank up probably a year ago. Did it all in parts and such as I went along. Put the LR in the bins and cycled as it should and eventually added to the tank and filled it up. All was good at that point and I was ready to move forward then some things happened and the tank had to sit for a while... To make the long story short it sat with the pumps and skimmer going with only topoffs to keep the water level up.

I have been doing water changes for a while now and the parameters were in line for adding fish, a fellow reefer was breaking down a tank and I got a good deal on some fish.

My question is this, since adding the fish I wondered if there was any "live" left in the rock and in the sand to take care of the bio load of the fish? PO4 tests at .25 and Nitrates are around 10 ppm and that has been before and now after having added the fish. But yet I have a good algae bloom to show for it.

The fish have been in the tank for about a month now btw...

Is the rock and sand helping with the load or not?

[Rae C.]

How long did it sit without fish? I'm pretty sure it's doing what it should, JMHO. Since everything else was running, the water didn't go foul, I think the rock and sand is still "live".

[PRDubois]

If you added too many fish at one time you could have caused a small cycle. You should always add fish 1 or 2 at a time.

[Sisterlimonpot]

+1 go slow with adding the fishes

[64Texan]

It sat a long time without attention other than top off, not real sure how long to answer the question. I did for the most part the necessary weekly water changes to get the parameters in line with where they should be.

I added 6 chromis and a Lamark Angel from a well trusted reefer about three weeks ago. I have no clean up crew yet, that was my next step but trates and PO4 have been consistent so far.