Macro algae during cycling

[Anemesis]

Some of my friends are amazed that my cycle don't last that long. One little trick is that i put macro algae into my refugium while the cycle is being done.

It helps regulate the spikes of nitrates , phosphates and grow instead of diatoms ( which still grows) but at a smaller rate. I use different macro but the Cheato is very good if you don't want caulerpa. I have caulerpa prolifera which is less of a problem than most.

If you don't have a refugium put it directly into the main tank ; you can always discard it after if you don't make a fuge afterwards. hope it helps some starters.

[JUNBUG361]

Good advice. Where did you find that out?

[Anemesis]

Good advice. Where did you find that out?


I just did it, lol i when i saw phosphate and nitrate spikes that was my thinking; put algae that i want later in the tank and let it suck up the nutrients instead of diatoms and other nuisance algae. And it worked.

[thirsty saltine]

Yup I did the same thing, Cheato and Mangroves were in the tank since a few days into the cycle and it didn't last long at all.

[Anemesis]

Today i was actually realizing that my initial macro algae had doubled in size, all of them . And my Po4 was near 0 , i'm still cycling to be sure i'm just one month in the process but already the tank seems to stabilize . Got a bullet gobie in , an urchin and some gorgonian .