hairy algae while cycling?!

[mtdewlover]

I'm currently fishless cycling a 55 gallon tank. It has flourite gravel b/c I intend on getting plants but have none right now. I had my ammonia spike and now ammonia is at zero. My nitrites and nitrates are off the chart right now. I originally dosed it with pure ammonia untill the water read 5ppm, that was 5 mL of ammonia. I then added 5 mL untill nitrites started to appear. After this I cut the amount of ammonia in half. Now I add 2.5 mL of ammonia every day hoping that it gets done cycling. I started the fishless cycle on November 16th I believe. Well, the tank started to get algae (brown) No problem right? Well now it's hairy, brown, and there is a lot and it's gross! What is wrong with my tank? Also I'm moving into another apartment. So, I have to move this tank this Saturday and it's not done cycling. Will this be a problem?

 

[Aulonochromis]

Do you have a light on the tank? If so you can turn it off to curb algae growth. It's not getting direct sunlight is it? What are your nitrate readings? You could do a water change and bring them down which will reduce the nutrients available to the algae. Your dosing with ammonia everyday so I don't see what harm a water change will do to your cycle.

Just save some water with your tank and make the move quick. Keep your filter media and substrate wet in tank water, it should not affect the cycle that much.

 

[Chris]

I have got hair algae running riot in my aquarium at the moment. I used a resin to remove nitrates and it didnt seem to touch it. I decided after to buy a phosphate kit and found they were way too high. I added a phosphate sponge and the algae is slowly showing signs of dying off-so check phosphate levels.

 

[Aulonochromis]

Good information Chris. Doing water changes when your tap water is high in phosphates will actually make the problem worse, so a phosphate test kit is a good thing to have.