need some advice on algae

my 55 reef is cycling. i made the mistake of purchasing a liverock that had a tiny bit of brown hair algae on it. when i introduced it to my tank the rock completly became engulfed in the stuff....and it spread to my other rock and a little on the glass and sand. i have since taken both rocks out and bleached them, cleaned the glass and stirred up the sand. i dont see any signs of the algae anymore but this incident worries me. i have seen some threads that algae can render your tank useless and incurable. i have so much money into my tank and just want a beautiful set up. if i keep up with water changes with good ro/di water frequently and make sure my phosphates are low....run my protein skimmer...get a clean up crew...will i be ok? i need some reassurance from anyone with experience please.

 

Yes you will be fine, but for the most part, all new tanks go through a horrid algae stage... Some time brown diatoms, green hair, or even a mixture of both... Silicates and un-purified tap water are important algae sources along with a combination of lighting. Make sure during the cycle that you keep the lights off at all time and also the skimmer, although some people still debate the skimmer part... Just be sure to test you water for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate every day or every other to watch the progression of your cycle. no water changes also during the cycle. All in all, no worries and take it slow, that's the important part. Nothing in this hobby should be rushed.

Best of Luck

 

Your on the right path, you should be fine.

 

Did you start with ro/di or are you planning on getting an ro/di filter? Ro/di is a must for some people depending on where you live. If you've been using tap water you'll have to go through a lot of water changes but you'll be fine.

 

my initial tank fill up was with conditioned tap water. my lfs has ro/di for .25c a gallon now i completly use ro/di for water changes and top off.

 

Keep up with the RO. I recommend investing in your own filter that you can monitor with a TDS meter.