Some Sort of Alage???

Usually when you finish your cycle you can start your weekly/bi-weekly water changes...

 

Here is the short story to it:

You start with your new tank, toss in all the LR and LS that you want. Start your cycle by your preferred method. Toss in a dead piece of shrimp, wait 2 weeks and put in damsels, (or my choice) toss in 1/2 cup of pure ammonia. You should see the NH3 levels in the dark green zone, then your NO2 should be low, and your NO3 should be low. The next week or two, you should see the NH3 drop slightly, and see your NO2 jump high with NO3 still being fairly low. This is where people usually say "oh my tank is cycled because it's been 2-3 weeks and my NO3 is low in the 20ppm range." This is when you start seeing diatoms and algae starting to form. Your NO3 will jump up significantly (usually in the 40+ppm range) and you will see the dreaded diatom bloom. This is when you generally add your cycle fish. Your NH3 and NO2 levels will have dropped (making it safer for the hardy fish), as well as your NO3. The diatoms and algae will be eating up the NO3. After a month of this, your tank's biological system will have caught up and naturally lower the NO3, this is where the diatoms and algae will die off naturally. Test your parameters again, you should have near zero NH3 and NO2, and <20ppm on NO3. Give another week and your NO3 levels should be in the 10ppm range, this is when you want to do your water change and siphon out the dead diatoms and algae. Typically it takes a couple months, but will vary depending on tank size, the larger the tank is, the longer it takes. I think Otty stated in his 265G tank build that he let it cycle for 4-6 months or so? I let my 150G run for 6 months before I put my first fish in. The key to success in this hobby is to be patient and not say "what will shaving off a week hurt?" It's better to give an extra week than to take it. Imagine if you had to get your house fumigated for pests, would YOU want to move back in a week sooner than what the extermintor deems as safe? Personally, I would take an extra week from what he told me just to be on the safe side.