Brown Alage outbreak

[big d]

I am in my eighth week of cycling things are going ok. I guess my amonia is down but my nitrites are sky high and have been for three weeks. I am cycling with four damsels in a loo gallon f.o. tank . I have been getting a heavy dose of brown alage in the tank .. Is this normal. What can I do about it. I have a wet/dry filteration system in a unaquariam. I also have a protien skimmer which I was told by my L.F.S. not to hook up until my cycle is complete. Is this good advice?? Thanks in advance

 

[tanker newbie]

This is very normal on a newly cycleing tank , all the brown algea is called diatoms. which gets not only on the glass but on the filter intake,substrate , live rock and everything else you have in there. i wouldent do anything but just keep testing.
as far as the skimmer is concerned i heard that turning it on durning the cycle prolongs it(the cycle), i would wait untill the cycle is over, then when it is i would wait 2 weeks(give it a little time to eastblash it self) then turn it on, due to it being a new tank you might not get any junk in the skimmer right away but i would give it a little time and let your tank settle down

 

[fixitdude2001]

Welcome to the board , not running the skimmer is good advise untill cycle is compleate, 8 weeks and still have ammonia, hMM. For some reason youre having a long one. You are not doing water changes during the cycle are you? this will prolong the cycle. and the brown algea is a normal thing for everyone when you are cycling , just means your getting closer to the end this will go away in time. I would turn on skimmer when ammonia and nitrites are at zero. I would then add a cleanup crew, one critter per gallon is a good number. They have nice pkgs on this site..cya