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Tank size: 2.5 gallon glass tank (from Petco)
Substrate: CaribSea Aragonite Aquarium Sand
Water: RO/DI with Instant Ocean Sea Salt (1.010)
Filter: Powkoo Aquarium Sponge Filter (from amazon)
Air Pump: Hygger 1.5 Watt Air Pump (from amazon)
Lighting: Um... Don't remember what it is, but it is a plant led light. (from amazon)
Decoration: Dragon Stone, broken into pieces (soaked for days and brushed many times to get clean)
Other Stuff: Seachem Prime and Stability
Food: Pure Hawaiian Spirulina Powder (for cycling and eventual feedings, if needed)
Test Kit: API Saltwater Master Test Kit
Lid: Some random piece of acrylic I had
Inhabitants: none (eventually a nerite snail and of course, lots of opae ula)

I started the tank earlier this month, but it was a sloppy attempt (forgot to feed tank, forgot to use stability for 7 days, and no test kit). Now that I do have my test kit and filter, I feed and test every other day. I am also doing the Seachem Stability 7 day dosing. On the 23rd I noticed some brown algae on the glass (which happens to be the day after I added the new sponge filter to the tank). Two days after, it looked like the algae was starting to go green then I thought today it was going brown again. But I was wrong. It was the purple emitting plant light that made the green look brown.

Yesterday my test results were:
ph: 8.2
Ammonia: 1.0 ppm (steady for the last 4 days)
Nitrite: 0 ppm (have not seen this move yet)
Nitrate: somewhere between 0 and 5 ppm (steady for last 4 days)

I am a bit puzzled why I am not finding a nitrite reading. I think maybe the Stability is making things strange? I have a few more days to dose left then maybe I can see how the test results are without it.

I have wanted opae ula for many years and I am excited to get a tank started. I still feel weird about being excited about having algae and an aged looking tank.

Nice. Purple light always turned on?

Welcome to the forum. Algae looks like it coming along great.

The light is on a timer for 8 hours a day. I should probably add white lights to balance the look right? Will shrimps freak out that their sun is purple? lol

Owlbit wrote: ↑28 Jun 2019 17:05 The light is on a timer for 8 hours a day. I should probably add white lights to balance the look right? Will shrimps freak out that their sun is purple? lol

I doubt it. Most aquatic creatures don't care too much much about the light source. But who knows.

Welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing your tank! It looks great and the algae is growing i see... dont worry about the light.. its mostly to get algae growing and you seem to have that anyway.

Keep up up to date with your progress!

Finally seeing a Nitrite reading of 0.25 today. Ammonia dropped to 0 and Nitrate still sitting somewhere between 0-5. Algae film continues to grow on every surface, a darker green each day. I am getting excited I should have some shrimps soon. I should wait for the nitrite to hit 0?

I would wait for the Nitrite to reach zero because it wont take long and you have waited this long already... If you dont wish to wait you can get shrimp now but you must monitor your water parameters closely and be prepared to do water changes if needs be.

Well.... I got a nerite snail. I probably should have resisted, but I couldn't. He does not have the prettiest shell, but he makes it up with spunk. So I brought him home and drip acclimated him to his new tank water (since he came from a freshwater tank). Not once during the process as I raised the salinity did he hide in his shell. His little mouth was trying to find food while he sped around his container. When finally got into the tank, he just started eating. I am surprised he hasn't exploded yet. The picture below you might be able to see some bare spots on the edges of the rock he is near. He seems to be loving it. Oh, one crazy thing I found out was.... my tank water is actually GREEN! I guess all those spirulina feedings (for cycling the tank) have made the water tinted

Owlbit wrote: ↑02 Jul 2019 23:39 Well.... I got a nerite snail. I probably should have resisted, but I couldn't. He does not have the prettiest shell, but he makes it up with spunk. So I brought him home and drip acclimated him to his new tank water (since he came from a freshwater tank). Not once during the process as I raised the salinity did he hide in his shell. His little mouth was trying to find food while he sped around his container. When finally got into the tank, he just started eating. I am surprised he hasn't exploded yet. The picture below you might be able to see some bare spots on the edges of the rock he is near. He seems to be loving it.
tank_20190702a_thumb2.JPG

Oh, one crazy thing I found out was.... my tank water is actually GREEN! I guess all those spirulina feedings (for cycling the tank) have made the water tinted

Congrats on the nerite!

I don't think it's the spirulina. Could it be regular algae!?