...

Do NOT buy coral while your tank is still having problems like massive algae, excessive cyano (most tanks get a little now and again).

Do not buy corals until you have 1) proper lighting 2) test kits to be sure your water is ok. And supplements to KEEP your water ok. 3) dips and in the case of softies (and stonies you don't trust) an observation tank with proper lighting.

First, the lighting. If you do not have light it hurts your eyes to look toward, no sps (colored...

The Users' Guide to Green Hair Algae
[a companion to the cyano thread]

Green Hair is actually tougher to get rid of than cyano---because it pretty well WILL run its course in a tank.

But it's a pretty straightforward algae. It loves phosphate. It grows like mad in a new tank.

A lot of new people, hearing the bit about phosphate, run out and get a phosphate test. This is pretty useless for the green hair algae period of a tank. Of course you have...