New Tank Algae

[Delphinus]

I don't think it's impossible to do everything right, and still have things go wrong. I also don't think it's impossible to not do everything right and have nothing go wrong. Or, you can do things right and things go as expected, or, you can do things wrong and have things crater on you.

I don't think it's completely unreasonable for a new tank to go through different phases. That is commonly why we don't suggest delicate species to go into tanks that are considered too new. You can't always know what to expect.

Technically speaking though, a bloom typically does indicate something is out of balance. I wouldn't take it personally if it happens in a new tank, because so many things can happen before an equilibrium is acheived, but if it persists beyond a few weeks before cresting, then it's something a little more pathological and you need to look at all the things already listed and suggested in this thread, and try to enact some kind of management/control. There are few quick fixes; most of what we do is small and incremental in nature.

RO is a fine investment to make, but if you're thinking that using RO or RO/DI will guarantee you not to have any problems down the road then you are unfortunately deluding yourself. There is no substitute for careful management and planning and load balancing and nutrient control. There are many reasons to use RO or RO/DI, but "so that I will never have an algae bloom" isn't one of them. Maybe "so that I will never have an algae bloom caused by my makeup water", but those are two slightly disparate notions. Just some food for thought.