tank went brown over night???

Force4000 · 04/07/2011, 03:49 PM

Hello, new to the hobby. I bought a Biocube 14g 2 weeks ago, put live rock in it last week wed. I noted a few days ago the livesand was turning a bit brown but never thought anything of it. Well last night almost all the sand turned brown and some of my bottom live rock also turned brown. Everything is still alive and doing wee (few crabs, kenya tree, and other small things from the rocks) but i am worried why this all happened over night? Is this part of the break in process? I was planning to get fish today but now i am a bit worried. Ive also noticed brown spots on the inside of the glass. any suggestions?

pmrossetti · 04/07/2011, 03:54 PM

it's normal. called diatoms. they will go away as tank stabilizes.

duncantse · 04/07/2011, 04:45 PM

Very normal for a new tank, with time, the diatoms will go away.

brewski4u1 · 04/07/2011, 05:34 PM

do not get fish till your cycle is totally over!!!

DownwardDawg · 04/07/2011, 05:41 PM

Do Not Get Fish!!!!!! Read the stickies at the top.

duncantse · 04/07/2011, 06:53 PM

Diatoms are usually caused by nitrates and not ammonia and nitrite. If you have 0 ammonia and nitrite, you can get your first fish. If your getting corals, I would suggest <10ppm nitrate

davidgnome · 11/27/2011, 11:30 PM

If my tank is doing this right now..and i have 2 clown fish in there should i remove and place in QT for a week?? my tank has been up for 2 weeks..i cured all my eco rock and live fijji rock for 3 weeks outside of tank..all my readings are great..stable..with the clowns in there..ph 8, nitrate is 5. amonia 0, alk is 9.5, cal is 400, and i dont have nitrite, or mag kits yet..does this seem ok?? to leave them in i have just spots on my white eco rock..sorry to to bother yall on someone else's post..but its why im reading to find help..thanks

Bluemon · 11/28/2011, 12:56 AM

hmm cured rock.. seems fine but you might be having your nitrite spike right now so i would be safe and get the kit ASAP

TjwBlake · 11/28/2011, 06:33 AM

to the OP, like the others have said, it's diatoms and they are normal at this point, what are your parameters? The tank isn't quite finished cycling but its getting close to the point of adding your Clean Up Crew FIRST, provided your param's check out.
Still no fish though until it stabilizes.

Sk8r · 11/28/2011, 10:15 AM

Get the fish out of there. Your tank may be approaching the ammonia-spike phase of a cycle, in which the bacteria will reach a sort of critical mass that first gives you lethal ammonia, which would harm or kill the fish. Bacteria will increase and cycle that mess through to harmless nitrogen gas, and your tank will become capable of processing waste in the same way, endlessly. At that point your fish are safe to re-enter.
A complete cycle usually takes 4 weeks with all-live rock, 8-12 weeks with partial live rock.
Read the sticky "You asked for it..."

04/07/2011, 03:49 PM	#1
Force4000 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 156	tank went brown over night??? Hello, new to the hobby. I bought a Biocube 14g 2 weeks ago, put live rock in it last week wed. I noted a few days ago the livesand was turning a bit brown but never thought anything of it. Well last night almost all the sand turned brown and some of my bottom live rock also turned brown. Everything is still alive and doing wee (few crabs, kenya tree, and other small things from the rocks) but i am worried why this all happened over night? Is this part of the break in process? I was planning to get fish today but now i am a bit worried. Ive also noticed brown spots on the inside of the glass. any suggestions?

11/28/2011, 06:33 AM	#9
TjwBlake Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Kitchener, ON. Canada Posts: 404	to the OP, like the others have said, it's diatoms and they are normal at this point, what are your parameters? The tank isn't quite finished cycling but its getting close to the point of adding your Clean Up Crew FIRST, provided your param's check out. Still no fish though until it stabilizes. __________________ Current tank: JbJ Nanocube 28. 1 Falco Hawk, zoas, cabbage leather, trumpet coral, GSP, mushrooms, CUC Current Tank Info: JbJ Nanocube 28

11/28/2011, 10:15 AM	#10
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Get the fish out of there. Your tank may be approaching the ammonia-spike phase of a cycle, in which the bacteria will reach a sort of critical mass that first gives you lethal ammonia, which would harm or kill the fish. Bacteria will increase and cycle that mess through to harmless nitrogen gas, and your tank will become capable of processing waste in the same way, endlessly. At that point your fish are safe to re-enter. A complete cycle usually takes 4 weeks with all-live rock, 8-12 weeks with partial live rock. Read the sticky "You asked for it..." __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

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04/07/2011, 03:54 PM	#2
pmrossetti Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Cali. Posts: 3,199	it's normal. called diatoms. they will go away as tank stabilizes.

04/07/2011, 04:45 PM	#3
duncantse Fish Advisor Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 1,604	Very normal for a new tank, with time, the diatoms will go away.

04/07/2011, 05:34 PM	#4
brewski4u1 Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: West palm beach FL Posts: 308	do not get fish till your cycle is totally over!!!

04/07/2011, 05:41 PM	#5
DownwardDawg Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 838	Do Not Get Fish!!!!!! Read the stickies at the top.

04/07/2011, 06:53 PM	#6
duncantse Fish Advisor Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 1,604	Diatoms are usually caused by nitrates and not ammonia and nitrite. If you have 0 ammonia and nitrite, you can get your first fish. If your getting corals, I would suggest <10ppm nitrate

11/27/2011, 11:30 PM	#7
davidgnome Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 180	If my tank is doing this right now..and i have 2 clown fish in there should i remove and place in QT for a week?? my tank has been up for 2 weeks..i cured all my eco rock and live fijji rock for 3 weeks outside of tank..all my readings are great..stable..with the clowns in there..ph 8, nitrate is 5. amonia 0, alk is 9.5, cal is 400, and i dont have nitrite, or mag kits yet..does this seem ok?? to leave them in i have just spots on my white eco rock..sorry to to bother yall on someone else's post..but its why im reading to find help..thanks

11/28/2011, 12:56 AM	#8
Bluemon Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 902	hmm cured rock.. seems fine but you might be having your nitrite spike right now so i would be safe and get the kit ASAP