Brown Stuff? Diatoms?

[idisc]

I am about 12 days into my cycle and these brown spots are starting to show up on everything...









Guessing this is part of cycling..or because I put the atinitc lights on?

[shifty51008]

Just diatoms, will go away with time and good water quality

[Clamagore]

I'm experiencing the same thing and assumed they were diatoms. My tank is just over two months old, has been stocked with a single pair of fish for the past five weeks, and the light was installed two weeks ago. A few days ago, brown spots started appearing on the sand bed where it's exposed to direct light. They're growing in size and number very quickly, but not in shadowed areas. The rock is dyed Real Reef Rock, so I can't see the spots on it, but I'm sure they're there as well.

Well, at least there's more life in the tank now!

[mluntz]

12 days into the cycle and you already have a fish in there?

[fscmocsaj]

Is that a fishy I spy in a 12 day old tank?

[hogfanreefer]

Is the stuff on the rocks the same as on the sand bed? The stuff on the rocks doesn't look like diatoms to me. Be interested to see what it is.

[fpv930]

I agree that the brown spots are diatoms. They come and go with different cycles of the system. I would get a cleanup crew if you don't have one already.

[Bd670]

I thought the same thing

[idisc]

I can get a CUC this early? Took my readings last night and got the following:

Day 13: 12/6: Ammonia - 0.50, Nitrite - 1+, Nitrate - 20 - Salinity 1.025/26

[shifty51008]

if you have ammonia, you should deff be doing a good size water change to bring that back to 0 sence you have a fish in the tank. your burning the gills of the fish permanently.

[IanWR]

I agree with others, you jumped the gun on putting a fish in but what's done is done. At this point you need to do what you can to protect your fish, your algae issue is secondary. Big frequent water changes until your ammonia goes to 0. Your other option is move the fish back to the lfs or a friend's tank until your tank finishes it's cycle.

- Ian

[idisc]

Today I went and purchased 3 pounds of Live Rock, not that 3 lbs will matter with the 120 lbs of dry I have in there. A few hours after I did my readings for today and these were the results.

Day 13: 12/6: Ammonia - 0.50, Nitrite - 1+, Nitrate - 20 - Salinity 1.025/26
Day 14: 12/7: Ammonia - 0.25, Nitrite - 1+ or 5 - can't tell, Nitrate - 80+ - Salinity 1.025/26

Nitrates sky rocketed - I have diatoms covering almost all my sand and rock now. Suggestions? Will these just go away or as soon as readings are all "0" get a CUC. Should I do a PWC or let it ride out?

Gonna go and check the Reef Stuff Now.

[OU11BB]

should not have put a fish in there. The diatoms will go away with time. maintain your pH

[idisc]

Yes I know same thing the last 10 people said, but thank you - PH has been staying around the same.

Reef Master Results: Phos: .5 - Calc: 400 - KH: 15

[bigbpro916]

Its so annoying makes the sand look dirty!!

[idisc]

Well hopefully in the next week or so my tank will be ready for a CUC and start getting some of that crap out of the tank.

[Boston21]

Did you just drop dry rock into your tank and fish at the same time? Thats a big no no. Should have cooked the rock. Probably have more phosphates then anything if it was full dried rock.

EDIT: My bad, seen you tested. High, but not too bad actually.

[idisc]

It was taken out of a tank about 3 weeks before i got it. And no, fish on day 9 i think

[shifty51008]

lower the ammonia to 0, nitrates to less than 10, and the phosphates to around .03 or lower and the algae will die off. you will have to do a few good size water changes to remove the nitrate though i would suggest 50% every few days.

[idisc]

Day 14: 12/7: Ammonia - 0.25, Nitrite - 1+ or 5 - can't tell, Nitrate - 80+ - Salinity 1.025/26
Calc: 400 - Phos: .5 - KH: 15


Day 15: 12/7: Ammonia - 0, Nitrite - 1, Nitrate - 20 - Salinity 1.026
Calc: 370 - Phos: .5 - KH: 16

I am very confused on how the Nitrate lower shot down without doing a water change? The only thing I did yesterday was introduce a piece of LIVE ROCK into the tank to help seed my dry rock.

[shifty51008]

if your using an API nitrate test kit then that may be a reason for the big diffrence in readings, that test kit is very hard to read, you have to shake the #2 bottle big time for around a min (I have even banged it on the counter) for it to read half way decent.

[lwhite37]

any alternate recommendations to the API nitrate test kit?

[Crooked Reef]

salifert.