Gravel Turning Brown!

[Chr115]

I have black and white gravel in my tank and the white gravel is starting to go yellow/brown the same is happening to the black it is just more noticeable on the white! It also seems to be happening only in certain areas of the tank! I've tryed gravel vacuuming it and it does not make any differance!

 

[smokeyjo]

Have u tried taking a small amount of the dirty stuff out and washing it in tank water to see if that works? Its most probally waste from the fish I would of thought

 

[Chr115]

No I have nor tried that I shall do at the weekend. How do I tell if it diatom?

 

[Prime Ordeal]

It won't be diatoms. It may be build up of anaerobic bacteria though. Just give the gravel a good clean in tank water, a small amount at a time, as smokeyjoe suggests.

 

[Chr115]

Ok thanks for your replies. I shall try cleaning it. It it something that will keep building up or is it because my tank in only 3 weeks old?

 

[Tizer]

Probably diatoms if the tank is that new, im not sure if you were expecting bright white gravel to stay that way under water, it would be wishful thinking. Its like expecting your car not to get dirty if you go for a drive down the motorway in the rain. Just clean the gravel a couple of times a month with a vac.

If you have only had the tank 3 weeks, then i might ask if you have cycled the filter before adding fish? Chances are you have ammonia in the water if the diatoms are taking hold rapidly.

Got liquid test kit to test your water?

Once the filter is established with the bacteria needed to keep your tank ticking over, the diatoms should slowly disappear.

 

[Chr115]

Probably diatoms if the tank is that new, im not sure if you were expecting bright white gravel to stay that way under water, it would be wishful thinking. Its like expecting your car not to get dirty if you go for a drive down the motorway in the rain. Just clean the gravel a couple of times a month with a vac.

If you have only had the tank 3 weeks, then i might ask if you have cycled the filter before adding fish? Chances are you have ammonia in the water if the diatoms are taking hold rapidly.

Got liquid test kit to test your water?

Once the filter is established with the bacteria needed to keep your tank ticking over, the diatoms should slowly disappear.

Well I'm quite new to fish keeping so I just did what the bloke said in my LFS.

Which was use all the water from my biorb in to the new tank top it up with new water and leave it for 4-6 weeks with the fish from my biorb until it all settles down.

I had the water tested ammonia is 0 and there was a slight presence of nitrite so my LFS just told me to do a 20% water change and add stress Coat and stress Zyme.

 

[Tizer]

well, the water holds nothing benefical, to thats daft advice from the start, if you are measuring nitrite in the water then my guess is you are half way through a cycle and i recommend buying your own liquid test kit and testing it yourself then water change accordingly. There is a massive wealth of knowledge in the beginners resource section linked in my signature, i suggest you have a good read.

 

[Chr115]

Yeh I ordered 1 the other day so should arrive soon.

Ok thanks for your help.