HELP ROCKS/SAND TURNING A FUNNY COLOUR

[160mgzr]

I set up my marine tank 2 weeks ago and today have noticed that some of the sand and some of the ocean rock has gone a brownish colour in places seems to be more at the front of the tank, does anybody know what this is? is this normal in a new set up?

i have checked the ph and it reads 8.2 and ammonia which reads 0.25, am wondering if it has something to do with ammonia still being present.

Cheers Folks

 

[Max]

its just alge, pictures of it... i dont know what else it could be what kind of lighting do you have?

 

[Navarre]

Diatoms.
Its a type of algea and usually the first to appear in a new tank.
Nothing to worry about as it merely is feeding on silicates in the sand (i hope you havent used play sand as its made of silicate ). Once the silicates are used up it will dissapear.
Then of course it makes way for other types of algea.. cyano, hair algea etc. These usually appear soon after this is because for a while the water is not well balanced so algea blooms will unfortunately occur.

Once these diatoms go, you need to find something that will outcompete other algeas so they wont get a holdin the tank. Coraline algea, caulerpa etc are ways of doing this.

 

[160mgzr]

Just 2 standard 25 watt bulbs interpet triton for freshwater and marine, would the algae start build up that quick the tank has only been running for 2 weeks.

 

[Navarre]

Yep it can build that quick. It can even start within 24 hours.

Nothing to worry about, its the sign of a naturally cycling tank. B)

 

[spanair]

Yep just normal that , first you will get a small algae bloom, then probably a copepod bloom. Then more green algae which will fade and then the worst red algae comes in, at least thats the way mines did. So yours might go a smiliar way. All normal though.

 

[ostrow]

Probably diatoms if brown. Hope you have a good cleanup crew (one snail/crab per gallon and a variety at that). You will get cyano too probably.

 

[sigma]

is it safe to add the entire cleanup crew into the tank at 2 weeks into the start of it?

 

[ostrow]

If your live sand and live rock are in, yes. You need to seed the sandbed ASAP, as well.

 

[sigma]

i thought that it was best to wait until after you cyle to add the cleanup crew.

 

[Max]

im gunna add mine to the 75G a week after i add the live rock...

 

[bgraber]

Hmm, "seeding" the sand bed might not be a bad idea.. If the rock has alot of "curing" to do, then it's probably not wise to add many invertebrates.. Although many of them are the hardiest of animals and could survive a nuclear assault.

 

[Max]

Hmm, "seeding" the sand bed might not be a bad idea.. If the rock has alot of "curing" to do, then it's probably not wise to add many invertebrates.. Although many of them are the hardiest of animals and could survive a nuclear assault.

not if i was making the bombs...

 

[spanair]

Hmm, "seeding" the sand bed might not be a bad idea.. If the rock has alot of "curing" to do, then it's probably not wise to add many invertebrates.. Although many of them are the hardiest of animals and could survive a nuclear assault.

not if i was making the bombs...