New Tank / Journal With Pics

[Gordon_46]

Ok well I know I started a thread a while back being my journal but I didnt have the time to get my tank up and running as fast as I would have hoped for. Anyway today I added my first 5kg of live rock. My tank is 110L and I have a sump which is 95L. I know its a big sump but I thought bigger was better and had a chance of this sump cheap. Well basically my parameters have been fine for 3 days so I decided to add my live rock today, since adding my substrate a couple of days ago I have a kind of scum on the surface of my sump. My tank hasn't got any of this scum as the water movement stops it forming. In my sump the flow through is about 4-5 times, however there is no surface movement in the sump and I wasn't going to get a skimmer, I was just going to do regular water changes.

Is this scum on the surface of the sump water going to affect my water quality?

Should I put a powerhead into the sump to make some more watermovement and therefor stopping the scum?

Anyhelp will be greatly appreciated
Thanks

 

[SkiFletch]

Well, it won't really affect your water quality too much Gordon. The only thing the scum does is decrease gas exchange. This is rarely a problem when using a sump as all the agitation where water enters your sump should help gas exchange. If you do notice you have problems keeping your pH stable, then it might be worth stickin a very small powerhead blowing across the surface, but it probably will not be necessary

 

[ox5477]

I have some scum on 55 I just set up... but it should go away once the skimmer is added which will remove alot of particlate. If your dead set against the skimmer, then water surface movement will def do the trick

 

[Gordon_46]

Ok thanks guys well the surface scum is there still in the sump but not too bad and my tank is cycling really well. I have 17KG of Liverock now and is full of life, no unexpected critters unfortunatley have shown themselves yet. My ammonia is almost at 0 after 3 days but my nitrite and nitrate are high at the moment.
Here are my test results today:]
SG - 1.024
PH- 8-8.3
Alkalinity - 13.8
Ammonia - 0.5
Nitrite - 4
Nitrate - 25
Phosphate - 0.25 ( was 0 till today don't know where it has come from)???
Calcium - 410
Magnesium - 1290

I am really puzzled as to what to put in my sump, I am going to put in some phosphate remover, I also want some chaeto and a DSB, but my sump is designed so I don't think a DSB will work. The water goes under glass, over glass, under glass. Will water be able to pass through the DSB to get under the glass?

Now Is my alkalinity ok for coraline to grow? I have heard this has a big affect on wether it grows well or not?

Anyway the main question I wanted to ask was, I bought my live rock with lots of what looked like green algae, however it is now going white since I put it in my tank, is this normal, I think it may have been coraline???

Right now some long awaited pics of my tank:

They are nothing exciting at the moment but I will get some better pics when I have more time. In the first pic you can see the green algae stuff I am talking about. Not very clearly though!!!

Thanks
Anyhelp will be ace!!!!

 

[Gordon_46]

Also today I put some ROWA phos in my sump. I have two small bags of it in to reduse phosphates. This is only a temporary measure untill I get some chaeto growing.
Thing is I accidentally spilt some loose granules onto my sump floor!!!!!! Will this matter at all?? They are just laying on the bottom, they are not being circulated?
Thanks again

can anyone answer my earlier questions?
Thanks

 

[SkiFletch]

It'll be fine just sittin there, no worries

 

[Gordon_46]

Well did another tank test today and the ammonia has disapeared but my nitrites are through the roof with my nitrates. Hopefully will be gone by the end of the week!! I have noticed brown algae starting to form over some of my liverock which I feel is a good sign for my new tank.
Couple of questions though:

1) Can I put chaeto in my sump with the nitrites still high?

2) My sump has 4 sections, the water travels under then over glass then under again, would water be able to pass through a DSB and go under the glass divider or will my sump flood?

Thanks again

 

[SkiFletch]

Not sure what you mean about the DSB, a pic or even a paint diagram might help?

Chaeto can go in now

 

[Gordon_46]

Ok I will buy some chaeto then!!!!!

Here is a paint diagram of my sumps water flow:

The Blue lines represent water flow

The Brown area represents where I would put a DSB. Could the water pass through it?

Thanks again

 

[SkiFletch]

Ah, nope, definitely not. There's a reason sand is used to shore up dams

 

[Musho3210]

a deep sand bed that small will do nothing but take up space. Use chaeto.

 

[Gordon_46]

Ok looks like it will just have to be live rock and chaeto in the sump then!!!!!! Picking up 5KG more of LR tomorrow morning so will put some picks up of it and my new aquascape.
Thanks

 

[ox5477]

the brown algae... it's diatoms and yes, it is a the first step in any new marine set-up. Will be prevelant for not too long and then as the cycle is completely and things settle out, it will dissappear

 

[Gordon_46]

Ok so an update. This morning I added a further 5 and 1/2 KG of LR. I put some bits I didn't need into the first section of my sump so that they had good flow round and through them as I wasn't 100% sure if they have fully cycled yet.
These are the test results I took a couple of minutes ago:
SG= 1.025
PH= 8-8.3
Ammonia= <0.25
Nitrite= 2-4
Nitrate= 25
Phosphate= 0.03
Calcium= 450ppm

I am expecting another mini cycle as I have just added some more LR.

I have rescaped my tank and here are some pics:

Full Tank Shot

Right Side

Left Side

Centre

As you can see I have gone for two larger peices for centre peices and built up small pieces at the ends for caves and overhangs, there is also still some swimming space behind all the rocks for hiding. All opinions are welcome.

Well the brown algae hardly spread at all and the small patches of it are now turning black???
I have also ordered some chaeto to go in my sump which should hopefully come with some nice pods in there.

1) Is it best to light chaeto 24hrs? or opposite hours to the tank?

Thanks again



O and just quickly, in the right hand side picture of my tank you can see this purply red thing on the side of the rock. It looks like it could some sort of coral or something?? I know the pic isn't great but can anyone tell me what it might be
Thanks

 

[Gordon_46]

anyone?