Help brown stuff everywhere

randy210 · 11-16-2004, 03:51 AM

I have a 12 gallon nano cube that has been setup for 2 weeks now. I have 5 blue hermit crabs and 2 damsels to help cycle the tank. My last test which were done last night read
salinity 1.023
Ph 8.2
amonia .25
nitrites off the chart
nitrates 40 ppm
On sunday I noticed a little bit of this brown stuff but I wasn't too concerned, but last night after coming home from work I noticed my tank is covered with this stuff. What the heck is it and is bad for my tank, how to get rid of it it looks horrible. Sorry no pics any help would be great thanks guys.

Scoffer · 11-16-2004, 03:57 AM

sounds like Diatoms to me. Normal for a newly cycled tank. Maybe a couple of turbo snails to eat the stuff up. I'm not sure about water changes on a 12 gallon....maybe someone else with a small tank can pinch in???

Sco

dano · 11-16-2004, 03:59 AM

Brown algea.
normal part of the cycle. and a 12 gallon makes it alot easier to get those cycles faster and stronger.
the nitrites being that high your probally overloading the tank too early.
do a good water change, and all i can say is sit back and wait it out..
we have all been there. be patient it clears up.

reiple · 11-16-2004, 04:01 AM

That's right, it usually is diatoms. use RO/DI water for top off and replacement mix. It will die out so meantime you have to remove it by scraping the walls of the tank.

randy210 · 11-16-2004, 05:32 AM

Thanks for the heplful info. I did a 10% water change on sunday when I first noticed it but I didnt use RO water just distilled water. It doesnt seem to be on the glass too much mainly on the agronite and on the live rock. Is distilled water bad for a tank and do I need to worry about getting this stuff off my lr.

amcarrig · 11-16-2004, 06:03 AM

I wouldn't do any water changes until the cycle is complete or you may just prolong the process. Not sure about the distilled water though, sorry.

Leave the diatoms alone as they will go away on their own. Once your water parameters balance out, you can add snails to consume what diatoms are left over after the initial cycle.

Birdlady · 11-17-2004, 02:51 PM

I think distilled water should be fine. We use a distiller at the dental office where I work, my boss was also a chemistry major so we are always tinkering. I brought in my TDS meter (and did not think his water would measure as low as my RO/DI water) and the distilled water measured in at like, 1 PPM (or PPT I forget the unit of measure)