brown slime

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craig_will2513

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Jan 1, 2011
Messages
412
Location
crewe cheshire uk
hi i think my new tank is comming to the end of the cycle and iv just noticed a brown slime like stuff growing on my rock and glass any ideas what this is and is it good or bad
 
ok this might sound silly but you sy it might be bule green algea but its brown.. is bule green just the name. sorry if iam being thick. so is this all normal for a tank at the end of its cycle and will it just go away again
 
If it is diatoms a clean up crew will help. If it is blue green algae it might be more difficult to get rid of. It is normal for all tanks to get these from time to time...ESP if it is a new tank.
 
Well it is normal to get it but it is not desirable to have. What are your water test results?
 
You need to do several water changes over the next few days to get the nitrates down.
 
Nitrates are the last step in cycle. And you high nitrate reading is probably why you have the brown slime.
 
craig_will2513 said:
i was told i need to wait till the cycle has finished before i do wc.
is the cycle over once the amonia and nitrite reach 0

That is what I have been told as well. If it is diatom it will go away by it's-self. Diatom usually shows up at the end of your cycle from what I am told. The best wAy to see if you have cycled (from what I have read) is to add a few drops of PURE ammonia and see if the ammonia and nitrite levels jump but immediately come down. If so, do the water changes until the nitrate is below 20 at least. 0 is better. Do 10% at a time. Good luck. You are just about there.
 
right let me get this right once and for all while the system is cycling the amonia will rise level out then fall to 0 right.also the nitrite will rise then fall to 0 right. then the nitrate will settle (what level is acceptable) and the bacteria turns the amonia into nitrite then into nitrate. and the only way to get nitrate away is to do a pwc am i right
 
craig_will2513 said:
do u mean add the amonia and right away test the water. and when you say immediately go down what time scale are you talking about

I would give it an hour and check ammonia which should read very high. If in a couple hours ammonia is coming down but nitrite is high that would be a good sign. If in 24 hours ammonia and nitrite are 0 but nitrite is through the roof you have a good colony of BB that can handle a couple fish. Do the 10% water changes to get nitrate down below 20 and add one or two fish. Keep checking the water. You will most likely see nitrate rising but ammonia and nitrite staying at 0. That means the BB are doing there job. Give them a week or so to multiply before adding any more fish.

Man, I have learned a lot in 4 weeks. LOL. If anyone sees where I have said anything wrong please correct me. :).
 
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