Brown stuff starting to grow on live rock that i put it 2 weeks ago

[hagerman]

Hey im wondering if this brown growth starting on my live rock i put in two weeks ago is normal also
will my live rock grow with a hagen aqua glow bulb????
And right now i have a percula clown a tomatoe clown blue yellowtail damsel and im not sure name of other fish its white with 4 black stripes about a inch in size right now wondering of suggestions for more tank mates and should i get an anenome????

 

[mdaniel2882]

The black and white fish is probably a damsel. The damsels are VERY agressive fish if you must have a damsel they are best if added last. How big is your tank? The brown stuff is diatom algae. It is part of the cycle of your tank. That is a lot of fish to have in a new tank. do not get an anemone! your tank is too new and you don't have the correct lighting. SLOW DOWN!!! A salt water tank is the best hobby I have ever had but at the speed you are going you are going to lose fish and give up. I would see if the LFS would take back some of the fish or hold them for you.

 

[dskidmore]

I agree with mdaniel, your live rock is cycling, which is natural and necessary, but really best done before you add fish. If your local fish store will hold your fish for you for a few weeks, or take them back, that would be the best plan for success. Otherwise you can keep testing your water and changing some out whenever the ammonia level rises to 0.25 ppm. If this is an established tank other than some new live rock, you can take the rock out and cycle it in a bucket of saltwater with just an air stone. If you have cool worms and things you want to save on the rock, keep of the water changes in that bucket, but if you just want coraline on it, you can let the ammonia get up to 4 ppm for a faster cycle.

The lighting needed for live rock depends on what is growing on it. Sponges and worms don't need any special lighting, they just need the right food. Most corals however, need specialized lighting, like T5 florescents or Metal Halides.

You need to tell us the size of the tank before we can suggest tank mates. An anemone is a rather difficult critter to keep alive, you should wait until the tank is at least 6 months old, preferably a year. Clown fish will host almost anything, including filters and rocks. You might try one of the easier soft corals if you are looking for a more natural looking host for your clown fish.

 

[hagerman]

hey

Hey thanks guys
the tanks a 35gallon i wanna upgrade to 100 but this is the first time i have done a sw and i wanna make sure i can do it once i get it with the smaller tank then i know i will be fine with a larger one because there more forgiving

 

[dskidmore]

I think your current fishy occupants are more than enough for 35 gallons by the time they grow up. Remember saltwater does not hold oxygen as well as fresh water, so the fish loads have to be much lower than in freshwater tanks. You might consider some additions when you move up to the 100 gallon tank.

You could consider adding some cleaners, like hermit crabs and shrimp, but I'd wait until that rock finished cycling.