If I could do it all over I would but...

[Reese]

I would have done a hell of a lot of research first.

OK, here's the problem:

I started a 29 gal. tank with the intent on doing a freshwater tank. But I got ambitious and switched over to a SW tank shortly after filling the tank with water.

I was using a trickle filter (purchased for the fw tank) and started to cycle with damsels. Had I know that I could have cycled fishless I probably would have done so but anyway...

After two and a half weeks of running it this way and adding some LR, I bought a wet/dry and switched over. I took the bio wheel out of the original filter and put it below the bio balls on the new w/d.

So I've had the new filter up and running for about 2 weeks now. There are 5 damsels in the tank, a few snails/hermit crabs and about 25 lbs. of LR with a 2 1/2" sand bed (live sand with crushed coral stuff). My readings have been wierd. Right now I'm still showing .25 ammonia and a high nitrite spike and my nitrates are also moderately high. Recently I've noticed a green/brown/rust powder on the tops of the LR and some of the sand.

Like I said, if I'd planned to do a SW tank from the get go, there wouldn't be anything but LR, sand, water a few dead shrimp in the tank right now with the wet/dry running from the start. The tank would also be larger as I'm learning that I'm limited in the fish I'd like to stock the tank with. But since I took the bonehead route here, any help is greatly appreciated. What do you make of where I am in the cycle. I've done a few 15% water changes which I know probably have extended the time until the tank is cycled but I felt bad for the damsels.

And what is the brown algae? I don't think I have any sand that would have silicates in it...

Thanks.

 

[seaham358]

Diatom algae is part of the cycle process and should go away on its own.
Any way to take some of the fish out? And back to the LFS?
A low amm and high nitrite is normal( at least thats what I had for a while) The high nitrate is strange. How old are the test kits. Any chance to have the LFS check the water also.

 

[EJS4]

High Nitrate readings can be caused by a high nitrite reading. As your nitrite reading drops so should the nitrate.

 

[Reese]

Diatom algae is part of the cycle process and should go away on its own.
Any way to take some of the fish out? And back to the LFS?
A low amm and high nitrite is normal( at least thats what I had for a while) The high nitrate is strange. How old are the test kits. Any chance to have the LFS check the water also.

Thanks.

At what point in the cycle does diatom algae generally appear? In other words, how close would anyone guess that I am to being fully cycled?

I'll have a LFS check my water and I already planned on bringing the damsels back as I really don't want to start off with that aggressive of a fish. Although I really like my black and white striped damsel.

 

[Reese]

High Nitrate readings can be caused by a high nitrite reading. As your nitrite reading drops so should the nitrate.

thanks...