Recent content by jchuck

Brown algae is part of the natural progression as a tank matures. But an excess of algae is a symptom of other underlying issues. You likey have an imabalance between the amount of plants you have (which consume nutrients) and the amount of fish and the amount they are fed (both of which add to...

You most likely have soft water (lacks pH buffering ability.) You could use crushed coral to increase and buffer pH. Do not use any products that chemically increase pH as this is not a sustainable solution over the long run.

All filter components will house beneficial bacteria. So they should never be cleaned with tap water as it typically contains clorine, which will kill off bacteria. These don't need to be cleaned weekly; more like once every 5-6 months unless the finest stages are getting clogged. Even so...

Or over feeding.

The bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrite and the one that converts nitrite to nitrate are different. They are called nitrosomonas and nitrobacter respectively. The first one colonizes more easily and more quickly than the other. Which is why you will see within a few days that your ammonia...

The dropping ph is completely normal. The nitrification process—the biochemical process where ammonia is broken down into nitrites naturally produces hydrogen ions (H+), which makes water more acidic, thereby giving you a progressively lower ph reading. You also likely have soft water coming...