Help!! I'm new to this site and new to saltwater tanks

[imustbenuts]

Hello!

I started my tank about a month ago. I converted a freshwater tank. First, I cleaned out everything. Then, I threw away the little rocks on the bottom and replaced it with caribsea aragonite. Next, I added my water and chlorine remover/stress coat and mixed in instant ocean to the correct level. I waited a couple days before going down to the local pet shop that speacializes is saltwater, or so they say, and picked up a few live rocks and introduced them to the tank. After that, I picked up a few damsils to see how it went. Everything seemed ok so I added a clown fish, another damsil, and some more live rock to create a reef. The new live rock was very rich. It had puple growth on it. At least that is what the guy said. Anyway, I have now noticed my live rock turning brown. even the rock that didn't have much of anything on it is now turning brown. It looks like it kind of a furry growth. It is tranfering to the argonite bottom as well and I've lost one of the damsils.

Does anyone have a clue what the brown growth might be????????

 

[StrongBad]

Did you lwt your tank go through a cycle? If not then the stress on the fish from the ammonia or nitrites is probably what killed them,
As for the dying live rock, do you have any high output lighting, Ie... compact flourescent or metal halide?
Lastly, the brown stuff is probably a common algae bloom that most new tanks get. (the brown cycle) Do you use any kind of purified water? THe best kind is Reverse osmosis/distilled water. Regular tap water can have all kinds of contaminates as well as stuff the algae love to eat.

 

[imustbenuts]

Did you lwt your tank go through a cycle? If not then the stress on the fish from the ammonia or nitrites is probably what killed them,
As for the dying live rock, do you have any high output lighting, Ie... compact flourescent or metal halide?
Lastly, the brown stuff is probably a common algae bloom that most new tanks get. (the brown cycle) Do you use any kind of purified water? THe best kind is Reverse osmosis/distilled water. Regular tap water can have all kinds of contaminates as well as stuff the algae love to eat.

I would appear I ran before I learned how to walk.

I didn't know how to cycle the thing until I started reading some threads on this site today.

I just purchased a high output light last weekend. It is a combo blue and white.

No purified water just strait from the tap

This brown cycle, how do I get rid of it or contain it??????

 

[imustbenuts]

On another thread I found this after cycling of a tank.

(You will most likely see an explosion of a fine brown algea also known as Diatoms, at this point you can go ahead and add some snails and hermits to help contain that.)

Are snails and hermits the best. If so, how many of each? I have a 29 gal tank.

 

[Fluff]

You could add about a dozen blueleg hermits and a dozen astrea snails to help clean up the diatoms. Be sure to buy extra shells for your hermits to grow into or they will kill your snails and steal their shells. A dozen may or may not be enough to control your algae but you can always add to that if you need to.

 

[austinsdad]

Are you testing your water thru these additions of rock? Maybe you had a cycle after a cycle since you added more rock later.

Everything seemed ok so I added a clown fish, another damsil, and some more live rock

Wondering how your ammonia and nitrate readings did after added fish and live rock.

See if your LFS sells RO/DI water until you can maybe get a water maker on your own. Phospates or other bad stuff from tap water can keep your algae problem around.

What size tank and what are your goals for inhabitants? Reef, I presume. And how long are your lights on? Try for 10 hrs max. Feed sparingly too. Try Robert Fenner's "Conscientious Marine Aquarist" for some good backgorund info on SW fish keeping.

And most of all, WELCOME TO AA!!

Do some reading and hang around here for a bit. These folks will getcha on the right track. Oh yeah, and dos eome reading.

Good luck.

 

[morbie]

sorry for hijacking this thread..but i've started my tank 1 week ago.
With started i mean i have ro water in it and added the salt. Thing is.. when i check with the hydrometer it says the saltlvls are still too low. Although i added 2 kg's of reefcrystal to my 15 gl tank.
Should i add 10% of new ro water weekly already? Or is this of no use untill i really start cycling this tank?
sorry again for hijacking this thread
Welcome btw and start reading alot before jumping into this hobby