Hiya all , Newbie here and i have a question

[dankent]

haha what newbie wouldnt have a question.

My tank about 5 weeks old now

29 G tank
Eclipse 12 saltwater system
Lid with filter / lighting / bio-wheel built in.
30lbs Live rock
2 plastic long leaf plants ( gonna toss them when aquarium can support real ones.)


Anyway my question is.... I started noticing this redish brown color on my rocks which i assume is algae of some sort, what can i do to minimize this or even get rid of it? Is this an indication of a problem ? If so what should i look for. I have checked my nitrate a/b as well as Ph and ammonia levels everything is looking normal .. only thing that his a tad high is my Salt ... its at 1.025 ... and the book says to try for 1.023.


Any help is appreciated ... and thanks in advance.

 

[emorrison33]

Since your tank is newly established, your probably still going through the cycle process. It is normal for a brown algae to accumulate in the beginning, and will eventually subside. The growth of this algae (mostly likely diatom) usually indicates you are nearing the end of your cycling process. HTH

 

[Hara]

Your tank will be able to support live plants as soon as your tank finishes the cycle. At that point, you will also want to invest in your "cleanup crew". Snails, dwarf hermit crabs and things such as those. They will help keep your rocks, sand and glass clean. You might want to read up on the different varieties of macro algae (live plants) that are available for your tank. Some are more desireable than others. Your salt level is fine, if you want to lower it, you can do so with your next water change, just make the change water less salty than what your tank is.Be sure to be topping the tank when it gets low from evaporation with FRESH water, not salty water.

 

[tecwzrd]

Welcome to AA

As emorrison33 said it’s quite normal for a beginner tank, mine didn’t stop until the end of the second month and I just used 6 red-leg hermits to clean it up which they did it in just under a week.

Your sg level is fine at 1.025. The main thing is to remain consistent with that level when you do your pwc. Do you use tap water, ro\di, or distilled water? For a tank that small I would just either buy a small ro\di unit or a couple of gallons of ro\di water from either your lfs or ro water from your grocery store.

Are you sure you have an Eclipse 12 system? Those are only 12 gal systems.

 

[dankent]

On the box it says Eclipse Combo 29 Showcase system .. Not sure where i got the 12 from .. hehe musta seen it in the store when i was shopping and it stuck in the head .... heh sorry .

I initially filled with tap water but as for my water changes it is being done with Distilled water.


Thanks all for the replies ... getting snails and some crabs on the weekend i guess.

danno

 

[tecwzrd]

Is your nh3/no2 at 0 now? Make sure you acclimate them for at least an hour or two before adding especially with your higher sg (most lfs keep theirs around 1.018)

 

[dankent]

well i have managed to bring down the SG to 1.023 with my water change this morning. My nh3 and no2 is at 0.


danno