New Tank issues...bear with me

[btufts]

Hey everyone, a few questions on my new tank....

I have an Eclipse 6 system (6 gal), with 3 neons, 2 orange flame tetras, a tuxedo guppy, and a very small cory catfish....I had the neons only for about a month, then added the rest about 10 days ago. I had been changing the water about once a week before the new occupants. I do use some aquarium salt about once a week, maybe a teaspoon.

My tank seems to be growing what looks like brown algae all over the place. After reading a bit here, it sounds like I probably have a nitrate problem, but i dont know for sure. I've started daily 10% water changes...will this get rid of the brown stuff, or do I need to do something else?

Thanks in advance for thoughtful answers.

-Brad

 

[JDogg]

Re: New Tank issues

Hey everyone, a few questions on my new tank....

I have an Eclipse 6 system (6 gal), with 3 neons, 2 orange flame tetras, a tuxedo guppy, and a very small cory catfish....I had the neons only for about a month, then added the rest about 10 days ago. I had been changing the water about once a week before the new occupants. I do use some aquarium salt about once a week, maybe a teaspoon.

Why? none of the fish you listed need salt :?

My tank seems to be growing what looks like brown algae all over the place.

can you get a picture? need to id the species of algae to tell you exactly what the problem is

After reading a bit here, it sounds like I probably have a nitrate problem,

that is very possible

but i dont know for sure. I've started daily 10% water changes...

good

will this get rid of the brown stuff,

depends on what kind of alage it is, but probaly not

or do I need to do something else?

get a bigger tank, maybe a 20 gallon, plus except of the guppy all the fish you listed should be kept in a school of at least 6 of each species...

Thanks in advance for thoughtful answers.

-Brad

good luck

 

[btufts]

Ok...i can understand using much less salt or none at all, but I was told the guppy required a bit of salt, and the others generally are healthier for it...

I know the neons and flame tetras are schooling, I was told that if they have 1 or 2 others of the same species, then they would be ok. They seem to be doing fine so far.

A 20 gallon tank is not possible at this point. However difficult, I am trying to work with what I have now. I am new to this.

Alot of what I'm going on is advice from the LFS, which is certainly taken with a grain of salt (no discussion-related pun intended).

Here's is a pic of the brown crud. Hope that helps.

Thanks for the advice...

 

[Zagz]

Hi Welcome to AA! The first thing I would do is get a Master FW test kit incl tests for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. 10% water changes a day are good until you are able to test for your parameters. Your tank is most likely suffering a mini cycle due to the addition of all the other fish.

You do not need salt in the tank at all. I'm sorry to say that a 6 gal is too small for the fish stocking you have.

What kind of filter do you have on that tank? There are a couple of reasons the brown stuff is in your tank. Pics would be helpful if possible.

 

[btufts]

see above on the pic....

I am beginning to worry about the #, but I guess time will tell...apparently I wasn't given very good advice at the beginning...I voiced my concern when asking how many fish I could have in a tank that size (after I told them what I wanted to get), but the store seemed to think it was alright.

The filter is the one that came with the system (although I have changed it obviously since), the Marineland size K....polyfiber pad w/carbon in the tray underneath. It has a biowheel as well.

 

[Zagz]

I was typing the questions as you were posting the answers. That's the way my week has been going.

Unfortunately lfs's are notorious for giving bad advice. For economic reasons, either they sell you more fish when the fish you have die, or they sell you tons of meds trying to make the fish better. Keep up with the water changes for now. It seems as though that is algae, but I am not an algae expert, so I will digress on this and let others chime in on that.

 

[Purrbox]

Does the brown stuff brush off easily? If so it's just diatoms and will go away on it's own if a few weeks. It's very common in new tanks. Diatoms are actually a small organism that feeds on silicates, once the silicates have been consumed the diatoms will disappear.

 

[btufts]

hmmm...interesting...it does brush off rather easily...and the cory seems to love munching on it...

 

[kickeralpine]

i have the same problem as you im doing water changes daily and it is going a way day by day there is less and less i just keep the glass clean and sweep my gravel and i did cut back how long i run my lights for now till it gos away but dont worry like these guys have said it does go away on it own

 

[7Enigma]

kickeralpine,

Diatoms do not use light, and they are better off just being left alone. They feed off silicates as Purrbox mentioned which is basically any and all surfaces in the tank (glass/plastic/substrate). They run their course (eat all the food available and then die off), so there is no need to remove them. If you use something like a razor blade to clean the sides what you're actually doing is replenishing their food supply for a bit. If you don't clean the sides the diatoms feed, bacteria grows on the walls of the tank and they no longer have a food source. It sounds counter-intuitive, but the best way to get rid of them is not to do anything.