Brown..... Algae???

[thenewfish]

I just got my wife a 38gal tank for christmas it was set up that day and the next with just the water, LR, & LS. About 5 days later we added 5 Damsels (hadn't read about the raw shrimp thing)
The ? I have is we have brown stuff almost completly covering all the LR and is all over the LS also..... will this go away by itself, should I try to clean it somehow, or would this be a good time to get a sandsifter/snail?????
...... On a side note I wish I would have been told Damsels are aggressive, 2 have already died and I am pretty sure they were killed by fish not the cycle or water conditions or anything like that.
...... Oh by the way this is my 1st post about my first SW tank so don't be to hard on me.

 

[kzlen]

Hi and Welcome. You have Diatom algae. end result after a cycle is complete. You can get some cleaners if your levels are looking good, if you want. I waited this time around till I saw little buggies "pods". just to be safe. No need to rush it in this hobbie. Your algae is perfectly normal.

 

[mlt]

Welcome to the board!!! You won't believe the info you will get from the great people here! I too am new and just learning! The brown "stuff" is algea and a good sign. Just leave it alone and it will go away-probably to be replaced with green. It is a rather long cycling period and many things will change before everything is right. Get a test kit and keep testing the water. You really need to take it slow. I have made to many mistakes and lost everything in my tank and am now recycling so in the long run if you try to rush you just set yourself farther behind! Keep asking ?s from these great people here and you will get many answers to help you out!

 

[iluvfish]

Welcome to the board! You will get tons of information from this site! Just keep asking questions.
First of all - your tank is still pretty new. It usually takes at least 3 weeks, if not longer for a tank to cycle.
Have you checked your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels? Can you post your results?
The brown algae on your sand is perfectly normal. They are called diatoms. If you believe your tank has cycled and your nitrate level isn't too high, you would be perfectly okay to add a clean up crew. IMO, a fighting conch, some hermit crabs and a few snails (turbo and nassaurius) would be a great help.
QUOTE]I waited this time around till I saw little buggies "pods". just to be safe.[/QUOTE]
I disagree with this statement - from what I've read on this site, it can take up to 8 months or longer to get pods. There is no need to wait as a cleanup crew doesn't need pods to survive.
HTH! And again keep asking questions! You'll get the answers.

 

[clint_reno]

And was just wonderin', what made you think the damsels had taken each other out?
My tank has cycled, and my first two fish are beautiful blue damsels, (with yellow tails). They did seem slightly aggressive towards each other. (But only occasional chasing, which lasted 1-2 seconds.)
I added a tomato clown today, and now the damsels have lost interest in each other.
It may have been too much fish for too little tank. What type of filtration are you using?

 

[kzlen]

Well let me clarify then... This time around it only took me about 2 months after I added my live rock to see pods... not eight, by all means after a few months its surely safe. After my cycle I bought 40 bucks in cleaners, had a nice bed of Diatom algae,a week later all dead. I tested my water before the purchase and even had the Fish Store test it. Just a warning from my own experience.

 

[iluvfish]

Well I am one of those who are very unfortunate I have had this tank up for 4 months now and still no pods.

My last one was 7 months (before I switched from CC to DSB) - nope, never saw one. But my clean up crew is doing great!
Kzlen - could you ship me some of your pods??

 

[thenewfish]

Originally posted by clint_reno
And was just wonderin', what made you think the damsels had taken each other out?
My tank has cycled, and my first two fish are beautiful blue damsels, (with yellow tails). They did seem slightly aggressive towards each other. (But only occasional chasing, which lasted 1-2 seconds.)
I added a tomato clown today, and now the damsels have lost interest in each other.
It may have been too much fish for too little tank. What type of filtration are you using?
Well the 2 smallest Damsels are the ones the are gone now.... I saw one of the other Fish chasing 1 of them around I tried to keep them separate but it was no use..... I looked over again and he was hitting him.... the small one fell to the bottom of the tank and wasn't moving.... breathing but not moving.... I took him out and put him in just a small bucket with a luttle water from the tank.... he eventually stopped breathing..... I didn't see anyhting happen to the other one, but when I found him same thing he was breathing but not moving.
As far as filtration I just have an over the back filter.

 

[beaslbob]

brown algae at the 3 week point is normal. It feed off of phosphates and will turn to green as the phosphates are consumed.
You fish may have died from aggression but i doubt it. I suspect they died from a combination of the cycle and lack of plant life in your newly set up system. One very good thing to help out your tank is to add plant life. the plant life will starve the ugly alges and absorbe the carbon dioxide generated from your future fish.
welcome to the board and best of luck.

 

[thenewfish]

Originally posted by iluvfish
First of all - your tank is still pretty new. It usually takes at least 3 weeks, if not longer for a tank to cycle.
Have you checked your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels? Can you post your results?

I do not know what kind of testers are best.... the ones I have are test tubes that you add drops of liquid and it should change color.
Here is what I got
Ammonia = 1.2
Nitrite = .1
Nitrate = 10 - 20
these are guesses based on the color the water turned.
Does this look about right for a tank that has been set up 3 weeks with LR, LS, and fish.

 

[beaslbob]

Originally posted by TheNewFish
I do not know what kind of testers are best.... the ones I have are test tubes that you add drops of liquid and it should change color.
Here is what I got
Ammonia = 1.2
Nitrite = .1
Nitrate = 10 - 20
these are guesses based on the color the water turned.
Does this look about right for a tank that has been set up 3 weeks with LR, LS, and fish.
It is no wonder your fish died!!!!! especially the ammonia but even the nitrIte is too high.
Stop feeding your fish now. Wait until the nitrIte goes down then feed only a flake per day.
Add plant life. It absorbes ammonia as well as nitrAtes, phosphates and carbon dioxide.
Hope your fish make it.

 

[rockies]

Ammonia and Nitrite should be at zero. The Ammonia and Nitrite may have contributed to your damsel's demise.

 

[rockies]

Originally posted by clint_reno
And was just wonderin', what made you think the damsels had taken each other out?
My tank has cycled, and my first two fish are beautiful blue damsels, (with yellow tails). They did seem slightly aggressive towards each other. (But only occasional chasing, which lasted 1-2 seconds.)
I added a tomato clown today, and now the damsels have lost interest in each other.

Clint,
Sounds like you've got Yellow-tail Blue Damsels which are purported to be the least aggressive of the damsel family of fishes. I have the same (1 Yellow-tail Blue Damsel, 2 Tomato Clowns) and they get along ok, only occasionally squabbling.

 

[thenewfish]

I know they should be ZERO..... I got the Damsels because I was told they were hearty and could survive the cycle....
I just got the test kit so this is from the first test, I am hoping next test they go down, meaning the cycle is almost over after they would have spiked....
So you guys believe the cycle killed the fish and not the other fish.

 

[thenewfish]

Originally posted by Rockies
Clint,
Sounds like you've got Yellow-tail Blue Damsels which are purported to be the least aggressive of the damsel family of fishes. I have the same (1 Yellow-tail Blue Damsel, 2 Tomato Clowns) and they get along ok, only occasionally squabbling.
I wish I would have known that..... I got mine right after Christmas and the LFS didn't have any of that type. I got 1 black and white vertical stripes (favorite) 2 with blue stripes down their back (aggressive ones) & 2 smaller light green ones (dead now)

 

[iluvfish]

Yes NewFish - it was probably the cycle. Damsels are known to be very hardy fish and some of them can go through a cycle - but not all of them.
The recommended tests are Salifert test kits. They sell them on this site. My recommendation would be to leave things alone. Do not add more fish, do not add plant life. Keep testing your ammonia, trites and trates. When your ammonia and trites are zero - then you have completed a cycle.
You are doing just fine with what you have. No need to worry yet. Keep us posted on your test results.