Help, my sand turned brown!

[jenma]

I have a 65 gallon hex, put live rock and live sand in to start cycling. No livestock yet. After about a week, my beautiful sand has brown stuff all over it. Is this normal? Will it go away when I put animals in to eat it? Am I doing something wrong? It looks terrible.
Thanks, Jen

 

[teen]

its most likely just diatoms. did you use RO water or tap water to start the tank? it will go away with time.

 

[xdave]

Umm, define stuff Is it like it has a stain on the surface, like the sand itself is turning brown? Usually when people say that, in similar situations like new tank with no animals, its brown algae starting do to the lake of animal waste for fertilizer. Or as teen said diatoms which may have come to the surface of the sand. In either case, this will work itself out as you get it going.

 

[lpuzon]

Originally Posted by xDave
Umm, define stuff Is it like it has a stain on the surface, like the sand itself is turning brown? Usually when people say that, in similar situations like new tank with no animals, its brown algae starting do to the lake of animal waste for fertilizer. Or as teen said diatoms which may have come to the surface of the sand. In either case, this will work itself out as you get it going.
that's right! that's right! :happyfish :happyfish :happyfish

 

[colourmop]

so should we put cleaning crew in the tank while those brown stuffs still there? or wait until they all disappear

 

[teen]

wait until the tank finishes cycling, then you can add your clean up crew.

 

[jenma]

Thanks everybody. It's so hard to be patient and not panic with this (especially given the inve$$tment!)