Help!

[cheets22]

I was told the brown covering my sand was diatoms. It is now covering my sand and the back of my tank walla and beginning ont he front. is this normal? I feel like it is getting worse instead of better. I have been rotating the water, and my fish seem fine, but the brown is everywhere! what could I do? they have been there for a little over a week now.

 

[greatfullreefer]

Is it a new tank...has it cycled? What kind of water do you use?

 

[cheets22]

i have had the tank set up for about a month now. the water is tap water, but mized with a marine salt mix to kill problems with tap water. i have added fish relatively slowly. it's a 30 gallon tank. i just changed the filter carbon things the other day. any suggestions?

 

[big911dog]

k. first, the brown is probably diatoms which are to be expected for a new tank. ir ur tank is only a month old tho, its probably not cycled yet. there shouldn't be any fish in there. :scared:
when the tank is done cycling, and ur parameters are settled, put in ur cleanup crew and they will help with the diatoms.

 

[cheets22]

I waited a week or sobefore adding fish. i thought that was ample time. now that my fish r in there, how can I help the problem? I also don't know when the cycle is over? Sorry this is my first tank : (

 

[cheets22]

furthermore, does anyone have any suggestions of materials i can buy to read more about marine tanks, so I don't keep making mistakes. I am frustrated, because I am trying to learn by myself (im only 19) and I am putting a lot of money into it, but I want to learn more, before I waste any money. I have an extremely large interest in reef tanks