My Water Is Brown!!!
- Thread starter aredmon
- Start date
hardcrab67
Member
Have read that the cycle can take several months. If you have lost your good bacteria or don't have enough, you can be made to fight an uphill battle trying to get it right. Or overextend your bioload, there I said it, The nasty no one wants to admit to doing. Think back to when your tank looked good, then back to when it turned brown. Breakdown the inbetween and you'll find your culprit, then you can remedy it. My only suggestion is bacteria. Add 10lbs of LS that is from an established tank 2-3yrs old and I bet your problem will go away. If its not in your water, its in your tank. Tell your husband to quit laughing its not funny. We called ours the pickling tank it was that green. Good luck, you'll get it!
aredmon
Member
I thank you for your help. If I lost my bacteria then wouldn't I be going through another amm. nitrate or nitrite spike? To be honest I can't think of anything I have done different to make the bio load greater. I have a 4 stripe damsel, a clown fish and a koran angel. They have all been in there for a long time. I havn't added anything because $$ has been tight after my husband got into a motorcycle accident and is off work. That is why I am so baffled by this because I have changed nothing about the tank. The only changing going on is filters and water changes.
ginarox
Active Member
Originally Posted by aredmon
I thank you for your help. If I lost my bacteria then wouldn't I be going through another amm. nitrate or nitrite spike? To be honest I can't think of anything I have done different to make the bio load greater. I have a 4 stripe damsel, a clown fish and a koran angel. They have all been in there for a long time. I havn't added anything because $$ has been tight after my husband got into a motorcycle accident and is off work. That is why I am so baffled by this because I have changed nothing about the tank. The only changing going on is filters and water changes.
did you buy the tank brand new, or did you buy it from an individual, cause if so , maybe thats why they got rid of it in the first place,,,, just a suggestion,,,, i feel really bad for you , cause there is nothing more frustrating then that, tried everything and still no solution... just hang in there,,, its got to get better....ginarox
I thank you for your help. If I lost my bacteria then wouldn't I be going through another amm. nitrate or nitrite spike? To be honest I can't think of anything I have done different to make the bio load greater. I have a 4 stripe damsel, a clown fish and a koran angel. They have all been in there for a long time. I havn't added anything because $$ has been tight after my husband got into a motorcycle accident and is off work. That is why I am so baffled by this because I have changed nothing about the tank. The only changing going on is filters and water changes.
did you buy the tank brand new, or did you buy it from an individual, cause if so , maybe thats why they got rid of it in the first place,,,, just a suggestion,,,, i feel really bad for you , cause there is nothing more frustrating then that, tried everything and still no solution... just hang in there,,, its got to get better....ginarox
aredmon
Member
Ok. After much headache I finaly broke it down to having to be the sand I used. I used a dead play sand to start the tank off with. it was getting realy nasty and holding alot of gunk. It also contained alot of unwanted minerals and such. I had to break the tank down and start all over again. This time I used live sand and I also got more live rock. If this doesn't take care of the problem I don't know what to do!!!!!
royalgamma
Member
what part of IL you fom ...just wondering...80 cents a gallon for r/o water ? I get mine from the grocery store for like 40 cents.....having no problems with it.
alvin
Member
Originally Posted by aredmon
Ok. After much headache I finaly broke it down to having to be the sand I used. I used a dead play sand to start the tank off with. it was getting realy nasty and holding alot of gunk. It also contained alot of unwanted minerals and such. I had to break the tank down and start all over again. This time I used live sand and I also got more live rock. If this doesn't take care of the problem I don't know what to do!!!!!
Buy a Diamond Goby. They clean the sand like mad. I think I suggested this before though haha :happyfish
Ok. After much headache I finaly broke it down to having to be the sand I used. I used a dead play sand to start the tank off with. it was getting realy nasty and holding alot of gunk. It also contained alot of unwanted minerals and such. I had to break the tank down and start all over again. This time I used live sand and I also got more live rock. If this doesn't take care of the problem I don't know what to do!!!!!
Buy a Diamond Goby. They clean the sand like mad. I think I suggested this before though haha :happyfish
hardcrab67
Member
How's your water coming along? I finally got to 40ppm on my trates!!!! You know I'm excited after a 2 months of battle. My smilies won't work but they're on, oh well, wooohoo, my trates are down, my trates are down, wooohooo!!!! Still high, but a change for the good definately!
royalgamma
Member
No, I live north of chicago by the border
aredmon
Member
I have beefed up my cleaning possy and guess what. The brown came back!!!!! I got a UV sterilizer, my pocket book was screaming no more but now my tank is screaming thank you and so are my fish!!! My water is so crystal clear the fish look like they are swimming in nothing. It is great and never so beutiful!!!!
S
saltfreak4
Guest
Originally Posted by aredmon
I do have powerheads going and I will try to pull for the protein skimmer if I cam find the money. I just got scammed on buying a motorcycle and am fighting to get it. Any thing else anyone can give any ideas with. Has this happened to anyone before?
Hey, the motorcycle wasn't located in NY, was it?
I do have powerheads going and I will try to pull for the protein skimmer if I cam find the money. I just got scammed on buying a motorcycle and am fighting to get it. Any thing else anyone can give any ideas with. Has this happened to anyone before?
Hey, the motorcycle wasn't located in NY, was it?
aredmon
Member
Just an update. My tank is doing really well. Since I started over again I am seing another bloom of diatoms but I know how to keep them under control so it is all good. Water quality is great and I only had to use the uv sterilizer for a week to accomplish clear water and the brown has not come back. Thank you everyone for helping and I wish you all luck. PS I got the bike in IL.