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d00kie
Guest
Well i just set up a 20 gallon FO tank. It has a 4"DSB and 20lbs LR with a Prizm Skimmer. It has been running for 3 days now and when i woke up today the water was all cloudy. Is this normal? Thanks for the help.
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d00kie
Guest
Yes it was clear for a day or so, last night it turned somewhat cloudy. I just did an ammonia test and it is up to 1ppm. I have not added any chemicals i have been letting it cycle with live rock.
marine fanatic
Member
d00kie, if I am reading your post correctly..this is a new tank set up only a few days ago. If so, then the cloudy water is normal...it is the initial stage to your cycle. Are you cycling your tank with anything? Fish, dead shrimp???? Cycles will vary in time but you can probably expect your tank to remain cloudy for a couple of weeks..at least mine did. Make sure you test your water regularly and you will start to see the readings fluctuate according to the stage in the cycle....ammonia, nitrites, nitrates. When the cycle is getting close to ending, you should start seeing some brown algae growing all around the tank. That is a diatom bloom and is totally normal. Once the cycle is complete, green algae will start to take over and the brown diatom should begin to disappear.
Once the cycle is complete, test your water and if the readings are all in the correct range..then you could add a fish or 2...start with something fairly hardy like maybe a few green chromis or something like that. I am not quoting any book on how to properly cycle a tank, I am just posting what I did with mine and I had no problems and great success.
Good luck with your new tank
Once the cycle is complete, test your water and if the readings are all in the correct range..then you could add a fish or 2...start with something fairly hardy like maybe a few green chromis or something like that. I am not quoting any book on how to properly cycle a tank, I am just posting what I did with mine and I had no problems and great success.
Good luck with your new tank
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d00kie
Guest
nope i am just using the live rock. The lfs store told me that only live rock should be nesscary to cycle the tank. Well the water cleaned up a litte today, im not really sure why but it did. I test the ammonia levels and it was higher than what i was earlier, it must be in the cycling process. Thanks for the help. I assume in about 4 weeks or so everything should be cycled. One more question. Since it is a new tank. What should i be testing for? So far i have only been testing for Ammonia.
broomer5
Active Member
New tank scenerio.
No ammonia - clear water - no bacteria.
Add live rock - adds bacteria - adds ammonia - tank begins cycle.
Ammonia feeds bacteria.
Bacteria begin to reproduce at high rate.
Bacteria bloom clouds water.
As ammonia becomes consumed by bacteria water, eventually there's normal balance of the number of bacteria to the amount of ammonia - bloom goes away - water begins to clear.
I'd guess you'd have some nitrite now or soon - then nitrates.
Sounds about right to me - most all tanks cycle a little differently.
No ammonia - clear water - no bacteria.
Add live rock - adds bacteria - adds ammonia - tank begins cycle.
Ammonia feeds bacteria.
Bacteria begin to reproduce at high rate.
Bacteria bloom clouds water.
As ammonia becomes consumed by bacteria water, eventually there's normal balance of the number of bacteria to the amount of ammonia - bloom goes away - water begins to clear.
I'd guess you'd have some nitrite now or soon - then nitrates.
Sounds about right to me - most all tanks cycle a little differently.
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d00kie
Guest
as for lighting right now i have a flourescent bulb, but my PC 1000k is coming in today. How long should i have the light on for?
iloveflameangel
Member
I agree with broomer, i work at lfs and during the ammonia stage of the cycle, both fresh and salt water setups, the water will turn cloudy...like a diluted milky color. Totally normal...just let it go and do it's own thing.
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d00kie
Guest
so i shouldn't use the lights at all right now? I thought things on the live rock would need it to grow? I have been using it around 8hrs a day right now.
kpogue
Member
No, not really. Coraline algae does not need light. Although some things do need light, I wouldn't run more than 2-3 hrs a day until your cycle is complete. Then you can increase the hrs.Your water is nutrient rich at this point and alot of light will cause the bad things to grow. Like hair algae - once you get it....well just ask a few people on the board!! Just make sure you have good water flow across your rock. It will keep them clean and alow the good things to seed.
broomer5
Active Member
kpogue has the right idea in my opinion.
A cycling tank is not the same as and established tank.
It's not even like a tank that has just recently finished cycling.
During the cycle - most everything good that is alive is in a fragile delicate state, having to live under some pretty crummy conditions - coralline algae included.
I never fully light a cycling tank for the duration I do a mature tank. Just isn't necessary - and as mentioned - may allow some nasty stuff to get a good foothold.
I keep it dark for the most part - not wanting any photosynthesizing plants or animals to kick it into high gear - good or bad. Let them all get through the nasty time period in a more dormant state ..... alive but not jamm'n on all eight cylinders yet. Time for that later.
I hardly light my cycling tanks at all - and choose to just fire up the lights to take a look at what's happening - then shut'er down.
Once the tank's cycled - and everything has settled down - up come the lights - a little each day.
That's what I do - but we're not saying that's what should be done.
I've never noticed a die off of coralline algae on my live rock through the dark cycle.
Disclaimer time right kpogue !
A cycling tank is not the same as and established tank.
It's not even like a tank that has just recently finished cycling.
During the cycle - most everything good that is alive is in a fragile delicate state, having to live under some pretty crummy conditions - coralline algae included.
I never fully light a cycling tank for the duration I do a mature tank. Just isn't necessary - and as mentioned - may allow some nasty stuff to get a good foothold.
I keep it dark for the most part - not wanting any photosynthesizing plants or animals to kick it into high gear - good or bad. Let them all get through the nasty time period in a more dormant state ..... alive but not jamm'n on all eight cylinders yet. Time for that later.
I hardly light my cycling tanks at all - and choose to just fire up the lights to take a look at what's happening - then shut'er down.
Once the tank's cycled - and everything has settled down - up come the lights - a little each day.
That's what I do - but we're not saying that's what should be done.
I've never noticed a die off of coralline algae on my live rock through the dark cycle.
Disclaimer time
right kpogue !