new biocube

[txstatechamp07]

I got a new 29g biocube for xmas and put live sand in it. I waited about a week and put live rock in it. the live rock i got had small brain coral on it and some other orange soft coral and a big turbo snail. its been about a week and the brain coral died and a thin layer of brown "stuff" is growing on the sand.also bubbles are on the orange coral.

what do i need to do next. and how can i got that brown stuff to clear up.
any help will be appreciated
here are my perimiters.
PH-8.0
Alkalinity-240
nitrite-0
nitrate-0
Sal-1.023
Calcium-460

 

[john57]

Have you tested for ammonia? Was the lr fully cured? With a normal cycle, a fair amount of the things on your lr will die off and the brown substance, which most refer to as diatoms will show up for awhile. I would go to the beginning of this section and read all you can on the basics, in particular cycling.

 

[vishnuborg]

the brown "stuff" on your brain coral is actually just the dissolving membrane littered with zooxanthelia, the kind of algae growing in corals providing food and oxygen. Or it could be type of mysterious flatworm that are often found on living corals. Actually, I think those brown "bubbles" might be those flatworms. Use an eyedropper to see if you cant remove them, and try to post pics-even bad ones if you must. You should try to let your tank cycle with non-hitchhiker live rock left in a pile, then add live rock with hitchhikers and corals when you try to aquascape.

 

[robertmathern]

The brown stuff if its growing on your sand it is diatoms normal in new tanks and will go away on its own. Has your tank cycled already. I would think you should see some nitrates if it did. If your tank has not cycled. Put a piece of shrimp in there intill you see an amonia spike.

 

[txstatechamp07]

most of the live rocks were plain with no hitchhiker but i bought 2 peices with some coral and inverts. there has been no spikes in anything so far.
also there are long string looking things floaing around any idea what those are?