Rust colored dust

[djcanis]

I know that the rust colored dust forming on my LR and on my CC is natural, however, is it due to the water I'm using (distilled tap water) or is it from the lack of a clean up crew (just finished cycling), any suggestions for a clean up crew, I'm thinking for my 30gal 10-15 snails, (? on which kind), couple of emerald or blue crabs, and a shrimp or two. What do you all think?

 

[thangbom]

diatoms.. it's perdy natural in a new tank.. it comes from the sand substrate.. it wil eventurally go away.. but how long till it go away.. thats a whole differnt thing..

 

[sinner's girl]

Why are you using tap water? tap water bad.

 

[djcanis]

cant afford an R/O unit, I distill it befor I mix and I sometimes use sart right or some other tap additive.
Here's a question, I had a bunch of the maroonish slime algee 2 months ago, I didnt change anything just syphoned it off and cleaned the glass, it finally went away a month or so ago, tanks been clear since, now this is forming, Why is that

 

[clownme]

I too can not afford an r/o unit. I buy my water at Wal-mart for 58 cents a gallon. If you read the labels it will say what process was used. The "drinking water" gallons are the r/o ones. I have the diatoms also. I know that I need to get my phosphates down. My initial fill up I used tap water, now nothing but r/o water. I put some Phos Guard in a knee high and dropped into my protien skimmer. 2 days later....phospate tested zero, so hopefully soon diatoms will be no more

 

[thangbom]

that red slime went away then came back because it ran out of food from the tap water and died off.. then u clean the tank a lil via shyphoning and cleaning the glass.. well when u shphoned.. u lost some water.. thus making u refill teh tank.. soo .. this leads u to add 'food' for the algea agin.. thus them comming back... it sucks being poor in this hobby... (i am 1 also) so.. if u cant afford as ro/di unit.. (i bought mines off _bay for unxder $150 shiped) or u can do the supermarket thing and buy it from ro/di units....