sand is turning brownish?? 1 month old

[mongaupt]

hi i did one water change but i noticed now that the sand is turning browner each day, its a lite color brown and i'm not sure why its turning colors, levels are getting back to normal. what can be done. should i vac the sand or get a sand sifting star. One more thing what is the amount of time the light should be on.

 

[alyssia]

You have diatoms, which are normal for a new tank. It will subside on it's own. Do NOT get a sand sifting star, it won't help. Sand sifting stars consume all the critters, good and bad, in your sand bed and then starve to death.

 

[cain420]

my diatoms got replaced with green grass algae ( i am guessing the green hair algae).. i am dealing with that by shorter daylight period.. cut lights down to 6 hours per day to see if that helps

 

[dr. evil]

also check your nitrate and phosphate levels. and your temp. but it seems your tank is just cycleing you'll probably start getting brown stuff on the glass too just remember to be patient and dont start throwing a bunch of chemicals in your tank.

 

[uberlink]

Originally Posted by cain420
my diatoms got replaced with green grass algae ( i am guessing the green hair algae).. i am dealing with that by shorter daylight period.. cut lights down to 6 hours per day to see if that helps
I think you said in another thread that you're setting up a fuge. If you grow some chaeto in there, it will take care of the algae in your tank. I barely have enough algae in my tank for the snails at this point, and I'm just running a tiny little minifuge.

 

[cain420]

yea... but i got to get them darn bulkheads... still havent ordered them, and starting to wonder why....

high hoe, high hoe, its off to order i go!

 

[mongaupt]

so for now i shouldn't clean the sand and i should just let this sit for about a week or so??

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by cain420
yea... but i got to get them darn bulkheads... still havent ordered them, and starting to wonder why....

high hoe, high hoe, its off to order i go!

I just by-pass my bulkheads....I don't use'em.... :happyfish

 

[symon]

mongaupt, I see you thread got hijacked and your questions never got answered!
For the time being i would not vac your sand, let your tank settle ( cycle ) IF the brown alge starts getting real heavy shorten your lighting cycle.
As far as a lighting cycle is concerned, remember you are trying to create the same lighting cycle your critters would have in the wild, on with the sun, off with the sun, thats how i do it!
Although you do have to adjust your lighting for alge blooms!
Folks lets stick to the subject at hand when posting on someones thread, Please!
Good Luck and Happy Fish to us all!

 

[kraftybob]

Diatoms are usually the result of silicates in the water you're using. Do you use RO/DI for water changes and top-offs? If so, then keep up the good work. If not, then strongly consider buying an RO unit or purchasing RO/DO from a place like Wal-Mart.
Diatoms are normal, but poor water quality (silicates) will make things worse now and down the road.

 

[cain420]

Originally Posted by Symon
mongaupt, I see you thread got hijacked and your questions never got answered!
For the time being i would not vac your sand, let your tank settle ( cycle ) IF the brown alge starts getting real heavy shorten your lighting cycle.
As far as a lighting cycle is concerned, remember you are trying to create the same lighting cycle your critters would have in the wild, on with the sun, off with the sun, thats how i do it!
Although you do have to adjust your lighting for alge blooms!
Folks lets stick to the subject at hand when posting on someones thread, Please!
Good Luck and Happy Fish to us all!
i do believe that was said up above .... if u read it.... i mentioned cuttting light cycle.. another said not to vacuum...

 

[mongaupt]

i have a well at my house and heard since i had a well i could use this water. is there any cheap ro units out there. i would rather use tap water then lugging 25 gallons a month from store. so RO would be nice. thanks

 

[scotts]

Your diatoms will go away with time, it is all part of the cycle process. Although in a week or so you might want to fan them off of your rocks and sand. You can use your hand or a turkey baster.
You also should not vacuum your sand. The basics of having a sand bed is that there is good bacteria in your sand that breaks down the waste. If you vacuum the sand you will not only get rid of the waste on top of your sand, you will also get rid of some of the good bacteria in your sand.