set up help

[dmmitche]

Hello all,
i'm 9 days into cyclicing my first marine tank. i have a predrilled 75 gal with a diy 12 gallon sump. there is 150 lbs of sand, 50 pounds of base rock and approximately 30 pounds of LR. i also have 4 snails and 8 blue hermit crabs. my quesiton is that i'm getting a lot of "flaking off" of what i assume is dying corals, etc. it is covering the sand--the crabs love to eat it, with little brown flakes. also there is some brown algae on the glass now. finally, my ammon. has yet to start increasing, its currently below 1 ppm. is this just a normal part of cycling and should i just leave the brown residue of remove it? thanks for your suggestions.

 

[wamp]

Your a-ok! Everything sounds noraml. The brown algea is actually Diatoms. They will go away on theri own if you use a good water. They feed off silicates and once they are gone so too will be the brown algea. Silicates come from your water supply and that is why it is VERY important to add only pure water.
A RO unit would be a very wise investment if you do not have one yet. You will save yourself alot of headache and money in the long run if you invest in one of these.

 

[ruaround]

Sounds great ! The only thing I have to say, and I'll say it time and time again, exercise your PATIENCE! Good things come to those who wait, and in this hobby, better things come to those who wait longer!