Water Turning Yellowish

kengaroo

kengaroo

Member
I started my tank exactly 2 weeks ago. I have 46 gallon tank with 40lbs of live sand and 36lbs of live rocks. I started realizing that my water is started to turn yellow. I believe that it is coming from the live rocks because when I brought the rocks home in a bucket, I realized that the water in the bucket is light brown. I did some water test and it looks like my tank has not started cycling yet. My amonia level barely moved up after 1 week. I did another test yesterday and the amonia, nitrate, nitrite is close to 0, my PH is 8.2. My water temperature is set to 79 degrees.
Should I be worry about the yellowish water and should I do anything about it since my tank is still cycling? Also based on my test results, should I assume that the nitrogen cycle did not start yet? I don't think it is possible that the whole cycle completed in less than 2 weeks.
 
pitbull01

pitbull01

Active Member
I wouldn't worry, maybe one of the fish peed.
lol. Just kidding there, but is it possible that the light bulb is going bad? I have heard from some people that when ammonia gets high-the water turns yellow-I really wouldn't worry...
 
T

thomas712

Guest
Run a fresh batch of carbon and then change it out for another fresh batch in 24 hours or 48 hours for the week and that should help.
I wonder if you had some flatworms on the rock and they died off on the way home. Or it could be die off from the rock, hard to tell since I'm not there.
Plenty of live rock and live sand can help cut a cycle down, but I would think you would have seen at least some rise in ammonia and nitrites.
My suggestion would be to challange the cycle by placing a cocktail shrimp in the tank for a few days.
Thomas
 
kengaroo

kengaroo

Member
Where do I add the carbon? I have a wet/dry Pro Clear Aquatic Systems filter. I was told that the live rocks are partially cured. It had a bit of black spots on the rock that rubs off. I am surprised that with all the live rock and live sand my ammonia level did not jump yet after 2 weeks. The only thing I added to the water is some water treatment. I wonder if that delayed the cycle. I just dumped a shrimp in the tank. I assume an uncook shrimp will do.
 
T

thomas712

Guest
I usually place the carbon in a fine mesh bag, and put it in a high flow area of my sump, or I just drag out my canister filter.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top