rock turning brown

[jmike 160]

some of my L R is turning light brown the tank is 2 week old with some damsels in it to help cycle with a 20 g long sump & a seaclone skimmer not runnin yet
i have the nova extreme lighting system on 6 hour aday
salt level is 10.21
temp is 79.1
ph 8.0
ammonia 0.50
nitrite 1.0
nitrate 8.0

 

[jdnumis]

IMO I would have nothing in the tank while in cycling stages. All lighting off that is whats probably causing the brown on the rock. That will eventually die off in time. Everything has to read 0 before you put livestock in.

Hope this helps

All the best,

~James

 

[jmike 160]

when do i start the skimmer

 

[jdnumis]

Now. Everything should be on except for lighting

 

[fishman1069]

The brown stuff are called Diatoms and they are a natural part of the cycling process. I wouldnt have the light on for a while and I would look into getting rid of the damsels. Its kinda cruel to cycle with fish cause the ammonia burns their gills and the trites are very toxic to them. Plus most fish that make it thru a cycle usually become very aggresive and stress out any fish you try to put in after the cycle, which normally leads to the death of the new fish.

 

[CHEMCHEF]

A little fish food every other day will cycle the tank better than using damsels. Plus the fish food is already dead.
Keep your lights off.
As for the skimmer. It does not really matter. Sea clone skimmers do not do to much at all.

 

[DJYoshi]

A little fish food every other day will cycle the tank better than using damsels. Plus the fish food is already dead.
Keep your lights off.
As for the skimmer. It does not really matter. Sea clone skimmers do not do to much at all.

agreed with feeding the tank. I did that to do the small cycle in the new tank as I used cured LR from my old tank & some from Richie's tank. I fed a few flakes & pellets daily & put the livestock in after a small amonia, trite & trate spike..... took 2 weeks, but my nitial cycle took 3 weeks without fish

 

[tosiek]

You can turn your skimmer on already. You should take out the damsel because you don't need it to cycle, your just torturing it while the tank is cycling. You also don't need the lights on which is why your seeing the brown stuff.

Your reading your salinity wrong. I think you meant to say 1.021. And if its at 1.021 then you need to raise it to 1.024 and maintain that.

You seem to be steered in the wrong direction. Who gave you this advice so far? I can't find the internet article on properly setting up a saltwater reef tank but im sure someone will post it for you to read. In work so resources are limited.

 

[InfernoST]

Ammonia and Nitrites have to be 0, you will have a nitrate level at the end of the cycle which will be reduced when you do your water change at the end of the cycle. Hopefully you're using RO/DI water to mix up your salt water @ 1.023-1.025. Leave lights and skimmer off, they aren't necessary at this point and do get the damsels out of the tank before they die and put 1 or 2 table shrimp in a filter bag then put the bag in the tank, this will take you through your cycle. One other thing, if you're using a swingarm type hydrometer (notoriously inaccurate) get rid of it and pick up a refractometer (Very accurate) with pinpoint calibration fluid.