DJ404's 80G Build Thread
- Thread starter DJ404
- Start date
yote
In Memoriam
While your tanks cycling,leave the lights off completely.With spikes that high,you'll have some BAD algae problems.
DJ404
Reefing newb
Ok will do
DJ404
Reefing newb
Is the brownish murky water because of the algae though?
yote
In Memoriam
Thats my guess.Probably a combination of algae and bacteria.
PRC
Stop Quoting Me!
I've gotta be honest, I've never read a thread of anybody having brown water...it's driving me crazy thinking about it...The brown sand is more than likely diatoms, but the water is a mystery to me...going back and reading through your thread again, the only thing that I can come up with is maybe it's the die off from the rock that you scrubbed and the powerhead is keeping it suspended in the water. That's all I can come up with, sorry I couldn't be of more help....
Maybe do a 10g water change and see if that clears it up a bit, and lowers your parameters.? Other than that, just be patient. My tank took 5 weeks to completely cycle.
I don't know if you saw Sen's post about the 3 articles, so I figured I'd pass along the link... The first article/first paragraph talks about doing water changes during a cycle.
https://www.livingreefs.com/3-great-articles-every-newb-should-read-t26698.html
Maybe do a 10g water change and see if that clears it up a bit, and lowers your parameters.? Other than that, just be patient. My tank took 5 weeks to completely cycle.
I don't know if you saw Sen's post about the 3 articles, so I figured I'd pass along the link... The first article/first paragraph talks about doing water changes during a cycle.
https://www.livingreefs.com/3-great-articles-every-newb-should-read-t26698.html
Last edited:
PRC
Stop Quoting Me!
From the pics that definitely looks like it's coming off the rock. Do you have one of those saltwater syphone hoses, if so, I'd basically vacuum the rock with it. Or if you're doing a water change anyway, fill up a couple fo 5g buckets with water from the tank, take the rock out put it in the bucket and try to shake off as much of the die off as possible and put the rock back in the tank....I'll bet that's why your levels are so high because you've gotta alot of life (or die off) on those rocks, which would explain the really high parameters during the cycle.
But looking at the pics, IMO it's clear that the "brown" is coming off the rocks, because the top half of the tank is pretty clear.
Then once you've removed and replaced allo the rock complete the water change, and suck out alot of the muck that's floating in the water after you moved the rocks around.
But looking at the pics, IMO it's clear that the "brown" is coming off the rocks, because the top half of the tank is pretty clear.
Then once you've removed and replaced allo the rock complete the water change, and suck out alot of the muck that's floating in the water after you moved the rocks around.
Last edited:
Bifferwine
I am a girl
I'm wondering...and this may sound super stupid, so I'm sorry if it does... But have you cleaned the glass lately? If there is film algae on the glass, that will make the water appear brown. Even though the water is just fine.
yote
In Memoriam
I've seen bacteria blooms turn the water a muddy brown color.
But yea,try cleaning the inside glass and see if that helps.
But yea,try cleaning the inside glass and see if that helps.
dcantucson
Reef pro
Get a canister filter and run it with carbon and filter floss. Change the media daily. It should help to clear it up in less than a week.
DJ404
Reefing newb
Yea I had thought maybe it was the glass as well but I scraped my finger on the inside and nothing, definitely seems to be the water, it does seem to be clearing up since I have left the light off, gonna do a water change in a bit, hopefully that helps with the params, there was a lot of dead stuff on the LR. I got most of it off the other day when I took it out and scrubbed it with a toothbrush in a bucket of saltwater.
DJ404
Reefing newb
Ok did about a 15gal water change. Params listed below
SG 1.026
AMM - .50
Nitrite - 1.0
Nitrate - 80
Seems to be getting better.
SG 1.026
AMM - .50
Nitrite - 1.0
Nitrate - 80
Seems to be getting better.
yote
In Memoriam
Those are definitely better numbers.
DJ404
Reefing newb
Well its been three weeks since the tank has been filled up and it looks like we are on the tail end of the cycle. The water has cleared up for the most part and I have the following paramaters:
Temp 78-80 deg
SG - 1.26
Amm - 0
Nitrite .25
Nitrate - somewhere between 0-5
Temp 78-80 deg
SG - 1.26
Amm - 0
Nitrite .25
Nitrate - somewhere between 0-5
Last edited:
yote
In Memoriam
Its gettin there.:D
DJ404
Reefing newb
Well the tank is finally cycled with a reading of
Amm - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
So I added 10 nassarius snails, 5 hermits and 1 Serpent Star
It's nice to see some livestock finally in the tank, theres plenty of diatoms that they seem to be munching on, the serpent star immediately went into the rockwork and has remained.
Amm - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
So I added 10 nassarius snails, 5 hermits and 1 Serpent Star
It's nice to see some livestock finally in the tank, theres plenty of diatoms that they seem to be munching on, the serpent star immediately went into the rockwork and has remained.
dcantucson
Reef pro
Congrats on finishing the cycle!
PRC
Stop Quoting Me!
congrats on finishing the cycle and showing enough patience to do so...LOL. that's the last you'll see of the serpent star except for his legs when he's hungry.
DJ404
Reefing newb
Well I havent updated this in a bit so figured I would snap some pics, I been slowly adding livstock to the tank. Heres what I have currently.
2 Sebae Clowns
Frag of some Button Polyps
Galaxia
Torch Coral
Florida Red Ricordia
2 Sebae Clowns
Frag of some Button Polyps
Galaxia
Torch Coral
Florida Red Ricordia
