My tank having bacteria and how to tell

[Aquaking]

I've had my 75 gallon tank running since late August I also had some damsels in it with all died, I don't know why, but my LFS told me to use Nitromax and do water changes, well going back before I put anything in it I just let it run for about a month and brown & green stuff start appearing in my sand well I'm sure its some type of alge then all these white things start showing up all over my tank and little organizimes start showing up on my glass well I searched the Internet and come to findout their copods and they can be good for your tank but a nusince so I went out and bought 2 mexican turbo snails, 4 bumble bee snails and 4 peppermint shrimp and the copods start to disappear but they arent cleaning the sand but I'm gonna buy a Dwarf Cerith because I heard they get down in the sand and eat that alge, but I'm holding off buying any fish because I want my tank to mature and be well established before I add anything, so my question is when is it that you know your tank is mature enough to start adding fish where they and the Inverts have enough bacteria ?

 

[Frick]

The algae you are getting is diatomic algae. It is almost certain it will happen in new aquariums but once the bacteria gets more established in the system it will go away. Unless something happens to cause the bacteria die off, like too large of a water change, anything to cause an ammonia spike, cleaning your biological filtration with freshwater, etc. When the algae goes away, i would test your ammonia and nitrites. If they are both zero then you can slowly add fish again.

 

[Aquaking]

So in other words what your saying is there isn't really anything for me to worry about and so I was going to purchase a Dwarf Cerith




should I still get it or not ?

 

[Frick]

Yeah i wouldn't worry. Sounds like the tank is just going threw it's new aquarium stages. Ceriths are pretty tough, i would get a few. Couldn't hurt.

 

[Aquaking]

cool

 

[Aquaking]

I made a trip to my LFS today and got water test done and my LFS guy told me that I need more movement in my tank because my ammonia levels where where hign do to the brown slime in my tank so I ordered another canister filter and I'm going to also buy a couple Cerith Snail's also.

 

[kschweer]

If you can post some specifics of your system. Like filtration, flow, etc. it will make it easier for people to offer suggestions to help. The more info the better. Someone here will be able to help.

 

[Frick]

If you don't have any power heads you might want to think about investing in those. Koralias are fairly inexpensive and can give you some great water flow.

 

[Aquaking]

Yea I have 2 powerheads but after talking to my guy at my LFS and showing him a pic of my tank he suggested that I purchase another canister filter where I would be running 2 canister filters and 1 HOB filter and that would give me more movement in my tank and take away that brown slime in my sandbed.

 

[geemanaz]

What fish store you going to ? If fish store telling you to run canister filter on your saltwater tank they are miss leading you canister filter are not the best filter for a saltwater tank . Look into a sump with a refugium. Are you running any GFO if not look into a media reactor.

 

[bobbyM]

What fish store you going to ? If fish store telling you to run canister filter on your saltwater tank they are miss leading you canister filter are not the best filter for a saltwater tank . Look into a sump with a refugium. Are you running any GFO if not look into a media reactor.

+1 And I work at a lfs. You should be running a skimmer.

 

[Aquaking]

So in other words your saying that my tank is all wrong because I'm running canister filters ? and my LFS never told me to run canisters I was already running one by my own choice and when I was talking with my people at OceanFloor the LFS I go to, one of the guys I talk to said I needed more movement and suggested I buy another canister, now if you don't mind please explain why I shouldn't be running canisters ? because I know all filtration isn't the same but if canisters didnt work they wouldnt make and sell them ?

 

[Aquaking]

+1 And I work at a lfs. You should be running a skimmer.

Not being rude, but you guys are not paying attion to what I'm putting on here, I have a skimmer and all the other equipment needed to run a saltwater tank I've been doing this for a minute and know a little

 

[kschweer]

I have seen many successful saltwater tanks that run canister filters. Is it ideal? Probably not but it is definitely possible. Like stated in a previous post the brown algae is diatoms which are to be expected in a new tank. Can you post the type of canister ou are using and also the other filtration you use? Sounds to me like you have enough filtration. I would use power heads for more movement as opposed to another canister. Also get some nassarius snails to help stir up the sand bed.

 

[Frick]

IMO You can get away with a canister but it shouldn't be your main filtration. Using a canister on saltwater is best if it is setup with biological filtration only. The mechanical can get neglected in a canister and quickly become a nitrate factory. A sumps advantage would be that the filter pads or socks are visible and people are more likely to maintain them if they can see them getting dirty.

 

[geemanaz]

[h=1]Good post on About.com about Diatom.What Frick side is true about canister filter . [/h]

 

[Aquaking]

I have a AquaClear 110 HOB Filter, Jebo 838 external filter, a SunSun Outside fliter HW 302, 2 GRECH GVP 101 powerheads and a Jebo 180 Protein Skimmer with a 300 w heater, so I'm sorry if I don't have a sump or this isn't enough or good enough filteration but my pockets aren't as deep as other peoples and with saying all that its starting to get to the point I'm starting not wantinng to do saltwater because all I hear is what ain't good enough or what isn't gonna work I thought people helped to make what you have work not tell you if you don't buy this or that your wasting your time.

 

[kschweer]

Don't be discouraged. Some people are just set in their ways. It is definitely possible to have a successful saltwater tank without a sump. I would try moving your powerhead so that it blows across your sand bed. Out it just low enough so that there is flow over the sand but not low enough that it sends sand flying everywhere. I would also get some nassarius snails to stir up the sand bed. The algae you are experiencing is normal and to be expected in a new tank no matter what you use for filtration. Hope this helps.

 

[Frick]

I have a AquaClear 110 HOB Filter, Jebo 838 external filter, a SunSun Outside fliter HW 302, 2 GRECH GVP 101 powerheads and a Jebo 180 Protein Skimmer with a 300 w heater, so I'm sorry if I don't have a sump or this isn't enough or good enough filteration but my pockets aren't as deep as other peoples and with saying all that its starting to get to the point I'm starting not wantinng to do saltwater because all I hear is what ain't good enough or what isn't gonna work I thought people helped to make what you have work not tell you if you don't buy this or that your wasting your time.

You can make it work since that AC 110 is the easiest to access i would concentrate all of you mechanical filtration(foam pads followed by finer pads) in there and clean or change it often. As for the canisters load them up with biological media such as live rock or ceramic media. And you can get away with out opening them for a while. After a few years they will become cryptic zones and you will get some very interesting natural filtration (sponges, tunicates, pods, and starfish). That's how i would do it. There can be many other ways.

Don't be discouraged. Some people are just set in their ways. It is definitely possible to have a successful saltwater tank without a sump. I would try moving your powerhead so that it blows across your sand bed. Out it just low enough so that there is flow over the sand but not low enough that it sends sand flying everywhere. I would also get some nassarius snails to stir up the sand bed. The algae you are experiencing is normal and to be expected in a new tank no matter what you use for filtration. Hope this helps.

I agree.

 

[Aquaking]

@ Kschweer I was also told that by my LFS so I did move the powerheads and I got my spray bars positioned to make movement on the top of the tank and I was told to get a Diamond goby but you say snails will work better ? @ Frisk I have sponge and ceramic media in my AQ110 and in one of my canisters I have floss and Bio-balls and the same in the other one.