Whats growing in my first tank?

[Floyd-]

I setup this tank almost 2 weeks ago and its been crystal clear and then yesterday and today I have this stuff all over. From what I read its diatoms and are ok and should go away in time? I have nitrate and ammonia testers coming tomorrow so I can get some readings.
Should I worry?

 

[stevewright1]

Diatoms and nothing to worry about
they will disappear on their own accord in a few days - couple of weeks
varies according to amount of free silicates available which they use to construct themselves
once silicates are all used up, they go away

 

[Jekyl]

You will have all sorts of algae. None of it will be something to go crazy over.

 

[Floyd-]

I got my test kits for ammonia and Nitrate last night. Ammonia was nearly 0 but nitrates were 100+ ppm. doing a 50% water change and seeing what that does.

 

[stanleo]

This is just the first stage of the uglies. All tanks go through no matter what you do and you should want it to go through that. Mine took six months before it finally didn't look like algae soup. Buckle up.

 

[Floyd-]

This is just the first stage of the uglies. All tanks go through no matter what you do and you should want it to go through that. Mine took six months before it finally didn't look like algae soup. Buckle up.

Should I not do a water change at the moment? I was going to do 50% today and clean out the canister filter after the dust settles.

 

[Jekyl]

Should I not do a water change at the moment? I was going to do 50% today and clean out the canister filter after the dust settles.

Regular cleaning of your filter is always needed. I've never used a canister however I know they need to be cleaned regularly otherwise it will cause issues. Yes you should do a water change. I would do at least 50%. I try and keep my nitrate between 10 to 15 or so. Others keep theirs even lower.

 

[Floyd-]

Regular cleaning of your filter is always needed. I've never used a canister however I know they need to be cleaned regularly otherwise it will cause issues. Yes you should do a water change. I would do at least 50%. I try and keep my nitrate between 10 to 15 or so. Others keep theirs even lower.

Yea I figured the 100+ PPM on the nitrate was a tad high! Would a sump system require less maintenance? I dont have the time to clean this filter but maybe once a week. Heck my freshwater tank only gets cleaned maybe twice a month and its been going strong for well over a year with happy fish.
If the sump is less maintenance I might look into that but I cannot fit one with my current cabinet base. I only have an area about 19"Wx15D" 24"H and it looks like most sumps start at 20" wide for a 60gallon tank size.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I clean my fluval FX4 every Saturday morning and it does fine for me. The old attage that canisters are a nitrate factory only holds true if you don't maintain them.

A sump system would Not necessarily be less maintenance but different maintenance as far as this conversation is concerned. If you're running socks, they need switched out for clean ones or removed and cleaned every 3 days.

 

[Azedenkae]

I got my test kits for ammonia and Nitrate last night. Ammonia was nearly 0 but nitrates were 100+ ppm. doing a 50% water change and seeing what that does.

100+ ppm sounds very high.

The way the nitrate test kit works is that it converts a fraction to nitrite, then read that. So if you have nitrite in your tank, that might be causing a falsely high nitrate reading. But without a nitrite kit, hard to say.

I would let it be. It's kind of natural progression too. Once it grows a bit more and get thicker, you can do a massive stir to let it all into the water and then do a water change then.

 

[Floyd-]

I would let it be. It's kind of natural progression too. Once it grows a bit more and get thicker, you can do a massive stir to let it all into the water and then do a water change then.

Ok ill get it fuzz up some more and then change it out after a stir and definite filter clean/ change

 

[Tired]

How on earth is your nitrate that high? You should test whatever water you're using for the tank, and if it's tap water, you need to switch to RODI.

You should expect a lot of algae. It's fine, algae isn't dangerous. The only way it's harmful is if it overgrows corals, and you don't have corals to get overgrown. Let the algae go wild, removing some of it during water changes. Once you start seeing a lot of green algae, add an appropriate cleanup crew for a tank that size. The algae will run rampant for awhile, then, as the tank matures, pest algae will be slowly overtaken by more well-behaved algae. Healthy, mature tanks have rocks covered in slower-growing algae that won't bother corals, which keeps pest algae from continuing to run rampant like it will on clean rock.

Be sure your nutrients don't get too low. For now, you probably want to keep nitrates between 5 and 15ppm, and phosphates need to stay above 0.03ppm. Nutrients too low will starve helpful algae, and also any corals you add in the future. If your nutrients are going too low, reduce water change frequency or (when you have critters) feed your critters more. Make sure to feed your fish at least once a day, most reef fish are adapted to eat frequently.

 

[Floyd-]

How on earth is your nitrate that high? You should test whatever water you're using for the tank, and if it's tap water, you need to switch to RODI.

This was salt water premade with RODI water at the local pet store. At the moment it seems simple and easy to just pick some up for about $1 a gallon instead of storing all the gear and water tanks that I dont have room for. Just keep a few 5 gallon jugs and only use them for salt water for the tank.
I think ill do the water change tonight because that number seems SUPER SUPER high. The test was bright pink off the scale. Could it be from the liquid ammonia that the store guy gave me? I put 12ml a day and also put in some bacteria stuff to start the tank. Saltwater is WAYYYY different than freshwater tanks. Im reading and watching so much and it seems like its going to be a month or more before anything living hits the tank.

 

[Tired]

You need to be dosing only enough ammonia to bring your levels up to 2ppm and keep them there. If you're adding a lot of ammonia, that would explain a lot of nitrates.

Saltwater life, as a general rule, is more delicate than freshwater. And IIRC some things are more toxic in saltwater? The nitrogen cycle still works about the same, though.

 

[Floyd-]

Did a 50% water change yesterday and my nitrates are still hot hot pink on the scale! Also put up a picture of the tank this morning. There is almost like a white cloud in there like a fog. Can I put something in there to drop the nitrate anymore?

 

[Jekyl]

I would do an even larger water change and get the numbers in order. Best to do it now.

 

[stanleo]

Should I not do a water change at the moment? I was going to do 50% today and clean out the canister filter after the dust settles.

Yes you should do a water change and start your regular water change and maintenance routine. I just mean don't get discouraged because of the uglies. No matter your maintenance routine, your tank will be ugly for a while.

 

[stanleo]

Did a 50% water change yesterday and my nitrates are still hot hot pink on the scale! Also put up a picture of the tank this morning. There is almost like a white cloud in there like a fog. Can I put something in there to drop the nitrate anymore?

The white cloud is a bacterial bloom. Perfectly normal and will dissipate over time. Do another 50 or 75% water change. Wait two days, do another one. Your levels should be better by then. But test your nitrate level in the new saltwater mix just to make sure it isn't adding any nitrates.