? about Brown Diatom

[FireFish21]

My tank has been set up since 5/17

 

I have a 12 g Nano Cube DX with LR and LS

 

On 5/22 I began to get Brown Diatom ALL over my LR. I have been told this is part of the cycle, but WHEN WILL IT GO AWAY its ugly.

 

Also, should I get a skimmer for my tank? I know a gguy who is making some DIY skimmers and wondered if I should get one.

Would anyone else be interested in one of these I could give you the connection.

 

What about a power head? The only thing I'm using is the stock pump that is in the back of my nano cube.

 

Any help/suggestions would be appreciated.

[Sem L.]

Patience is one of the most important things a reefer should have too. Some cycles are shorter and some cycles are longer. Check parameters if you want to know for sure.

[BrookR1]

The diatoms will stick around for a week or two. Then, they'll practically dissolve/go away overnight. Diatoms are actually good for your tank because they are consuming nutrients in your tank.

 

As far as a replacement pump goes, lots of people (myself included) use the MiniJet 606. A Rio 600 (if you don't mind the brand) seems to work well too. They are very easy to swap out.

[doncb]

Well, I'll throw in my opinion based on what has helped me in the past..

 

Flow: Diatoms don't like flow. A bigger pump is a good idea anyway.

 

Filter: Did you take all the filter stuff out of the back (bio-balls, rings, etc) except for a sponge in bay 1? Be sure to clean the sponge every week. You might want to add some LR chunks to bay 2 for added filtration.

 

Water: Are you doing changes? If not, start. 20% per week using RO/DI water if you mix your own. Vacccuum the algae out when you do a change. At least it helps things look better.

 

Phosphates: Use something like PhosGuard to reduce phosphates.

 

Cleaning crew: If your nitrates and ammonia levels are 0 then you need a cleaning crew of snails and crabs.

 

Lights: How long do you leave your lights on? Cut down to say 6 - 8 hours of lights until the cycle is over.

 

Patience: You need bucket loads of this in keeping a reef tank. Your tank is going through the normal cycle. Next, you can look forward to green algae. The cleaning crew helps w/ this too. Don't rush things. Ask questions. Learn. Above all have fun!

[FireFish21]

I have yet to take out the filtration in the back.

 

I was told to wait until the cycle was over b/c it would be helpful to begin with... is this true or should I go ahead and remove it?

 

my lights were on for about 10 hrs a day but I already cut back to 6 and I haven't done any water changes yet.

 

thanks for the replies i will try the suggestions