CUC and TEST questions

so, i've been to reefcleaners, and filled out the custom cuc form. that was over a week ago. . . said it may take a couple days, not 10. . . i need to get a crew in there before it gets messy, so i need suggestions for now til they get back to be at reefcleaners.
-I have a 75 gal cornerflo cycling w/ a domino damsel...it's has been at it for 5weeks now, and i my sand is covered w/ diatom.
-I put 1 turbo snail in when the diatom started-- he wont touch the sand, and cant keep up w/ the rock.
-This will be FOWLR setup
-- i really dont want 2 snails/gal, as i've seen suggested.
-- I do need my sand stirred up, so whatever it takes at this point in the cycle...

AS FAR AS my tests, they have been exactly the same since set up the tank, and even after the inclusion of the damsel:
Temp- 82; SG- 1.022; PH- 8.4; AMMONIA- 0; no2- 0; nitrates- 40

I'm using RO water; i have 73 lbs of rock-- 18 of which is fiji live rock(just 1 big 18lb rock); 120 lbs of live sand; I'm feeding the damsel 3x daily only what he'll heat in 3min; i'm not skimming; i'm running my tidepool 2 w/o the carbon.

SHOULD I have seen some fluctuations by now?

 

IME - the diatom issue always started after the tank had initially cycled, (after the ammonia and nitrite spikes) and is caused by silicates present in the system , it will run its course and go away naturally

my last set up was - 3 weeks until Diatoms appeared, they built up for about 1 month ( I expected it, knew it would go away, and did nothing as nothing needs to be done) then after another 3 weeks most of the sand was chocolate coated as where the rocks and the back and side walls - then within the next 3 weeks, it faded and all of it went!

so based on your experience above, Id say sit tight, no special treatment required, dont even need the snails yet - and in another couple of weeks , these diatoms will have used up all the silicates and they will decline and dissappear

nitrate at 40ppm is another matter and despite using RO water you may find other (more problematic algae issues) later on

 

I would consider a good skimmer. It will help those nitrates out some, and give you overall better water quality.

 

okay. yeah my next buy will be a quality skimmer, but i do have a cheap odyssea p75. when i began to cycle the tank, however, i was told by someone at 3reef that i shouldnt run the skimmer during the cycle... and i've read on other posts not to use the carbon pillow. so, i'm not using my carbon right now either. is this wrong? should i be skimming and using the carbon? when i do begin using these, will i see my nitrates go down.... cause like i said, they've been at 40 since i began. thanx

 

Hi Rounder - during cycling process - no need to use skimmer or carbon - both would interfere with the speed of your tanks cycle - as they would remove things that you need to establish bacteria

brown diatoms - sit them out - they will go when they have exhausted all the silicates

 

That's cool. I'll wait on the diatom to clear. it's covered my sand for about a month now w/ no signs of clearing, though. frustrating! what should i do about the waste build up that is lying atop the sand and rock being that i'm not skimming and i have no CUC in there? I just put 2 koralia #3's in, but dont wanna blow it all around. can i get a few hermits to take care of this? if so, how many? thanx alot

 

No reason to not add a few hermits at this stage as they are normally hardy enough to survive in new tanks that are not completely cycled- but you could do manual removal of the waste - syphon water through a filter sock to catch sediment and then put water back

 

oh, okay. i didnt think i was supposed to siphon during the cycle stage. hey i appreciate your help, steve!

 

Id be careful with the feeding too... 3 times a day is kind of a lot IMO... id cut back to 1nce a day or every other... Just my opinion.. They are right about the brown diatoms... It will starve itself


Im almost two months into my second 40 gallon currently and I too am dealing with diatoms..

Best of luck

 

IMO dont do anything. I know it annyoing to have all that build up, but you are still cycling. This is the time when NO ONE should cares what the tank looks like. You could add hermits, if you want to have them when the tank is running. But depending on what fish you decided on they may eat the crabs. A waste of cash and life. When you are ready you do your first water change then suck out that junk. I hate to say it but till your cycle is done, deal with it.