New here and in doubt!

Hi,

Hope you all are doing well with your tanks. I have recently set up a tank with live rock and fish. I just want your opinion to make sure I'm on the right track.My tank is just 18 days old.

I added the fish ( one clown and two blue damsels) on the thrid day of running my tank with just a few scattered dead rock. I added the LR on the 6th of this month.To my surprise, the fish withstood the spike and are doing fine. The LR showed close to little activity but since two days, I see a fine greenish brownish goldenish carpet like growth on many of them.There is no other growth of this kind any where else in the tank...just the rocks.

I have been changing water. I use RO water and as per many other sites as well, my lighting seems ok too.

Do I need to worry abouth this growth? I read someone's thread here which says this is a part of maturing of a new tank. Is that true?

Would really appreciate your views.
Thanks.

 

Yup! It seems your tank is undergoing a cycle. Don't worry! Every time you introduce new organisms your tank undergoes changes. The bigger the biological diversity in your system the easier it adopts to changes and new inhabitants!

 

Welcome to 3reef!

Slow down my friend this is not a race. There are people, including myself that cycled their tank for 12 weeks so just take your time and let Mother Nature do her job. Quit changing the water it prolongs your cycle. Next time you add fish to a new tank do it one at a time. You need to give the bacteria time to develop for the load you put on the tank.

 

How big is your tank? Agree with Otty, slow down, take your, time and research while waiting for tank to cycle. You can never research enough, IMO, lol..... Welcome to 3reef by the way! We are always glad to have you here!

 

To 3Reef!!! ​

Salutations! Glad to see you found way here!


Congrats on new SW tank setup.

Expect your new tank to go through a series of algae bloom cycles. Is normal.

Keep us posted on progress.

Good Luck!

The Tao of Marine Aquaria
Tips for Our Hobby and Life

© 1997 Adam H. Whitlock
Edited By Elizabeth M. Lukan 11/25/00
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​

 

Welcome to 3Reef>>>>>>>

 

I am a newbie as well... I read up on these cycles and freaked me out... I am taking it very slowly... setting up my tank tonight... then will do a live sand and rock (picking it up on friday) and let that run through its cycle... after that, then i will focus on getting my corals... i am sure there is better ways to do it, but since i am new, i am trying to be as conservative as possible. |

 

Hey thanks a lot all of you. Yeah I guess slow and steady are the key words here. A guy who is a self proclaimed dude in reef tanks gave us an entirely different picture.He started out with telling us that it was ok to use tap water!!! Thank God for small mercies and my own sense, I disagreed with him. I think he's gonna be shown the door today when he comes.

Zubin

 

Hi, Thanks for your response. You all seem to be clued up guys so here goes one more.... What kind of duration of ligting should I provide during these intial stages? My tank is a 90g one and I have metal Halide lights. Is keeping it on for 4 hours then dark for two and then again two hours the right thing to do?

Thanks
Zubin

 

i give my tank 10hrs day time 4hrs actinic blue and 10hrs with moonlight LED
12pm-10pm daylight
10pm-12am actinic
12am-10am moonlight
10am-12pm actinic
bac to daylight