Cycle questions

tidus10 · Apr 6, 2013

So after a week of my tank running (about 4 lbs of live sand in the sump and live rubble rock) I went to my LFS and they advised to get a fish. So I got a little clown and they said to over feed the tank to jump start the cycle. So it's been just over 2 weeks now and I added 20lbs of live sand and still keeping my 45lbs of dry rock in there I tested my waters today

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1365266420.405546.jpg

Now I am starting to get a brown algae

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1365266459.994492.jpg

It doesn't show up too well in the photo but you can see a little and I know I'm over feeding the one little fish in my tank but I was told to by my LFS. what should I do at this point? Think I'm just in a spike or think I should do a water change? What stage of the cycle am I in?

~Tidus

Reefing Madness · Apr 6, 2013

You LFS should be shot, plain and simple. You never put a live fish into a cycling tank, the Ammmonia and Nitrites are very dangerous to them, and for the most part, usually kill the fish. Cycling a tank takes between 6-8 weeks, thats just nature doing its thing. You could have tossed in a frozen shrimp to jump start the cycle. And by the looks of those numbers your in cycle for sure. The brown you see are called Diatoms, and will go away by themselves in time.

tidus10 · Apr 6, 2013

I told them I wanted to do the shrimp thing and he said to just get a fish and oversees him a bit, should I return said little fish and let the tank be? I have no attachment to him. I have plans for a pair of clowns already

(black ice and snowflake pair) but should I stop feeding the tank? When should I start doing water changes?

~Tidus

NanaReefer · Apr 6, 2013

Yes return the fish. Also advise them that the next time they try selling you something just to make a buck, you'll mention their less then desirable practices on-line

Reefing Madness · Apr 6, 2013

NanaReefer said:
Yes return the fish. Also advise them that the next time they try selling you something just to make a buck, you'll mention their less then desirable practices on-line

There really isn't any reason for you to do water changes in a cycling tank, you actually want the bacteria to build up. Its when the Ammonia and Nitrites have come down and the Nitrates are high that you want to do a water change.