I'm in desperate need some advice

[Trusted smiles]

I have set up a reef tank about 3 weeks its approximately 600ltrs and my rocks turned green in colour, don't think it's hair algue have some red algue also but think that came from peice rock that looks like a reddish slime... Not alot tho.. I have been running nighttime and day time lights am I doing it wrong should I be leaving the tank just in blue lights?

 

[Saltyreef]

Its going through its beginning stages. Looks normal.
Keep up on water quality and test parameters often.
Do you have any fish?
Are you feeding the tank?
I noticed you have coral already is why i ask.
They wont thrive without some sort of waste in the water.

 

[rubertoe93]

Its going through its beginning stages. Looks normal.
Keep up on water quality and test parameters often.
Do you have any fish?
Are you feeding the tank?
I noticed you have coral already is why i ask.
They wont thrive without some sort of waste in the water.o

Plus one on this!

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Its going through its beginning stages. Looks normal.
Keep up on water quality and test parameters often.
Do you have any fish?
Are you feeding the tank?
I noticed you have coral already is why i ask.
They wont thrive without some sort of waste in the water.

+2!

 

[Trusted smiles]

Its going through its beginning stages. Looks normal.
Keep up on water quality and test parameters often.
Do you have any fish?
Are you feeding the tank?
I noticed you have coral already is why i ask.
They wont thrive without some sort of waste in the water.

I don't have any fish just a few hermit crabs.. What do I do I don't want to add fish if they going to die

 

[Ta2oodfreak]

What is the water testing at? How did you cycle the tank?
Mist likely it is just new tank uglies which is common but the red sludge could be cyano.

 

[Ludders]

What is the water testing at? How did you cycle the tank?
Mist likely it is just new tank uglies which is common but the red sludge could be cyano.

+1 How did you cycle your tank?

 

[Hugh Mann]

Totally normal. I'm nearly a year in and my rocks still look like that. Known as the "ugly stages", the first couple years of a tanks life as the microbiome gets settled in and reaches equilibrium with everything.

Odds are the red slime is cyanobacteria. Again, totally normal in a new aquarium, however left unchecked it can quickly take over and cause problems for livestock. Siphon it out with a turkey baster. It will eventually go away on its own, or at least it should.

 

[Trusted smiles]

Its going through its beginning stages. Looks normal.
Keep up on water quality and test parameters often.
Do you have any fish?
Are you feeding the tank?
I noticed you have coral already is why i ask.
They wont thrive without some sort of waste in the water.

Pic crab

What is the water testing at? How did you cycle the tank?
Mist likely it is just new tank uglies which is common but the red sludge could be cyano.

OK just done test on water

PH is 8.0
Amonia 0ppm
Nitrite 1.0ppm
And Nitrate 0ppm

Shall I do a partial water change?

 

[TrevorL]

Pic crab

OK just done test on water

PH is 8.0
Amonia 0ppm
Nitrite 1.0ppm
And Nitrate 0ppm

Shall I do a partial water change?

Ammonia is good that it’s at 0 it would be better if you had 0 nitrite in the tank and it’s good to have some Nitrate in the tank. I have 0 ammonia and nitrites and 16ppm nitrates and my rock looks like this still and I’ve been running my tank since June.

 

[Quokka]

You can probably slowly add fish to your tank now, don't overfeed and begin water changes once theyre in

 

[Ludders]

Pic crab

OK just done test on water

PH is 8.0
Amonia 0ppm
Nitrite 1.0ppm
And Nitrate 0ppm

Shall I do a partial water change?

No leave it, that nitrite will turn into nitrate eventually when you NOB catches up. neither are harmful in a reef.

 

[Trusted smiles]

You can probably slowly add fish to your tank now, don't overfeed and begin water changes once theyre in

That's great news

 

[ScottR]

Are you sure the tank is 600L? Looks 60 maybe? At this point, if you haven’t already, you can add in some bottled bacteria and slowly stock your tank with fish. One or two small fish. Cycling is much easier these days with the products on the market.

 

[boboyo]

If your nitrates are at 0 and nitrites at 1, maybe you should add a source of ammonia (I used a couple of squid tentacules while making seafood one day and threw them in the tank to see if its cycled). Some people pour a whole bottle of bacteria on day 1 and put fish on day 1... I waited till ammonia hit 0 which took 8 days. Nitrites are harmless to slatwaterfish from what ive heard but from experience, they take twice as long as ammonia to hit 0 (for me it happened overnight from 10ppm to 0). Bottled bac is the coolest invention of all times IMO... no more waiting 6 weeks to 6 months for new reefers yaaay!!!

PS : I started out with dry rock and dry sand and had 6 fish 1 month in... Yes I did put in the work of many water changes and daily testing before adding a new fish & added a bit of bottled bacteria at every wc just in case. Quoting BRS : you can never put too much of that. But no I didnt abuse it either just kept adding a bit as a preventative measure

 

[Trusted smiles]

If your nitrates are at 0 and nitrites at 1, maybe you should add a source of ammonia (I used a couple of squid tentacules while making seafood one day and threw them in the tank to see if its cycled). Some people pour a whole bottle of bacteria on day 1 and put fish on day 1... I waited till ammonia hit 0 which took 8 days. Nitrites are harmless to slatwaterfish from what ive heard but from experience, they take twice as long as ammonia to hit 0 (for me it happened overnight from 10ppm to 0). Bottled bac is the coolest invention of all times IMO... no more waiting 6 weeks to 6 months for new reefers yaaay!!!

PS : I started out with dry rock and dry sand and had 6 fish 1 month in... Yes I did put in the work of many water changes and daily testing before adding a new fish & added a bit of bottled bacteria at every wc just in case. Quoting BRS : you can never put too much of that. But no I didnt abuse it either just kept adding a bit as a preventative measure

I'm trying the squid tenticals.. Any advice?? How long did you leave it in my crabs went crazy towards it

 

[boboyo]

I'm trying the squid tenticals.. Any advice?? How long did you leave it in my crabs went crazy towards it

I’m not an expert but I don’t think you should have crabs if you’re not cycled yet. Someone should correct me if I’m wrong but ammonia and nitrites might be harmful for them.

when I did it the seafood I used as a source of ammonia would just decompose on its own very very fast. I also didn’t put a lot. Maybe 2 small tentacules chopped up every 2-3 days.

 

[Trusted smiles]

I’m not an expert but I don’t think you should have crabs if you’re not cycled yet. Someone should correct me if I’m wrong but ammonia and nitrites might be harmful for them.

when I did it the seafood I used as a source of ammonia would just decompose on its own very very fast. I also didn’t put a lot. Maybe 2 small tentacules chopped up every 2-3 days.

Okay.. Not a good idea then maybe I'll forget that and remove it

 

[boboyo]

Okay.. Not a good idea then maybe I'll forget that and remove it

Well if your crabs are not dying in an uncycled tank maybe you should just leave it. They need to eat too... if you’re not cycled and there’s no algae they’ll starve to death

 

[Brooke24]

I have set up a reef tank about 3 weeks its approximately 600ltrs and my rocks turned green in colour, don't think it's hair algue have some red algue also but think that came from peice rock that looks like a reddish slime... Not alot tho.. I have been running nighttime and day time lights am I doing it wrong should I be leaving the tank just in blue lights?

This doesn’t look like a 150 g tank