Into about a week or just over it with new tank..

[Nicknackzz13]

Tap water? Have you tested the TDS of your tap water? I highly recommend either buying an RO/DI system or getting RO/DI water from your LFS. With tap water, you risk high phosphates and silicates which are common in tap water and will cause algae outbreaks and/or Cyanobacteria.

yeah we have clean tap water where i live, and i have conditioners and removers for it to make it safe for SW fish and stuff, but i only use it to fill tank or water changes the first time i done it, ive switched to bottled now and i use to top off the water level when its low (every few days)

 

[jrose323]

Need to be careful with bottled as well. Most bottling plants use copper pipes, etc. any trace of copper in your water source will kill your inverts and corals. If you are planning to add shrimp, snales, corals, etc... Do not use anything other than RO/DI water. Tap water or bottled (even with conditioners, etc) is only safe for fish only tanks.

 

[Nicknackzz13]

Need to be careful with bottled as well. Most bottling plants use copper pipes, etc. any trace of copper in your water source will kill your inverts and corals. If you are planning to add shrimp, snales, corals, etc... Do not use anything other than RO/DI water. Tap water or bottled (even with conditioners, etc) is only safe for fish only tanks.

Where can i buy the RO water? or o i even buy it?

 

[jmags080307]

Any LFS. Best thing I did was buy a RODI system!

 

[Nicknackzz13]

Todays Readings!

Ammonia - 1.0ppm
Nitrite - 0.5ppm
Nitrate - 0ppm
PH - 8.2
Sailinity - 1.023

 

[Nicknackzz13]

Do i leave my lights on or off? during this cycle

 

[KSReefing]

+1 on RODI system.

 

[jrose323]

Since you already have a fish in there, I would let your lights cycle as normal. Do you have your lights on a timer?

 

[Sabellafella]

Todays Readings!

Ammonia - 1.0ppm
Nitrite - 0.5ppm
Nitrate - 0ppm
PH - 8.2
Sailinity - 1.023

Keep your lights on and the brown stuff your seeing on the rocks and glass are diatoms(look it up on google to make sure). Dont dose the biofuel,your lfs is nuts for telling you thats going to help with cycling. When my newest tank cycled,it took about 3 weeks for my ammonia and nitrite to come down to 0. Tanks lookin good bud

 

[Nicknackzz13]

Curious as to what this is? on the back of my tank its like fluffy stuff, havent a clue what it is, anyone know what it may be growing? or is it some form of diatoms?

 

[Nicknackzz13]

Keep your lights on and the brown stuff your seeing on the rocks and glass are diatoms(look it up on google to make sure). Dont dose the biofuel,your lfs is nuts for telling you thats going to help with cycling. When my newest tank cycled,it took about 3 weeks for my ammonia and nitrite to come down to 0. Tanks lookin good bud

what size tank did you have ? the one that got cycled 3wks, yeah i hope mines cycled in about 2 wks! just means i can start stocking haha, cant wait to get two clowns in there! but gotta be patient for now, which is a good thing, so i can leave money aside for when i see my levels at 0 i can just go out and pick some fishes!!!!!

 

[jrose323]

Hard to tell, but looks like blue/green algae. Cyano. You will get the uglies before the tank looks great, so dont fret!

 

[Nicknackzz13]

Hard to tell, but looks like blue/green algae. Cyano. You will get the uglies before the tank looks great, so dont fret!

Yeah might cyanobacteria just in one 3-4inch long oatch back of tank..my live rock is starting to go greeny browny colors in certain spots, my sand looks a little brown on the sides s where it meets the glass

 

[Sabellafella]

what size tank did you have ? the one that got cycled 3wks, yeah i hope mines cycled in about 2 wks! just means i can start stocking haha, cant wait to get two clowns in there! but gotta be patient for now, which is a good thing, so i can leave money aside for when i see my levels at 0 i can just go out and pick some fishes!!!!!

450l yea its hard man. Im still not patient and ive ben in the hobby for over a decade. Before you kno it youll be getting into corals and everything will be thriving.just gotta do your research!!!

 

[Brandon42]

+ 1 on the RO/DI even if you have good tap water you never really know what's in there. I have really good tap water as well and just filling my tank turned all my RO/DI chambers brown.
This is what it started at.

And this is what it looked like after 150 gallons.

 

[jrose323]

+ 1 on the RO/DI even if you have good tap water you never really know what's in there. I have really good tap water as well and just filling my tank turned all my RO/DI chambers brown.
This is what it started at.

And this is what it looked like after 150 gallons.

What's worse is when you see your RO filters and think "I drink/cook with that water?"

 

[Brandon42]

What's worse is when you see your RO filters and think "I drink/cook with that water?"

Oh trust me I know that feeling. Once you get one you'll never want to drink from your tap again. Plus it taste a million times better.

 

[Sabellafella]

What's worse is when you see your RO filters and think "I drink/cook with that water?"

Haha i was just changing my sediment filter and asked my girlfriend to clean the leftover junk out from the container. That was the first time she acually realized how filthy tap water really is and the sick part is the membrane filters 98% of the junk in it!!