Help needed, new!

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Eben250l

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Hi all

Bought a marine aquarium 2 weeks ago. Did the RO water thing and added the rock. Bought it as cured live rock.

Everything seems to be running as planned. Skimmer skimming some solids (research done showed that solids are good).

Basically I have 2 wave makers running but want to get 2 more. Have a sump with bio balls and some white stuff?

My future plans are that the cycle completes then add CUC (snails, crab and shrimp). I would like some fish thereafter, starting with 2 maybe 3 just to check if all things are in order.

Some time later some more fish and then some soft corals with an anemone.

I am a bit concern with the corals but would love to give it a go.

Tank is 250l with 40l sump. I have 20kg rock and some sand. Is this sufficient together with the sump for filtration?

I believe filtration to be very important as with my freshwater aquariums.

I would appreciate all relevant tips and comments for me as a newby to this hobby. I am open to all comments and instructions as I would not want to be wasting my time money and the life of livestock.

I have some brown spots forming on sand. I believe it is normal to have this?

Also, on the rock I have what seems to be pink spots with the most being showed in photo below. Is this sponge and is it good or bad.

Regards

Eben

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masahello

The brown on the sand is normal, especially with your setup going through its cycle period. The pink stuff looks like a sponge but not too sure as its a bit small in the pic. You might want to angle one of your powerheads upwards that it agitates the surface of the water, this helps with gas exchange. With this hobby time and patience is key.
 
Hi

Thanks for the tip. My return from the sump comes in at the top of water which does quite a bit of agotation. I will however add the additional 2 and then aim one to the top
 
1st comp I have my skimmer. 2de the fikter media which is white sponge/mesh stuff, under it some white ceramic I think and then the black bio balls. In the 3rd comp I have the return pump and would like to add some more rock in the 3rd

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masahello
Maybe get rid of the filter wool (the white stuff in your sump) as it gathers all the gunk from the tank and can cause your water quality to deteriorate. The same can happen with the bioballs but what you can do is rinse them out with the water that you want to through out after doing your water change. :)
Good luck and hope you have lots of fun in this hobby!
 
Hi all

So I have tested my water on a weekly basis since I started the tank. Noticed the amonia increase then nitrite and then the decrease and slight increase in nitrate. A week ago I tested amonia and nitrite to be zero.

My issue is that I am now only getting a bloom in a gold brownish algae with some nice green patches between the brown. Is this normal if we assume the cycle to have completed or should I place doubt in my testing kit?

At this stage I have a Pajama Cardinal in the tank, a cleaner shrimp, two hermits, turbo snail, yellow wrasse and a goby. They are all eating well and seems to be in perfect condition.

My question thus is, is it normal to get an algae bloom after the cycle has complete in a new tank?

Oh, skimmer is skimming some dark stuff. Small black chunks too.

Appreciate some comments.
 
Thanks

So no need to place doubt on the testing kit. I read that this algae bloom happens during the cycling. Mine seems to be after.
 
@Eben250l your tank is still busy with its cycle. Please don't add more livestock as your tank hasn't completed it's cycle. It is a normal operation of the cycle for the parameters to rise and fall and then rise etc. The algae is the final part of the cycle, once that all disappears then you should add your clean up crew first. By adding your fish so early you effectively just kick started your cycle all over again. As mentioned be patient, cycles can be up to 3 months sometimes more (all depending on size of setup and what you are using to speed up the process).
 
From personal experience your tank is still cycling. i know staring at a empty tank sucks but just hang in there. I still get weird readings every now and then. Its been 3 months and only last week did i add 2 Clowns.
 
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