brown on the ground.......

[dachsienutt]

Tank is over 4 weeks old. Why is there still brown all over the substrate still. I have cut feeding down drastically since our last conversation and the bioload is the same(for those who know the story), so the only place that is 'Cleaner' is where the sand sifter lives............do I need another sand sifter???

[leveldrummer]

give it time, if your working on cutting down the nutrients, it wont happen over night, (well it will, just not the night you want it to happen on) just give it time, a couple water changes and vaccuming the sand will help, but it might come back a little, just stay on top of it! dont give up!

[crvz]

I agree, just be patient. Sounds like you have diatoms blooming, which should run their course and go away.

[JennM]

It's a normal course for a new tank. Keep up the maintenance and keep an eye on parameters and it will pass.

Jenn

[dachsienutt]

Ok. I just did a water test:
Alk is 9.7dkh
Ca is 350ppm
SG is 1.0235
PH is 8.6

To me the Alk and PH seem high. I'm filling my water chacning bucket at this moment thi9nking I should do a water change. What do you think??

[dachsienutt]

hello??????

[dobejazz]

when was the last water change?

[Wiskey]

I would leave it be. I run my Alk at 9.0 but all the way up to 12 Dkh could be considered acceptable.

I would be happy to get my PH up that high

I think your just fine,.. if anything I would rase the CA to 420 that's in ballance with a Alk of around 9.

Whiskey

[zxcv123]

The algae is normal in a young tanks.
Watch your nitrates and phosphates and start on a water change schedule, keep up on the water changes and just let the tank mature, and it should go away in time as said.
good luck

oh and the ph, sounds fine, but you might want to work on getting the calcium up into the 400's as whiskey said. I do try to keep my alk at 9.0 as well.