Beginning of a Diatom Bloom?

[90galguy]

My tank is 8 days old and I'm starting to see signs of coralline and a yellowish algae growing over the surface of the rock. Is this the beginning of a Diatom bloom?
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[rdnelson]

Looks like how mine started. Good sign.

 

[grouper therapy]

Black lacquer residue!!

 

[90galguy]

grouper therapy;710377 wrote: Black lacquer residue!!

I can still dispute the paypal payment!!!!! :lol2:

 

[rdnelson]

A good cabinet maker would have spayed a sealer on it preventing that problem. LOL

 

[dakota9]

Great Pictures!

Now, go over to UmbrellaCorp's and take a good pic of that slug that's in his tank!

The tank is looking great and right on schedule for a new tank.

 

[90galguy]

Dakota9;710380 wrote: Great Pictures!

Now, go over to UmbrellaCorp's and take a good pic of that slug that's in his tank!

The tank is looking great and right on schedule for a new tank.

That's what I like to hear! I'm very excited to see life! At what point do I go get the CUC?

 

[dakota9]

As soon as you have something more green to clean up!

 

[izoid]

During a diatom bloom everything, sand included tends to get brown very fast. Your tank looks like it is moving along just fine.

 

[grouper therapy]

90galguy;710378 wrote: I can still dispute the paypal payment!!!!! :lol2:

I'll shut up now:yes: Looking good. What are the nitrites looking like?

 

[90galguy]

7.0 on the Nitrites

Edit: Here are all my numbers as of last night.

<ul>
<li>Ammonia .8</li>
<li>Nitrite 7.0</li>
<li>PH 8.3</li>
<li>Alkalinity 4.5 meq/L</li>
<li>SG 1.026</li>
<li>Temp 76</li>
</ul>

 

[rdnelson]

What about Nitrate? That will tell you if you are converting Nitrite to Nitrate.

 

[grouper therapy]

90galguy;710398 wrote: 7.0 on the Nitrites

Edit: Here are all my numbers as of last night.

<ul>
<li>Ammonia .8</li>
<li>Nitrite 7.0</li>
<li>PH 8.3</li>
<li>Alkalinity 4.5 meq/L</li>
<li>SG 1.026</li>
<li>Temp 76</li>
</ul>

When the nitrites start dropping you can test for nitrates. Keep looking for 0 nitrites.

 

[izoid]

What he said. Your Nitrites are too high to worry about Nitrates at this point.

grouper therapy;710416 wrote: When the nitrites start dropping you can test for nitrates. Keep looking for 0 nitrites.

 

[dakota9]

^^ It's a new tank with no inhabitants yet! Why would he even be thinking of trates right now?

Trates shouldn't be an issue for the next year unless he's overfeeding... IMHO

Thoughts?

 

[rdnelson]

While I understand that the Nitrite is way to high to be thinking about inhabitants, for me, I wanted to see when the BB started converting the Nitrite to Nitrate? As a newbee, I wanted to know "What Is Going on In My Tank!!!". LOL

As for not having inhabitants, wouldn't you still have Nitrate being generated if you have Ammonia and Nitrite present? It isn't the critters or livestock that creates the Nitrate but the conversion of the Ammonia to Nitrite and then the Nitrite to Nitrate. Or did I totally misunderstand the biology behind all this?

 

[dakota9]

No, you're correct, the end product is nitrate, but it builds slowly, unlike Ammonia that builds, and can spike quickly, or even trites that can spike slightly less quickly than ammonia, it builds so slowly in fact that it's rarely ever an issue in a maintained tank. I suppose you could start testing now, if you're freaky about wanting to pinpoint the minuscule amount that may or may not be there.

 

[90galguy]

My Nitrates are at .2

Thought I'd do a test for reference.

 

[rdnelson]

Apparently you don't remember what is was like while your FIRST tank was cycling. hehehehe Watching it like a fat kid watches that last piece of cake to see if his older brother is going to beat him too it. OK, so it was my big sisters I was watching because my big brothers were gone to collage. But you get my point.

Dakota9;710441 wrote: No, you're correct, the end product is nitrate, but it builds slowly, unlike Ammonia that builds, and can spike quickly, or even trites that can spike slightly less quickly than ammonia, it builds so slowly in fact that it's rarely ever an issue in a maintained tank. I suppose you could start testing now, if you're freaky about wanting to pinpoint the minuscule amount that may or may not be there.

 

[90galguy]

rdnelson99;710445 wrote: Apparently you don't remember what is was like while your FIRST tank was cycling. hehehehe Watching it like a fat kid watches that last piece of cake to see if his older brother is going to beat him too it. OK, so it was my big sisters I was watching because my big brothers were gone to collage. But you get my point.

I know how you feel.......I'm dying to go purchase a CUC and hold them at the top of the tank like a handler holds a Greyhound racing dog at the starting gates waiting to release them!