Live sand help

[AC2020x]

Hey, I have a 29 gallon tank and I added live sand about a week and a half ago, I have a couple of pounds of live rock in the tank, and I'm waiting to get 20 more pounds which I should be getting soon from my friend. Yesterday some of the sand turned kinda brownish from white. Is this just algae? Is it normal? or what is it???-- Thanks alot heres a pic

 

[Reefscape]

Yeah, its all normal. Its just diatom algae....it will go with time....

 

[AC2020x]

kk thanks, I was just making sure, do you think I could get a turbo snail and a couple small blue legged hermit crabs now? Even if I don't need them yet? or would they die because the tank isn't really cycled yet? Or do you think they would die cause there isn't really much algae? Thanks!

 

[cjtabares]

I would not put any living thing in a cycling tank. Inverts like snails and crabs are sensitive to water conditions so i don't think they would live. And the diatom algae when away on its own for me.

 

[Almondsaz]

are you testing the water to monitor the cycle?

 

[AC2020x]

yeah, I think i'm going through a mini cycle right now, I'm waiting to get the rest of the live rock and then put in a shrimp to start the ammonia. thats when I'll try to really cycle the tank though it might have already started. Does live rock cause it to start?? and live sand??? and ty I won't get anything till after my tank is cycled!

 

[geekpryde]

I would not put any living thing in a cycling tank. Inverts like snails and crabs are sensitive to water conditions so i don't think they would live. And the diatom algae when away on its own for me.

Doesn't live rock imply "living things"? His live rock and live sand already is loaded with life, from my understanding, although I think you are saying to not add additional life, such as cleanup crew.

 

[Amphiprion]

Out of curiosity, what kind of circulation do you have in the tank? Increasing circulation can help with the brown settled spots on sand. Feel free to do water changes and run phosphate remover and/or carbon during this period of time. These will often lessen the extent of algal blooms.

 

[AC2020x]

at the time I didn't have much- but now I have a good bio-wheel filter- a korola 2 powerhead and a good protein skimmer!-- it's doing well now-- and I think its because I decided to add a gallon of tap water to my tank since I didn't have access to distilled for a few days!

 

[Amphiprion]

That can definitely cause an algal bloom. Now you see why we all constantly harp about using RO/DI water, lol.