What is this brown crap?

[vanmo92]

My tank is new and i think its normal but i wanted to make sure. There is brownish orange stugg covering the sand and some of the rocks. I think that these are like diatoms or something but I'm not sure. My new tank is a 72 gallon tank with a 20 gallon sump.

 

[mg426]

Hard to say without a Pic, but if I had to geuss that would be it.

 

[boomsticks]

either diatoms or cyano

 

[KDodds]

New tank = diatoms. Enjoy them while they last, I'm sure you'll lament their departure when they dissipate on their own.

 

[vanmo92]

so they wil go away by them selves, should i do some waterchanges to speed it up?

 

[KDodds]

Depends, not if your water contains silicates, that'll just keep them around longer.

 

[outy]

the reason you have diatoms is because there is no benificial bacteria on the substrate, the fastest thing that can grow will and thats diatoms.

 

[xtrstangx]

Diatoms.. they are part of a new tank, just a phase in the maturation process. They'll go away on their own, just keep up the water changes according to a good schedule (10%/week is a good starting point)

 

[Marinemom]

Diatoms is part of the natural process of a new tank and it will go away on its own. It is a sign that your tank is healthy and doing exactly what it is supposed to do. Eventually it goes away and there will be other stages that are normal for a new tank, but in a time span of about six months to a year your tank will settle down and it will be truly amazing.

Marinemom