What to do next?

[Tiggr Reefer]

I have a 125g; 2" aragamax sand base with live sand; 125-150 lb of live rock; 29 gal sump; Deltec AP 600 (not started yet); 8 54w t-5; my only fish is a yellow tailed damsel.

I set the tank up on 11/26/07 with the damsel. I started lighting the tank this past weekend (01/06/08)

Everything appeared to be pristine until yesterday, until I started noticing tiny bubbles coming up from the sand, and brown spots on some surfaces of the sand.

Haven't done a water change yet.

Is this an algea bloom? I will probably do a 10-15 gal water change this afternoon. Should I start my skimmer yet?

What else should I do?

I would like to start introducing more fish sometime soon, followed by softies, and eventually some corals

 

[Sk8r]

Lol, an enviable dilemma.
First, get test kits: alk, calcium, magnesium. Get your params in order: read those famous * posts at the top of this forum for details.
Do a water change: 10%. Keep sunlight away from your tank. You will probably be happier in the long run with a refugium, if you don't like scraping film algae off your glass.
If you didn't quarantine that damsel and it has NOT given your tank ich, please DO quarantine your next fish. Luck eventually will run out and you can lose all of them.
Definitely start your skimmer. And don't believe your lfs's advice hereafter if they told you to cycle your tank wtih a damsel, poor fish. Fishfood would have done the same.
Figure out which fish WON'T eat your future corals [no parrotfish, angels, butterflyfish---which don't do well, anyway. Triggers and puffers not a good idea: too messy eaters, and bad habits.]
Softies are corals. They're no easier than stony coral. Just different. Or I should say---neither softies nor stonies are that hard. Just get your water parameters 'on' and your temperature and salinity rock-stable before putting any in.

Your equipment is a good setup.

Start your fish into quarantine for 4 weeks, 1-2 at a time. Do not treat unless disease appears.

Introduce a cleaning crew of micro hermits, varied snails, and hope for bristleworms: you'll get them sooner or later from specimen rocks, likely, but they're good to have. WIth that size tank, a couple of nassarius snails [the white sort], and a fighting conch will help keep your sandbed in order. They can go in now.

 

[Tiggr Reefer]

I have a full test kit; just haven't used it yet!! LOL

The damsel appears healthy; yes the LFS told me that he (she) would be all I would need to start my tank cycling

I was thinking of adding 3 yellow tangs; 'cause I like them and they could help with any algae that might develop

Do you think that the bubbles and the brown spots are an algae bloom?

I do not have a quarantine set-up (yet). I have a 10 & a 15 that could be good candidates, but what else should I have to set up the QT?

Is the tank ready for any corals?

 

[Tiggr Reefer]

BTW I also have an RO/DI so my starting (& top off) water s/b good

 

[kau_cinta_ku]

only 1 yellow tang IMO. the brown on the sand are alage and is all part of a new setup. it will go away. IMO get a phosban reactor. that will help keep phosphates down and help keeping the alage away.

the bubbles are nitrogen bubbles it means your sandbed is doing it's job.

if I were you I would start off with a clean up crew before fish and corals.

as for if your tank is ready for corals yet. I don't know cause you didn't post any water parameters. start getting the hang of testing and post your results.

 

[Zoophile]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11582542#post11582542 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tiggr Reefer



Do you think that the bubbles and the brown spots are an algae bloom?

They are most likely diatoms, which is completely normal at this stage. Your clean-up crew, which should consist of the inverts sk8r mentioned and not tangs at this point, and time should take care of it as long as you're using DI/RO water and not constantly introducing more silicates into the water.

Have patience and get to know your water tests