So the tank has been cycling for ten days with a small shrimp in it. Everything seemed like it was going well for a few days. Got some brown algae which I know is normal. I put the shrimp in the sump however, and it got sucked up into the return pump and shredded into tiny pieces. I figured it was no problem since it would just help it break down faster. Now, however, the water is super cloudy (probably bacterial bloom - no big deal) and VERY brown and gross looking. My whole tank looks like watery skimmate! This doesn't seem normal. Its like I have a huge excess of dissolved organics. I haven't been running a skimmer until today. I just set up my old CPR BakPak II... and right now there's so much foam its coming out the top of the collection cup. Ammonia topped out at 1ppm and is now down to 0 again (or at least less than 0.25ppm). Right now I'm reading 0 Nitrites and 0 Nitrates. ??? Unless they spiked and leveled out again in the last ten days, that doesn't seem right. I did get a bunch of small bubbles in the sand and rocks which looked similar to the kind you get when NO3 off gasses. I have been dosing MicroBacter7 fairly regularly. Two capfuls almost every day. I have filter socks on it too and they are turning dark brown within 24 hrs.
Anyway... not sure if this is normal. I'd appreciate others experiences and input. Should I do a water change or just let it play out for a few more weeks? I'm not necessarily in a hurry to add livestock but its hard to look at an ugly brown cloudy tank... lol
Here are some pics:
Lights are off but you can see how brown the tank looks
Here you can see the foam collecting in the sump...
