Diatom Problem, Please help

[srpntmage]

My Biocube 29 has been up for about 3 months now. It cycled in about 10 days, then diatoms showed up... and never went away.

 

Tank Specs:

SG - 1.025

PH - 8.1

Ammonia - 0

Nitraite - 0

Nitrate - ~ 4ppm

Phosphate - don't know

 

I use RODI, have been doing 40% weekly water changes to get my Nitrates down. I have also been dosing Red Sea NoPox, am running chemipure elite and purigen in my media basket. I syphon the mess up weekly and within a day or two the brown patches come back. They seem to diminish at night and once the lights come on the slowly darken up.

 

They are almost 100% positivley diatoms, not dinos or cyano. Very fine particles on sandbed, lower glass and a couple rocks. Not stringy or matted like cyano.

 

What can I try? Phosphate/silicate reducer?

[Angel<3Nanos]

They will go away on its own. Some tanks take up to 6 months to fully get rid of them.

[k4ndyk1ng]

+1 on that

[srpntmage]

Really? That is good to hear. I had read that if they hang around for more than a few weeks, there is something wrong. Should I be syphoning them out during water changes, or does that make it worse? I have heard so many differnent things, it is hard to figure out what is right.

[clownfitch]

Over the course of as long as a year and maybe more your tank will go through ugly stages. There will be algae blooms that come and go. Patience really is key even if I don't have that trait myself! lol Just keep up with your regular maintenance keeping your parameters in check and watch your tank as it blooms into a thriving eco system. Maintenance and patience..

[srpntmage]

ok, cool. I see so many people set up tanks and they look amazing, and seem to never have any problems.

[IThas2Bme]

How much sand do you have in your tank? Phosguard is listed as a phosphate/silicate absorber, there is not a whole lot of success stories on it for diatoms but what could it hurt and 3 months is a drag for sure. I used it in 2 rounds and my diatoms did go away but I was on 4 weeks with them and figured they had run their course as much as the Phosguard helped.

[hey]

The trick to making your tank look awesome when you start it is to take pictures only before or after the diatom bloom has occurred.

[farkwar]

ok, cool. I see so many people set up tanks and they look amazing, and seem to never have any problems.

Everyone has these things. Something is wrong if you dont. Its part of the maturing process, part of building a robust stable cycle.

 

Like Hey says, the FTS pics you see are between algae breakouts, and after thorough cleaning.

 

 

One of my favorite tanks is Sushi's Elos Mini(TOTM back in the day). Pics of it are everywhere, so im not the only one.

He let the tank go for several months before ckeaning it up and the taking of the pic. In the before images, it was a cesspool of uncontrolled algae.

[farkwar]

My Biocube 29 has been up for about 3 months now. It cycled in about 10 days, then diatoms showed up... and never went away.

It will

 

 

Phosphate - don't know

Dont matter. If you have crap algae, you have too much

I use RODI, have been doing 40% weekly water changes to get my Nitrates down. I have also been dosing Red Sea NoPox, am running c

They are almost 100% positivley diatoms, not dinos or cyano. Very fine particles on sandbed, lower glass and a couple rocks. Not stringy or matted like cyano.

Foundational maintenance methods will help fight all crap algaes.

 

Diatoms and dinos will go through 100micron filter socks.

Then they can go through a UV Sterilizer.

9w Turbo Twist at a slow rate is good. Use a $15 MJ400 pump.

 

This will kill ICH in your water too, by the way. But its great at killing the powdery crap algaes(and bacteria).

 

What can I try? Phosphate/silicate reducer?

I put a TLF 150 right after the UV, helps slow rate of flow. Put about 1/3 GFO in the bottom, 2/3rds ROX GAC in the top. Separate them with filter disks.

 

Its a Nano 3 way punch, costs $150.

 

Water changes.

you need a Mechanical filter to catch poop floating in the water.

Baste rock, 2 to3 times a day.

Suction out poop detritus.

Suction out cyano.

Get some C. Prolifera and put it in the display over behind your rocks or in a corner.

Get other decorative macros and put them in the system.

CUC, then clean up their poop. Their poop will just become crap algae and cyano again if you dont.

Get a bigger or better skimmer to skim the poop out if your water.

[srpntmage]

Thanks for the info. I am looking into a TLF 150. Can I mount that on to the back of my biocube 29 or does it have to be in a sump? Will the Turbo Twist kill off good things also or just stuff I want dead?

[evanski]

Any CUC? I usually add mine as soon as the diatoms show up, and they get it all in a few days or so. I didn't see a mention of a CUC so thought I'd bring it up...knowing you probably already had something working.

 

What does your livestock look like? How much do you feed? Bioload is driving the diatoms and will be done for good when this is in balance with nitrogen/carbon cycle, CUC, etc.

[srpntmage]

I have 3 trocus snails, 1 nerite snal, 1 margarita snail and about 4 cerith snails, 2 nassarius snals, one skunk cleaner and 3 scarlet hermits. Is that enough?

 

I only have two carmel clowns and a pistol shrimp watchman goby combo right now. I feed about twice daily in small quantities. Usually good quality pellet food and frozen mysis. I also have about 3 zoa colonies, a candy cane coral, a duncan coral and some green star polyps. I feed the candy cane and duncan shrimp a couple times a week.

[srpntmage]

Here is a picture of it. It is a brownish color, but the pic makes it look purple.