Diatom bloom week 2 of cycle water change?

[xcajx]

Got the good old diatom bloom going on in week 2. Lots of brown. I have read through the forums and have seen a bit of conflicting info about whether or not to do a water change. Should I? If so how much? Or just let it run its course?

 

Thanks,

 

Chris

[snostorm]

I am in the exact same boat. week 2 and lots of brown diatom bloom. I think it will run its course I was originally using tap water to do top offs but I am switching to distilled from now on. I am thinking of getting a ro/di filter but I dont know much about them yet. From what i have been told its best to let it go until the cycle is complete, then water changes and a clean up crew. Its very hard to be patient through this process.

[BKtomodachi]

ARG we all have the same problem... I have a hight ammonia level (8) and I'm at 2 1/2 weeks. Everything is getting covered in brown/yellow stuff. And also, Why is my ammonia so high after this long?

 

5 gallon

7 pounds marshall island lr

crushed coral substrate

zoomed 212 ph

80 degrees

no inhabitants

ammonia 8+!!!! Why?

 

I also had been following the "reef crystals" box that said to use tap, but I have tap with nitrate 5 ppm! so will be changing shortly to R/O.

 

ALso there is a R/O unit f/s in the classifieds for 75$. Is that good it I change 2 gallons per week and top off about 3 gallons per week, lfs RO water is .99$ a gallon. Thanks!

 

also lights on 12 hours a day, 26 watts pc/fluorescent mix. Less light per day maybe? I can hardly see into the tank!

[Scorched]

If its still in the cycle stage, you dont need to keep your lights on very long, keeping them off will slow down the diatom outbreak. The ammonia should slowly be changing to nitrite, have you run a test for that? If its staying high I'm clueless.

[snostorm]

im just under 2 weeks in and have just recently detected ammonia at 2 lots of diatom. The cycle must be alowed to finish. 2.5 weeks is still early keep testing and it should go down. All I keep hearing is patience, patience, patience. I dont think my tap has high nitrates because they still read 0 but I probably have some phosphate. my buddy swears that our tap is fine but he runs a fo tank and I want corals so im not going to use it anymore.