Diatoms issue - Help please

[LesPaulGtr]

Hi All,

 

I've been battling what I think is a diatoms outbreak for the past 2-3 weeks.  Tank is 4 months old (6 including cycle) and I've only seen something similar in the beginning when cycling the tank.  The brown substance is easily blown off the substrate with a turkey baster and I've been removing it with weekly water changes.  However, it just comes back the next day.  Interestingly, after the lights come on in the morning, you can hardly notice it, but it builds up by the end of the day.  A thin coating is also on the glass which I have to scrape off more or less daily.  You can see that on the left side of the tank in the first picture.  Tank is more or less pretty clear looking.

 

Water params are: Ammonia: 0, Nitrites: 0, Nitrates: close to 0, Phosphate: .02ppm.  I tried testing for Silicates with Seachem Multitest, but I always come up with 0.  My media basket is as follows: filter floss, Phosguard, Purigen, Chemipure Elite.  I have plenty of flow, upgrading the stock return pump to Sicce Syncra .5, and 2 Hydor circulation pumps.  I feed my 2 clowns 1/2 cube of Hikari Brine Shrimp every other day and API flake food the other days.  Top off water from the ATO is from an RODI water filter. Now, the rocks have a slightly different issue, more green and a bit stringy.  Not sure what that is...

 

Any ideas?  Is this diatoms and how do I finally get rid of them? Thank you in advance!

 

[Clown79]

Sand and glass looks like regular algae. Do you vacuum your sand or Turkey baste your rocks?

 

The tank is still young and will go through various algae stages.

 

Hard to tell what's on the rocks. Could be hair algae or something else developing.

 

Nutrient levels are getting very low and it could be from all the media, could be the algae, or both.

 

Too much brine shrimp can add to the issue and brine is more of a treat, not very nutritional.

 

Chemipure elite already has a phosphate reducing media in it plus you are using phosguard, that could end up stripping the tank.

[LesPaulGtr]

Thank you @Clown79 for the reply.  Yes, I vacuum the sand with the weekly water changes, but it's easy for it to get stirred around while doing this instead of getting sucked up in the siphon.  I also blow the "dust" off the rocks as well, but it seems like different green stuff on the rocks is stuck on there.

 

I forgot to mention, I alternate the API flake food, Hikari Marine S pellets and the frozen brine shrimp for feeding.  Is there any other frozen type food you'd recommend instead of the brine shrimp for regular feeding just for variety?

 

Good point, I'll get rid of the phosguard as it's overkill.  Anything else I can be doing?  UV sterilizer?

 

Thanks

[Clown79]

4 hours ago, LesPaulGtr said:

Thank you @Clown79 for the reply.  Yes, I vacuum the sand with the weekly water changes, but it's easy for it to get stirred around while doing this instead of getting sucked up in the siphon.  I also blow the "dust" off the rocks as well, but it seems like different green stuff on the rocks is stuck on there.

 

I forgot to mention, I alternate the API flake food, Hikari Marine S pellets and the frozen brine shrimp for feeding.  Is there any other frozen type food you'd recommend instead of the brine shrimp for regular feeding just for variety?

 

Good point, I'll get rid of the phosguard as it's overkill.  Anything else I can be doing?  UV sterilizer?

 

Thanks

Mysis shrimp is better for them. I feed it only 1 time a week. 

 

Your tank is young, so it will go through various stages. It's just part of the tank.

 

Determining the algae on the rocks is the first step.

 

UV sterilizers aren't often recommended for regular use as it can also effect beneficial critters in the tank.

 

Are you dosing anything else?

 

What's the light cycle like?

[LesPaulGtr]

Hi @Clown79 I'm only dosing Stability after my weekly water change and just tried Dr. Tims Clear Up for the bit of cloudiness I have seen.  My light cycle is: Lights on at 10am, off at 9pm.

 

Thanks.

[mcarroll]

Any way for you to get a sample and do the test for dino's? 

 

Basically put the same in something like a vial so you can shake it up/homogenize it. 

 

Then you put the sample under lights (on the rim of your tank so it can catch some reef light, for example) for a while and see if any of the algae coalesces into a mass. 

 

Dino's will group up.

 

Diatoms, green algae and cyano will not.

 

In a tank this young, you should be doing nothing, or at most skimming, for filtration.  Other than that it should be just elbow grease and a siphon hose while it goes through its phases.   Boost the cuc when you get to cyano/green hair.

[mcarroll]

 

Do you have a microscope?