Is it possible to have ammonia at 0 and still have diatoms on sand bed and rock.

[Shishimon]

I have been testing my tank every 2 days I know this is a little much. I keep noticing diatoms on sand bed, rock, and glass. My test kit reads Ammonia 0 Nitrites 0 Nitrates 40 ppm thats driving me crazy but I'm going to do a 40% water change tm and hopefully get that 20 or below. I thought diatoms were only in your tanks when ammonia was present? Can you have ammonia when nitrites are at 0?

 

[bjohanson1234]

Yes. Diatoms feed off of silicates in your system. They will die out in time once those are used up. Provided you don't add any more silicates during water changes.

 

[Shishimon]

I tend to stir my sand bed daily is this a bad thing as far as this spreading

 

[Shishimon]

Maybe a dumb question but how would I get silicates in my system? I use RODI maybe my salt mix?

 

[bjohanson1234]

They come in your initial rock and sand. If you are using do water, you are not introducing any more. The should go away on their own with regular water changes.

 

[Shishimon]

Thanks bjohanson1234

 

[Smitty]

+1 Bj