Treating Diatom Outbreak

[Altohombre]

Ok so I already had one really bad case of Diatom Outbreak where my rock turned dark brown. I got Phos-Guard and Carbon and mixed it and put it in my filter. I also got Sera Marin Silicate Clear and added that to my filter. Within a day my rocks were completely clear. 3 days later and I started getting a yellowish/brown version of diatom I am guessing on my sand bed and all over the glass. Not so much on the rocks. The last few days I have been brushing the dust off the glass and mixing up the sand, but it keeps coming back. Do any of you have more advice on how to control this? Should I use less light for a couple days?

 

[yote]

Less light might help.But about all you can do is wait em out.
Diatoms are just one of those things that come and go.And if you think their bad.Just wait untill the hair and cyano start popping up.

 

[Doc]

got to wait. no other way about it

-Doc

 

[cthegame]

I agree with Doc & Yote. Tank just needs maturing so you gotta wait. Just keep up the water changes and wait it out.

 

[Altohombre]

does it help to get it off the sand and glass and make it back into the water for the filter to take some?

 

[Bifferwine]

A silicate remover will work some of the time (since diatoms build their shells out of silicates), but not all of the time. For some reason, you can have silicates at undetectable levels but still have diatoms. So really, there's nothing to do but wait...

 

[fatman]

You can look at it this way. The silicate based algae have the same requirements as the other algaes (green and red) except at lower levels and that it also need silica. If it wasn't for the silicate algae using up the nutrients it would shortly be used by a more troublesome algae. Having diatom algae gives you a warning to clean up before having a more troublesome algae outbreak. Typically silicate comes with cheap substrates and tap water. If you have high silicate levels in your tap water, a RO filter will not remove them all unless your using a RO membrane developed just for high silicate water. Silica is the most common cementing agent in most sedimentary rocks, and quartz is silica. Most aquifers have contact with are in porous rock cemented by either silica or calcium carbonate. So its either hard water or silicate water, something in between or surface water with gobs of chemicals and sewage and stuff. Hum wonder why we have water treatment plants.

 

[Altohombre]

my substrate is CaribSea AragAlive and I get my RO from WHole Foods Market or RO/DI from my LFS.

Nobody has answered yet if I should brush the stuff off the glass and such or just leave it.

Also could diatoms be a reason why my clam is not staying open? Lack of nutrients?

 

[Piggy]

If you wipe it off the glass use some type of pad. Start at the bottom and wipe directly to the top. Take pad out and rinse. This will be a little bit time consuming but at least it all won't be going into the tank. Which would be adding more stuff to the water. I stopped using my magnet cleaner thing and started doing it this way and noticed a big difference in my algae clearing up.

 

[Piggy]

Forgot to ask is your tank done cycling?

 

[Doc]

I just left mine alone and they went away after 3-4 months

-Doc

 

[Altohombre]

Piggy, my tank stopped cycling 2 months ago, you are a little slow on the uptake =)

 

[fatman]

Who remembers such things about every body and their tanks. Definately not me. With out looking at your thread the only thing I can remember about your tank is you have a very low pH during your cycling. And I remember you have access to a video camera and not a still camera, and that your tall. That is about it.

 

[Piggy]

Piggy, my tank stopped cycling 2 months ago, you are a little slow on the uptake =)

I slept since then.

 

[Altohombre]

Fatman I am also the one who started the topic that started the long debate on T5 and MH lighting between you, Reeffreak and RyanG =)

 

[sen5241b]

From Drs. Foster & Smith "nitrate ... levels as low a 5 ppm or less can cause algae blooms in the reef aquarium with intense lighting."

 

[fatman]

Fatman I am also the one who started the topic that started the long debate on T5 and MH lighting between you, Reeffreak and RyanG =)

And, your point?

 

[RyanG]

And, your point?

Is it different people that piss in you cherios or the same guy everyday, lighten up a touch. Its a wonderful day and a fun hobby, take the time to enjoy it.

 

[cthegame]

I literally forget 10 mins after i post. Too many people now to keep up with it all. I just respond like a robot. :shock: to each post i see worthy of my response :mrgreen:

 

[Altohombre]

I thought that I noticed, Fatman lightening up a little in some posts, I figured wrong.