Massive Diatom growth in a day and lots of Nitrogen bubbles?

[Speakerman]

I installed my new Metal Halide lamp which is a 175W compared to my old 30W flourescent.

I'm under the impression that I pretty much just have to leave it alone untill the diatoms start to go away. Is this correct.

Also I've notices A LOT of nitrogen building up in the sand. Is this simply my sand bed becoming established and converting the nitrate into nitrogen? Could it have something to do with my massive diatom growth?

I know one of the main culprits though...I will admit I am not using RO/DI water and I know I need to start....That will probobly help once I start topping off with RO water.

Here is a comparison of just 2 days time. Pitty me...lol... Although to tell you the truth I really don't mind the growth. I don't have any real coral or anything in the tank so it's realy not harming anything. Just helping to filter the water as my tank becomes established.

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[afishyonados]

Naso literatus, I presume? Don't let the tang police find out! (I think I hear sirens in the distance!)

Do you periodically run any carbon?
I will not pick on you about tap water, you know the drill!
I believe you could redirect some water flow, and dispel some of the unwanted growth. Until you resolve the influx of nutrients, history will repeat itself.

 

[Guest]

Diatom

Diatoms are normal for a new tank. What does not help is that it is 1 month old, and you added a tang to an undersized tank.

 

[Hara]

no Mike, the tank isn't undersized, the tang is just oversized!

Yes afishyonados, I am a full-fledged, card-carrying member of the tang police and any other police that feels that people should put fish in appropriate size tanks...but I digress.

The buildup you are calling nitrogen is most likely cyano just starting out. Cyano also comes in a brown snot kind of looking substance and not just the pretty red.

 

[afishyonados]

Dinoflagellates, I presume.


It's okay Hara, I love police... with a little salt and pepper!

 

[Hara]

Yes, Dino, but seeing as most folks can't even get their thoughts around the concept of cyano, I was not going to confuse the issue further. Feel free to expound on it though.

 

[roka64]

I had a huge bloom of algae when I upgraded my lights. I believe a bunch of us bought the T5 systems and most, if not all experienced the bloom. Mine turned into a nice shad of cyano. At least I know how to get rid of it! LOL!

 

[Speakerman]

Okay well I will just let nature run its course.

Don't worry about the tang. I'm setting up a 125 as we speak so he can go in there when he gets larger. He seems perfectly happy for the time being.