Diatoms

[t57spikes]

Has anyone else had any experience with successfully treating a diatom bloom that just wont go away?

My 35 gallon FW tank was fine at first and then after about a month and a half it started to grow on the glass the gravel and a few of the fake plants I had, basically EVERYWHERE!

I do 15 Gallon water changes which is about 46% every 5 days. And the Tank is completely cycled 0 for ammonia nitrite and about 20 nitrate with a PH of 7.4

I know the diatoms are living off of a silica source, but I cant figure out where the silica is coming from since my other tanks I have are not having this issue so its not the tap water.

Ive seemed to have brought the bloom under control since it doesn't grow on the glass any more but it still turns the rocks brown in less than 5 days and also the plants.

Would a UV filter help treat this Bloom cause I've been fighting it for over a month now and it hasn't burned itself out like I have read that they do.

Also I plan to change the substrate to pool filter sand shortly cause I'm starting to think the gravel is causing the problem or somehow fueling it, and I'm not happy with how dirty it stays under there even with a gravel vacuuming every 5 days.

So, if I change to sand and wipe the tank down completely, clean the inside of the HOB and the heater along with the piece of drift wood I have in the tank, and install a UV would the tank cleaning along with the UV insure that none of the bloom is transferred to the new substrate, cause I'm getting tired of dealing with this issue.

 

[mrvincent]

It's common with new tank. Keep scrubbing it and doing waterchanges. I had this problem for the firsts two-three months with my tank. I did nothing except one or two 50% WC per weeks and problem resolved by itself.

Now I can do 50% WC per month and it's fine.

 

[dalto]

It will go away on its own, it may take a while more though.

Pool Filter Sand is also known as silica sand so while it is a great substrate it isn't going to reduce the amount of silicates in the water.

If it is really bothering you, you can put some seachem phosguard in your filter. That will remove the silicates and phosphates from your water.

 

[Jmunroe]

When I switched my 125 to pool filter sand it took around 5 months to completely go away.

 

[t57spikes]

Thanks for the advice, I guess it's just a long waiting game. Once it resolves itself will all of it die off and clean itself from the plants and other areas or will I have to manually remove it? I'm still wondering on changing the substrate to PF sand, is it easy to clean without sucking it all up with the vacuum by hovering above it?

 

[toaduck]

Thanks for the advice, I guess it's just a long waiting game. Once it resolves itself will all of it die off and clean itself from the plants and other areas or will I have to manually remove it? I'm still wondering on changing the substrate to PF sand, is it easy to clean without sucking it all up with the vacuum by hovering above it?

Leslie's pool filter sand is what I use and it's awesome. Easy to clean. The sand will not suck up all the way into the siphon. Just run the siphon over the top. If you're going to do plants in the sand, use root tabs. I buy osmicote plus and make fertcicles in an ice tray.

Yes the diatom s are a nightmare. Sucks. Two months in and I'm at war. Lol. Feed less. It'll reduce your phosphates.

 

[mrvincent]

Water changes dawg, water changes !

At least 50% per week.

 

[Coyne]

As stated several times, it should go away after all the silica is consumed. For what it's worth, Nerite snails make pretty short work of it.


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[toaduck]

As stated several times, it should go away after all the silica is consumed. For what it's worth, Nerite snails make pretty short work of it.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

Do nerite snails have a large bio load? I think I'm going to get some. Do they get out of hand....reproducing wise.....like other pest snails?

 

[t57spikes]

Do nerite snails have a large bio load? I think I'm going to get some. Do they get out of hand....reproducing wise.....like other pest snails?

From what Ive read their eggs don't hatch in fresh water only salt. So I think I'm going to purchase some also.

 

[cfosgate]

Nerite snail eggs do not hatch in freshwater so good to go.