Diatoms, go AWAY!!!

[dragonfisher33]

i have a handed down tank that is already cycled. this past weekend when i left for a short vacay i accidentally had my power compact light fixture on the whole time. needless to say, by the time i came back my tank is filled with diatoms. is there a way to get rid of them naturally through some clean up crews? i'm aware that time will make it go away. also the fact that the diatoms are indications of phosphate and nitrate in water. i'm still a noob so i would like to hear all sides. i want it gone NOW!!!


ps. i came back around 1AM this morning and i will do a water change after getting off from work.

 

[ivan_dalmatia]

Its cyano!!! Use just your actinic lights more and you 10K less

 

[dragonfisher33]

so i have noticed that there's some sort of brown stuff on top of the sand. is it the byproduct of dead diatom? it's not that brown, only slightly brown-er compare to my white live sand

 

[Mebbid]

Its cyano!!! Use just your actinic lights more and you 10K less

It's definitely diatoms. They will eventually go away on their own. Every salt tank goes through various algae cycles. Just wait until you start seeing hair algae

Changing the spectrum of lighting won't do anything to combat either algae or cyano. Both are caused by excess nutrients in the tank.

 

[dragonfisher33]

It's definitely diatoms. They will eventually go away on their own. Every salt tank goes through various algae cycles. Just wait until you start seeing hair algae

Changing the spectrum of lighting won't do anything to combat either algae or cyano. Both are caused by excess nutrients in the tank.

actually, there's no nutrient in the tank. its a handed down tank already cycled with 2 hermit crabs. i barely feed them and when i do, i use a tweezer to hand feed them, so there shouldn't be excess nutrient

 

[dragonfisher33]

and before the diatom outbreak i had the light on for 6-8hrs a.day using a timer for two weeks,.up till the weekend that i accidentally turn the timer ON 24/7 for two days

 

[Mebbid]

actually, there's no nutrient in the tank. its a handed down tank already cycled with 2 hermit crabs. i barely feed them and when i do, i use a tweezer to hand feed them, so there shouldn't be excess nutrient

The nutrient comment was more directed towards Ivan. The diatoms feed on excess silicates in the water and will go away in short order.

and before the diatom outbreak i had the light on for 6-8hrs a.day using a timer for two weeks,.up till the weekend that i accidentally turn the timer ON 24/7 for two days

It's a good thing you hand feed your hermits or else your algae outbreak could have been much worse

 

[ivan_dalmatia]

It's definitely diatoms. They will eventually go away on their own. Every salt tank goes through various algae cycles. Just wait until you start seeing hair algae

Changing the spectrum of lighting won't do anything to combat either algae or cyano. Both are caused by excess nutrients in the tank.

in order for all forms of algae to grow, they require only two things; light and nutrients. Dont know where you got that from?

 

[ivan_dalmatia]

The use of improper bulbs, lack of maintenance, and extended lighting hours are contributors that can lead to all sorts of algae problems.

 

[Ingy]

No doubt it is Diatoms, not algae. Diatoms are a silica eating bacteria that consume sicates in new tank setups. The sand contains silicates as does the coral based rocks (because corals will feed on diatoms which have silicates in them because that's what they eat). If you try to curb the growth of diatoms, then they will last longer as there is a finite amount of silcates in your tank. As they grow snails and crabs will eat them off the sand and corals will eat them in the water coloum. Your skimmer will remove the CUC waste in turn, removing the diatoms and silicates from the tank while the corals will bond it into their structure. It will go away in a couple months if you allow diatoms to flourish, or a few more months if you try to stop it.
Phosguard (or Phos-zorb I think) will remove it when added to a reactor if you have one.

Blah. Wait it out.

 

[dragonfisher33]

here's another question: the corners of the tank has this brown stuff. it's definitely not algae or anything. could it be a lack of circulation? i have two powerheads one koralia nano 425 and one aqua clear

 

[dragonfisher33]

this is how i placed them

 

[ivan_dalmatia]

Detritus maybe?

 

[ivan_dalmatia]

All so looks like your trying to make turbulent water flow. It won't work by directing your power heads at one an other with out a wave maker to make one go while the other is off. Try positioning them so they aren't fighting each other to much.

 

[dragonfisher33]

All so looks like your trying to make turbulent water flow. It won't work by directing your power heads at one an other with out a wave maker to make one go while the other is off. Try positioning them so they aren't fighting each other to much.

really? i was told by someone here to have the powerheads aimed at each other so that the flow will collide to create a "random" flow. so i'm getting conflicting advices.

 

[Dav3]

really? i was told by someone here to have the powerheads aimed at each other so that the flow will collide to create a "random" flow. so i'm getting conflicting advices.

You were told correctly. The colliding flows will create some randomness. Not as much as wave makers but enough.

 

[ivan_dalmatia]

You were told correctly. The colliding flows will create some randomness. Not as much as wave makers but enough.

That's wrong, slightly toward each other so they deflect water,,, not stop one another. That's as close your gonna get to simulate a wave. One into another will make a number 8 motion wich will leave you with lots of dead flow in areas

 

[Dav3]

The colliding flows don't cancel each other out. The do indeed creat some randomness of flow. It isn't a wave motion but randomness of flow. I use this in my own tank.

 

[Ingy]

There is a rotating replacement cap for those powerheads that slowly rotates and causes a random flow. You only need that on 1 head. About $17, just get the right sized one.

 

[dragonfisher33]

There is a rotating replacement cap for those powerheads that slowly rotates and causes a random flow. You only need that on 1 head. About $17, just get the right sized one.

can you provide a link to the deflector you're referring to? i have a Hydro FLO deflector but it won't fit on a koralia pump