Rampant diatoms...help!

[ChazYork]

i believe through research that i have an OVER ABUNDANCE of diatoms taking over my tank, in other words it looks like a bunch of brown algae every-stinking-where! It's turning my LR brown, my base rock brown, my skimmer brown, thermometer etc..everything is turning brown, but i've seriously never seen anything spread this quickly.

i was gone from 4-9pm and in those 5 hours i watched my one base rock get smothered...suggestions welcomed!! i read that this is part of the cycling process and will burn themselves out, but i want my LR to survive

HELP!

 

[mandarin man]

at first i had the same problem it was a big nuisance and not attractive at all. but just remained patient and did my regular water changes and tried to stir it up everyonce in awhile. but all my lr and everything turned out fine and 2 yrs later my tank is awesome. so yea be patient itll die out once everything settles. how long have u had the tank?

 

[melosu58]

How often are you feeding?

 

[ChazYork]

i've had the tank for 2 months now, and i feed small portions every other day or so....

so just stir it up a little bit and time will take care of it?

 

[melosu58]

I think I read somewhere that these diatoms are fed by silicates which come from tap water alot of times. Are you using tap.

 

[ChazYork]

and i use tap water, but i use the dechlorinator and buffer...

 

[demodiki]

I think your answers are right here. First. yor tank is very young. This is probably just a natural part of the cycle. Then, you are using tap water which may or may not have high levels of silicates, phosphates and other nasties.

Recommendation: Start using ro/di water and they will burn off.

 

[melosu58]

Dechlorinator or buffer does not get rid of silicates from tap water. IMO you`re going to have problems using tap water. Follow demodiki`s recommendation.

 

[dorian965]

do phosphates cause brown diatoms also. im having a problem and i know i have phos. present but im pretty sure im silicate free.use ro water and phosphate remover also. tank is 7 months old. went through the first stage of out break and it came back strong.