Id please - growth on sand

[stan450z]

just noticed this in the last couple days. I added in some new live sand Wednesday and right away noticed this brown stuff growing on my sand.


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[stan450z]

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[Reefing Madness]

diatoms

 

[HookedOnFishh]

Diatoms get some sand sifting fish or invertaber it will work and a simple water change to


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[Beej1254]

I didn't have success with a sand sifting goby when I recently had a diatom bloom. The goby actively sifts sand which was great but wouldn't ever touch the diatom patches. The only thing that worked for me was reducing feeding, time and siphoning it out.


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[Sniperhank]

Diatoms feed off of silicates. They will burn out once the silicates are consumed from the sandbed. No manner of water changes, feeding, or sand sifting will change that as they are not like cyanobacteria.

 

[stan450z]

Diatoms feed off of silicates. They will burn out once the silicates are consumed from the sandbed. No manner of water changes, feeding, or sand sifting will change that as they are not like cyanobacteria.

Can you explain silicates? I looked them up but don't understand. Are they bad?


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[Reefing Madness]

Feature Article: Silica In Reef Aquariums — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

 

[Sniperhank]

They aren't bad, just there. They are in the sand and rock. Once it is all consumed the diatoms will vanish. It is just what sands and other such things are made of.