Diatoms

[HooKooDooKu]

I'm having problems with Diatoms in two fish tanks. Both are relatively new. Here's the details.

The first one was setup in late November. As soon as it finished cycling, I started getting diatoms. When I researched the issue back then, I learned I had diatoms. From what I could find in research, the "fix" was to just give it time and plenty of light and they will "burn out". Well, things have only gotten worst.

That first tank is a 10 gallon tank with a goldfish, a rosie red, pair of ghost shrimp, and recenly added some MTS. The substrait is play sand (well washed such that you can stir it up without creating a cloud in the tank). It has plants (wisteria, anuba, and some villisneria the gold fish keeps eatting). I do partial water changes once a week. Ammonia and Nitrites are zero, Nitrates are about 20ppm. City tap water is the water source. Lighting is a 15watt flourecent bulb that stays on an average of 14 hours a day.

The second tank is at the office. It's a 5 gallon Eclipse corner tank with a Betta and 6 amano shrimp. I'm using CaribSea Aquarium Sand for the substrait (HATE the stuff, it's sooooooo fine that it won't hold anything very well). I do PWC weekly. Ammonia and Nitrites are zero, Nitrates are about 10ppm. It too has plants (wisteria, anuba, water sprite) and a piece of drift wood. City tap water is the water source, however the water source is a different city from that at home. The light source is a 9 watt compact flourecent (can increase to 13watt on a temp basis if needed, but label indicates the wattage shouldn't be over 10 watts for CF) that stays on 12 hours a day (timer).

Suggestions (that don't include spending $$$)?

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Check this out

How to Fight Those Darn Diatoms (Algae)

Just googled 'aquarium diatom'...

 

[HooKooDooKu]

Thanks for the link, but I was hoping for something more concrete...

Because this is what I HATE about articals such as this:

"Water also contains silicic acid, so treat the water with agents designed to reduce the acid to at least 0.5 ppm, since you can never eliminate all of it."

Agents designed to reduce the acid... where the heck am I supposed to get things like that? How about suggesting an actual product? Or is this some home made chemical compound you made at home? It's like another article I read regarding diatoms that said to get silica filtering stuff, and make sure it's just for silica and not phosphorus with silica filtering as a side benefit. Well guess what, I look in all my local fish stores and NONE of them have any sort of silica filtering material.

"Water also contains silicic acid, so treat the water with agents designed to reduce the acid to at least 0.5 ppm, since you can never eliminate all of it."

Again... WTH am I supposed to get THAT?!?!? How about supplying a name brand, suggest a supplier.

Bottom line, I AM LOOKING FOR SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE.


As a different example, MANY articals exist on the internet on how to cycle fish tanks, and frequently, BioSpira is mentioned. But guess what. There isn't a single fish store in my city of 1 MILLION people who carry BioSpira. Every one of them would have to special order it, and by the time I recieved it, I could have my tank half cycled WITHOUT it.



Sorry Floyd if that at all seemed like a rant on you. It is not. It's a rant on these types of internet articals that I've already read. That's why I tried asking here, hoping someone could give PRACTICAL advice.



"When you perform water exchanges, you can reduce the amount of available silicates by filtering the "new" water three to five times through filter sheets that contain compounds that will eliminate silicates."
Keeping grazing invertebrates such as snails is also a good preventative measure because these species will roam the tank and graze on the algae both on the tank walls and in the rocks, crevices and other hard-to-reach spots in your aquarium.

 

[jcarlilesiu]

I would try to do anything to eliminate the diatoms if I were you, especially in a newly established tank.

As soon as the diatoms use up all of the available silicates... they disappear.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Sorry Floyd if that at all seemed like a rant on you. It is not. It's a rant on these types of internet articals that I've already read. That's why I tried asking here, hoping someone could give PRACTICAL advice.

See if I ever give you advice again man! Sheesh!!

Kidding...I know how you feel! That's why I came here too. Sorry that wasn't any help. How small are these diatoms I don't know a whole lot about them. If they're >1 micron, use a Magnum canister with a diatom cartridge and charge it with some diatomacious earth, and run that while you scrub off the diatoms to filter them out. Also run after water changes to take them and their nutrients out. I used to do this for green water blooms when I had well water, kept it clear. Gonna run you $100+ though. I know you were looking for low $ solutions, so sorry in advance.