Diatoms

[sharkbait'06]

Does anybody have any idea how to get rid of diatoms? My 55 has been set up for 9 months and the problem is getting worse.

 

[Sidi]

It sounds like your water supply may be high in silicates. You could try scraping all the algae from the sides, trying to get it sucked into the filter, then rinsing the filter media a couple times. That would prevent the algae from decaying and releasing silicates back into the tank. But if every water change is bringing more in, that won't be enough.

I think there are products to remove silicates out there, but I haven't really looked into them.

 

[vfc]

I have diatoms in my 75G a year and a half after set up. I tried Ottos (bougth six) but they were too fragile. I now have a 150G set up for 6 months and have major diatoms.

Both tanks have African Cichlids now, so Ottos are out of the question. I heard Bristle Nose are, all around, the best for diatoms and green algea. Afte a year search, I found them in the new Big Als that just opened up down the street. I bougth a 5 inch one and put him in the 150G. A day later I couldn't find him, so I was worried the cichlids had eatened him. Then I noticed the obvious, the diatoms were gone; I mean completely gone! Every tank corner, rock, and drift wood. I spotted him this morning under a rock and his fins look okay. So this may turn out to be the perfect solution.