Okay...Some Photos, Finally, to Show What's Going on Here...

[Ziggy953]

Tap water and Prime are fine for FW. Reach in there and whip that mess off the sails, disturbing the fish isn't an issue. BTW Diatoms can and will stain things especially white things in the tank. As long as you don't have something in the tank consuming the nutrients, (live plants) you are going to continue to see algae and diatoms pop up.

 

[Ziggy953]

I moved your thread to the FW getting started section of the site, you should get a little more exposure here.

 

[Osage_Winter]

Tap water and Prime are fine for FW.

Thanks.

Reach in there and whip that mess off the sails, disturbing the fish isn't an issue.

How can we be sure?

BTW Diatoms can and will stain things especially white things in the tank. As long as you don't have something in the tank consuming the nutrients, (live plants) you are going to continue to see algae and diatoms pop up.

Now this is disheartening, to say the least...I was told elsewhere that these diatoms will eventually "burn themselves out" and disappear within months; is this not so?

 

[Osage_Winter]

I moved your thread to the FW getting started section of the site, you should get a little more exposure here.

Thanks Zig.

 

[Marconis]

Thanks.



How can we be sure?



Now this is disheartening, to say the least...I was told elsewhere that these diatoms will eventually "burn themselves out" and disappear within months; is this not so?

Diatoms usually do go away on their own. Try not to disturb them. It looks ugly, but everyone gets them and it's just something you have to deal with. I had such bad diatom problems in all of my tanks that I just gave up on cleaning it, since I noticed rubbing it off actually caused it to spread more.

Upon leaving it alone, that ugly brown algae turned into gorgeous green algae (not sure if this happens to everyone).

 

[Osage_Winter]

Diatoms usually do go away on their own. Try not to disturb them. It looks ugly, but everyone gets them and it's just something you have to deal with. I had such bad diatom problems in all of my tanks that I just gave up on cleaning it, since I noticed rubbing it off actually caused it to spread more.

Upon leaving it alone, that ugly brown algae turned into gorgeous green algae (not sure if this happens to everyone).

But Zig told me to get in there and wipe them off the sails...

You're saying not to disturb them...

Oh no....

I haven't gotten that gorgeous green algae that you point out with that pic above...do you have any fish in that tank?

 

[Mark Hewitt]

I can see the fish!

As for diatoms, I have nothing more than a very slight growth on some surfaces, but nothing so you'd notice.

When I did have problems was when I decided one time to upgrade my lighting to "daylight" bulbs, within days, almost the entire tank was covered in brown algae! Changed the bulbs back again at the problem has gone. My new tank has quite dim lighting (thanks to a reflector underneath the tube blocking most of it) and the lighting supposedly doesn't have the necessary colours to allow algae growth.

 

[Marconis]

Yeah you can wipe them off.

In the past, I've been told to just leave them be.
As for that tank, I don't have it anymore, and yes I had fish. You can see them.

 

[Ziggy953]

If the Diatoms are bothering you wipe them off, if you can live with it leave them alone. I always wiped them off.

 

[Osage_Winter]

I can see the fish!

As for diatoms, I have nothing more than a very slight growth on some surfaces, but nothing so you'd notice.

When I did have problems was when I decided one time to upgrade my lighting to "daylight" bulbs, within days, almost the entire tank was covered in brown algae! Changed the bulbs back again at the problem has gone. My new tank has quite dim lighting (thanks to a reflector underneath the tube blocking most of it) and the lighting supposedly doesn't have the necessary colours to allow algae growth.

Looking closer, I can now see the fish...I didn't see them last night for some reason; probably was tired...

 

[Osage_Winter]

Yeah you can wipe them off.

In the past, I've been told to just leave them be.
As for that tank, I don't have it anymore, and yes I had fish. You can see them.

Thanks; indeed, I see the fish now -- they weren't that clear to me last night.

So, do you recommend just leaving the diatoms alone?

 

[Saltair]

Just a comment thrown in, you have people telling you to do two different things an obviously they have all been successful in doing it their way. The bottom line it seems is either wipe them off or dont either is fine. If you can live with the discoloration and dont want to disturb your fish with hands in the tank leave it an see what happens if it gets worse revaluate. If you cant stand it wipe/rinse them off. I do have to ask though, if you dont put your hands in the tank how do you clean it?

 

[Osage_Winter]

Just a comment thrown in, you have people telling you to do two different things an obviously they have all been successful in doing it their way. The bottom line it seems is either wipe them off or dont either is fine. If you can live with the discoloration and dont want to disturb your fish with hands in the tank leave it an see what happens if it gets worse revaluate. If you cant stand it wipe/rinse them off. I do have to ask though, if you dont put your hands in the tank how do you clean it?

Do you mean how do I clean the tank?

Well, I haven't done that many water changes (everyone on this site will tell you that) and haven't cleaned the inside of the glass yet, either -- I just hate bothering and stressing out the fish when they see this big thing coming into their habitat; they think it's a predator...

I just didn't want to reach in there, under the water, and start scrubbing the sails while the ship is submerged; as you stated, I can either wait to see what will happen or I'll have to get in there to wipe it -- or remove the ornament and wipe it.

 

[Marconis]

How many water changes have you done? Sure putting your hand in the tank and the water change can stress the fish out, but only briefly. My cichlids used to actually love when I put my hands in the tank...they'd nibble on them like crazy.

 

[Osage_Winter]

How many water changes have you done? Sure putting your hand in the tank and the water change can stress the fish out, but only briefly. My cichlids used to actually love when I put my hands in the tank...they'd nibble on them like crazy.

Nick,

We've done maybe two or three changes since starting the tank; and sure, one of my goldies came over to my hand to check it out and give it a nibble, but I always thought that our hands have natural oils and stuff on them that can be dangerous for their water...also, why did your Cichlids nibble at your hands like crazy? They thought they were food?

 

[Marconis]

Nick,

We've done maybe two or three changes since starting the tank; and sure, one of my goldies came over to my hand to check it out and give it a nibble, but I always thought that our hands have natural oils and stuff on them that can be dangerous for their water...also, why did your Cichlids nibble at your hands like crazy? They thought they were food?

Yep, they probably did think it was food lol.

I never really worried about the oils and what not. Do you know how much crap goes into natural oceans/lakes/etc? A lot. Anyway, before putting my hands in a tank with fish I usually wash with soap, and then rinse really really well with warm water to make sure all the soap scum comes off. Then I dry with paper towel so that no dirt comes on from a cloth.

 

[Saltair]

I have been wading in ponds and had small fish pulling at my leg hairs. I think your good intentions may do more harm than good if you are not keeping up with water changes.

 

[Osage_Winter]

Yep, they probably did think it was food lol.

I never really worried about the oils and what not. Do you know how much crap goes into natural oceans/lakes/etc? A lot. Anyway, before putting my hands in a tank with fish I usually wash with soap, and then rinse really really well with warm water to make sure all the soap scum comes off. Then I dry with paper towel so that no dirt comes on from a cloth.

Understood.

 

[Osage_Winter]

I have been wading in ponds and had small fish pulling at my leg hairs. I think your good intentions may do more harm than good if you are not keeping up with water changes.

Understood.