Still got diatoms!!!!

[tomtom14]

Hi everyone. I still have a diatom problem. It just will not die down!

Any idears? I thought it might be that my lights are extremely overpowered? But I'll tell you some background info so you can try and piece together why the problem is still going on.

It's a 630litre system. It has correct params.
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
0nitrate
0 phosphate
420 calcium
1250 magnesium
10 alkalinity
0.24 salinity

I have all dried rock except 5kg of live rock. And live deep sand bed. I have a filter sock, filter wool, 800litre v2 skimmer. The only thing I don't have is carbon but will be getting some soon. Also got a deep sand bed refugium with Cato morpha. In the tank I have a chromis and Duncan coral with clean up crew. I am not over feeding I am literally putting one mouthful of food either brine shrimp, pellet, Mysis in a day. So I personally have no idear why I have so much diatom?

Please help still have a moorish idol waiting for me in the shop. It's so painful going in there and seeing him but knowing my tank isn't ready yet? Any comments appreciated.


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[Sniperhank]

How about a picture?
Diatoms will die off when the silicates are consumed from the sandbed and not a big deal.
Cyanobacteria on the other hand would point out nitrate and phosphates in the water column. If enough, would give you false readings of 0.
So, is there anything living in the tank? Once the cycle is done, the bacteria still need an ammonia source to survive. Want to make sure your waiting fish doesn't have to wait longer and don't recall if there was anything in there to do such.


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[Sniperhank]

I'd go back and edit but my phone is acting up. There is no way there is 0 nitrates in the tank with that much feeding. I want to see a picture as I suspect this is cyano and not diatoms.


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[BigRedsReefs10]

With 2 DSBs you'll have a lot of silicates for the diatoms to feed on. More sand = more diatoms


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[tomtom14]

Here's a pic. Thanks for the replies so far I might try and test silicate if that's possible?


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[Sniperhank]

Well, like I suspected that isn't diatoms and is Cyanobacteria.


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[tomtom14]

Ok well is there a solution?


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[BigRedsReefs10]

Reduce nutrient import, increase nutrient export. And more flow usually helps with cyano too, but it's the nutrient issue that really needs to be addressed


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[tomtom14]

So how is nutrients being put in the tank? When all food fed is eaten.


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[BigRedsReefs10]

Wether it's eaten or not it's still adding nutrients (fish do poop ). How are you rinsing your frozen? I only feed 2-3x a week, every 3 days or so.


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[tomtom14]

Ok but how is one fish creating so much nutrients that all that cyano is being given off. Enough to cover a whole 500litre tank?


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[tomtom14]

I'm rinsing frozen in tank water in separate bowl then using tweezers to take out 1,2 or 3 brine shrimp or Mysis once a day.


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[BigRedsReefs10]

Honestly to help much more we need more info, are you using ro/di water, maintenance routine, filtration and flow?

Also, probably a dumb question but, your not dumping the water you use to rinse the food back in the tank are you?


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[tomtom14]

All RO water all filtration was included on the first message. So I don't have to wright it all down again? The flow is high. No dead spots I tested with a bit of plastic. The exact flow is 10,000 litre per hour way more than my tank needs. And no I'm not adding that water back into the tank?


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[BigRedsReefs10]

Ro or ro/di? And what's your maintenance routine?


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[Sniperhank]

Hi everyone. I still have a diatom problem. It just will not die down!

Any idears? I thought it might be that my lights are extremely overpowered? But I'll tell you some background info so you can try and piece together why the problem is still going on.

It's a 630litre system. It has correct params.
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
0nitrate
0 phosphate
420 calcium
1250 magnesium
10 alkalinity
0.24 salinity

I have all dried rock except 5kg of live rock. And live deep sand bed. I have a filter sock, filter wool, 800litre v2 skimmer. The only thing I don't have is carbon but will be getting some soon. Also got a deep sand bed refugium with Cato morpha. In the tank I have a chromis and Duncan coral with clean up crew. I am not over feeding I am literally putting one mouthful of food either brine shrimp, pellet, Mysis in a day. So I personally have no idear why I have so much diatom?

Please help still have a moorish idol waiting for me in the shop. It's so painful going in there and seeing him but knowing my tank isn't ready yet? Any comments appreciated.


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When doing your water changes, make sure you are cleaning your filter sock and filter floss. If not maintained properly, they can become 'nitrate sinks' of built up decaying matter.
And daily feeding is simply too much. Just like was already said, I also only feed my reef tank every 3 days.
Even with such methods, my ro/di isn't currently usable and I have been stuck using distilled water instead. Due to this water source, I am bringing in nitrates with my top offs and water changes. This is providing me algae growth and a small patch of cyanobacteria in a low flow area.
So, like stated, you have to reduce the amount of nutrients going in and increase the amount being exported...you already have a skimmer running which is one way of assisting. Increased water changes will also export these nutrients as well.
There are two articles linked in my signature that discuss battling algae issues. This is the same as battling cyano. I would suggest reading them to further assist you with your issue.

 

[mrvincent]

On the glass this seems like brown diatoms... On the sandbed, this look like cyanos... Siphon the sandbed first.... Then increase the flow ?

Also you say 0 NO3 and 0 PO4... What test kit are you using ?

Use RODI water for new saltwater mix, also for topoffs.

What brand of salt are you using ?

 

[tomtom14]

All RODI water. I do 10 percent water change every 2 weeks and replace sponges and filter sock And know matter how many times I clean sand bed and glass it just grows back. Kit is one from the shop I'm in there very week so might as well get water tested as well.


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[tomtom14]

Sorry but don't know what salt it is.



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[mrvincent]

Do you know what kind of test kit they're using ? For sure if they test with crap like API, you'll always get 0NO3 and 0PO4 for reef aquariums...