What exactly does a diatom filter do?

[karlseith]

I have a System 1 diatom filter but I'm not sure what exactly it takes out of the water. I have read it filters down to 1 micron but what are the benefits, should they only be used in extreme cases of junked up tanks? Do they remove trace elements, phosphates? Do they put anything in the water? I don't want to use the filter only to have it crash my system.

Thanks,
Karl

 

[William]

It filters out Microparticles, such as freefloating algaes and such.


Do you have a FO tank?

Cause if you have Live Rock, Reef or what not.. You have pods and all sorts of other small guys that are required for the health of the system... and a Diatom may remove these little guys

 

[BillyZ]

well the micro algae and such also feeds any corals/anenomes or filter feeds in your tank. As william stated, if you have FO tank then I would use it. Otherwise, I'd pass.