Brown/rusty looking growth on glass, Diatoms?

[push350z]

So I woke up today to check out my tank and noticed a brownish growth on the glass and up near my intake to my filter. I did a little searching and I think it may be diatoms, since the only other thing it looks like it could be is a bacterial growth but I have good wq. 0 ammonia and nitrite and 10-15ppm nitrate. My tank is also relatively young and I heard this occurs more in younger tanks. My question is should I just let it be and it will go away, and if so how long does it take? Or should I clean it or get an otto to help with it?

 

[rich311k]

If it comes off easily like a powder then it is diatoms. They will go away on their own in a few weeks. I have read if you clean them off, they will last longer, but I always clean them off, can't stand looking at them.

 

[Sicklid]

Yeah, diatoms come from excess silicates which in essence is silica sand or gravel, and GLASS... got any sand, gravel, or glass in your tank? My guess is you do, and the brown bloom WILL go away, trust me... but then comes the green stuff!

 

[push350z]

Yeah I have PFS as a substrate which is believe is silica. I'm hoping to keep the green stuff away, have all my lights on a timer and give them 8 hours of light a day and no direct/indirect sunlight.

 

[Sicklid]

Supposedly diatoms like low light. They aren't algae, but cyanobacteria... harmles, some fish eat it. But, when they die off (and they will soon) then some forms of green algae actually live off the decay of the dead diatoms. I had this in my tank. The green actually just grew in over the same spots as the brown... I have learned to live with algae in certain areas of my tank. I just keep the front & sides of the glass clean pretty much.

 

[bigmac1878]

if diatoms occur in a young tank, then how old does it have to be for it to become an old tank for them to go away? and for the green stuff to start?

 

[Sicklid]

if diatoms occur in a young tank, then how old does it have to be for it to become an old tank for them to go away? and for the green stuff to start?

My experience with diatoms is a little different. My tank was established for a LONG time with painted gravel which came with the tank (I got it used). I then changed the whole tank over to river rock and pebbles (both silica/quartz) for gravel and decorations and experienced one HELLUVA diatom bloom rapidly, like a week or two. Another two weeks and it was over with the green algae setting up house right on top of the diatoms. No place else, just wherever there was brown, now there was green.

 

[push350z]

It's been about 2 weeks since the bloom started and the growth is all over my sand, ornaments and glass. How much longer will the diatoms keep growing? I have 50 pounds of PFS in my tank. Also I noticed that the diatoms are only really growing where there is light provided by the 40watt fluorescent I have. Underneath my fake driftwood, the backside of the filter tube, and areas shaded by my ornaments are diatom free, is this typical? I think i'm going to go purchase a scrubber tomorrow and clean off the diatoms from the glass at least.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Generally, diatoms can last a couple weeks to a couple months. But they WILL go away.

 

[DocOc]

If you have a microscope, like the one being discussed elsewhere in this forum, diatoms are amazing to look at up close.

 

[Codefox]

Really? I noticed a few spots of diatoms forming yesterday, I may have to check them out just for fun

 

[DocOc]

A quick bit of googling found this site:
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/

 

[kostasonia]

So what are the diatoms finally? Isn´t it algae? Does it have to do with excess of light or not? And how are they going to disapear in 2 weeks or months? Alone?

To me they formed in the beginning on the leaves of my anubias and now they are getting formed as "spots" on the glass. I cleaned the leaves of the anubias and they came back. I also keep cleaning the glass...I can´t stand them..!!!