I made a disaster!

[ImACoolguy]

Okay I don't know if I really just suck at plants and doing it wrong or what but I just got home (12:30am) and SOME of my plants are just covered in what looks to be a brown filament. I don't know if it's algae or what. I didn't turn the light on so I wouldn't disturb my fish but it just looks disgusting and I'm almost positive that's not supposed to happen. I'll do a water test, water change, and give some pictures exactly 12 hours from now. Till then, ANY idea what it might be? I've had the plants less than a week in this tank and I know they look worse before they get better but this is far worse than I thought of when the term "worse" was used.


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[Fishobsessed7]

Sounds like diatoms. Is this tank fairly new?


Fishobsessed7

 

[ImACoolguy]

Yes it is. 75 gallons. Gave some time to cycle and only has a few fish in it so far till it progresses. How do diatoms work? (Simple explanation for a beginner planter please)


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[Rpeinhardt]

Here's a good article to help:

Diatoms. What are they and how can I get rid of them?

 

[ImACoolguy]

I don't know if it is bright enough but as you can see they look terrible is this supposed to happen? Doing water test/change when I get home later.


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[ImACoolguy]

Okay where can I get some silicate removing compounds?


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[michellev512]

Don't do that...just suck them out with water changes and let it go away on it's own...

Chemicals are not good for happy fish


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[Mebbid]

It sounds more like hair algae than diatoms.

Diatoms are a brown... slime for lack of a better descriptor.

What lights do you have over your tank?
How big of a tank is it?
How long do you leave your lights on?
What fertilizers do you use?
Do you use a carbon source?

 

[ImACoolguy]

It sounds more like hair algae than diatoms.

Diatoms are a brown... slime for lack of a better descriptor.

What lights do you have over your tank?
How big of a tank is it?
How long do you leave your lights on?
What fertilizers do you use?
Do you use a carbon source?

Mebbid it has clouded the tank some so it looks brown in color. Like a sludge.

36 inch LED strip

75 gallon

8 hours in the afternoon

Flourish Excel
Plant substrate ECO-complete and Flourite

Carbon rocks (not in use) they go in canister filter and I used them to remove tannins from my driftwood.

I'm a bit freaking out because my tank looks bad and I have never dealt with diatoms before. How long do I have to get it cleaned up? Will it hurt my fish?


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[Mebbid]

Mebbid it has clouded the tank some so it looks brown in color. Like a sludge.

36 inch LED strip

75 gallon

8 hours in the afternoon

Flourish Excel
Plant substrate ECO-complete and Flourite

Carbon rocks (not in use) they go in canister filter and I used them to remove tannins from my driftwood.

I'm a bit freaking out because my tank looks bad and I have never dealt with diatoms before. How long do I have to get it cleaned up? Will it hurt my fish?


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Do you have a brand for the LED strip?
How about parameters?
How often do you use the excel?

This really doesn't sound like an everyday diatom issue. Normal diatoms look more like this and go away over time. If it's truly a free floating diatom bloom then removing the silicates in your aquarium isn't going to make a big difference, there's something larger out of whack here.

 

[ImACoolguy]

Do you have a brand for the LED strip?

How about parameters?

How often do you use the excel?



This really doesn't sound like an everyday diatom issue. Normal diatoms look more like this and go away over time. If it's truly a free floating diatom bloom then removing the silicates in your aquarium isn't going to make a big difference, there's something larger out of whack here.

Brand for light is MarineLand. It came with the tank. I asked in another thread if I needed a different light and most said it was fine for the plants I have.

Doing water test in a minute and will have the results for you.

I've only used the Excel once or twice.


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[ImACoolguy]

My brother fed my fish while I was gone and saw nothing out of the norm. I got home about 6 hours later and that's when I saw it. I'd assume it is very fast growing?


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[Mebbid]

It could be a bacterial bloom if he fed too much. It could also be an algae bloom. It just depends. The excel though, needs to be used daily. It breaks down within 12 hours or so after being added to the aquarium.

How was the tank cycled?

 

[Mebbid]

I had an issue with an algae bloom in the past myself, it looked really brown until it progressed further and then turned into a bright green color.

My reef tank:

 

[ImACoolguy]

Water parameters:

pH- 6.8-7.0 colors are very similar

Ammonia- 0-0.25 and hard to tell color

Nitrite- 0

Nitrate- 0


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[ImACoolguy]

in less than 24 hours it's completely covered everything in my tank.


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[ImACoolguy]

it's just everywhere in the water


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[Mebbid]

How long has the tank been cycled?
What type of filter do you have?

It looks like a bacterial bloom. If theres no nitrate it's indicative that the tank is either very well planted or uncycled.

As for the debris that's covering everything, it looks like the stuff a dirty canister filter can spit up.

 

[ImACoolguy]

Tank was cycled a week. I have a Cascade 1000 canister filter.


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[Mebbid]

How did you cycle it?