Silica sand

[Welshy]

Hi my silica sand has started to turn a bit brown, is this diatoms or something else? Any help would be great and thanks in advance!

 

[mfdrookie516]

Most likely. It happens. I've had diatoms for quite some time. Not a whole lot can be done about them

 

[Welshy]

Cheers, any idea how long it lasts? Is it due to the silica pushing up phosphates?

 

[Fishguy2727]

No, it is the silica raising the silicates, which are why it is brown algae instead of a different type.

This the problem with pool filter sand, play sand, etc. I use Estes' Ultra Reef which is silica based but has a polymer coating to prevent this exact problem.

As long as the conditions favor it, the brown algae will stay. What fish are in there? You may just want to add a bristlenose pleco.

 

[Welshy]

Have guppies platys tetra and a few cory catfish, any ideas on controlling it? If not what would you suggest?


Just an edit I regularly stir it up to keep it down to a minimum but it seems to be getting worse over the last few days, foes it eventually ware off??

 

[Crepe]

A few otocinclus if your tank can hold it. How big is the tank anyways?.It will go away eventually on its own with regular water changes. Silicates only occur for awhile. After all, what do you think your tank glass is made out of? Diamonds?

 

[Welshy]

Cheers for the quick reply tank is a 190l corner unit which I think is 99x60x70cm
Depth is around 24 inches I know that for deffinate. It's a trigon190 juwel diy co2 2xt5 2xt8 lighting

 

[Crepe]

How many fish do you have? I would suggest 5-10 otos if you have the space.

You really don't need to add fish. Just do weekly 20-40% water changes.

 

[Welshy]

Cheers fr the advice currently do about 30% water change every week or so the oto's don't seem to be so common round here but I will have a look around

 

[Crepe]

Keep at those water changes if you can't find it. All tanks get diatoms and they tend to disappear.

 

[Welshy]

Cheers guys I know diatoms are just one of those things but does it point to any water chemistry issues e.g high levels/ insufficient levels of some sort or is it just an ugly useless pointless brown smudge which just seems to appear for the simple reason of annoying me and making my sand look like a skid marked toilet! Sorry for the rant!!!

 

[Crepe]

The latter lol. Just let the diatoms consume what's in the water and after that you won't see it again.