Diatoms wont go away, 8 months

[AssistedDecoy]

So my tank has been up and running for about 8 months and I guess I lost track of time but my diatoms are still around. I was told that it happens with most new tanks and its something that will go away on its own, well it hasn't amd im not sure why or what to do. I clean my class and rocks every week and have just gotten used to it that I never thought to post for help, but now I am.

Whats wrong with my tank, that it is still around? I have a 240g with pool filter sand in the bottom (about 100lbs). I have rock that i washed the way multiple articles said to wash it. And i have about 23 peacock cichlids.

Part of me thinks its my lights one side of the tank grows faster then the other and it only grows on the top of the rock tower. Can i leave my lights off for a week or 2 to kill it all without harming my fish?

 

[Anna94]

I feel your pain. My tank's been set up for a year and I still get diatoms. I've come to the conclusion that it's due to my tap water having silicates and silic acid in it.

 

[AssistedDecoy]

So there is no hope?

 

[Anna94]

So there is no hope?

In my case and opinion, I would say no. You could get a few otocinclus as they feed on diatoms. You could also scrub the glass every time it gets bad or before it gets bad and take the plants and decor out and soak them in bleach water. That's what I do and I also have an otocinclus. But, other than that, I don't think there's a real "cure."

 

[JMeyer]

You could get a pleco

 

[skrapeNKA]

I think API Phos-Zorb filter media (and other similar products) remove silicates. Haven't used them personally, but I imagine they're still sold in the trade for a reason!

 

[AssistedDecoy]

I like that idea the best so far

 

[skrapeNKA]

This could be entirely anecdotal, but if you clean your tank vigorously and stir up the substrate a lot, that might be a contributing factor, as well. I only agitate about 1/3-1/2 of my substrate per cleaning and hardly see diatoms anymore. Whereas my wife goes to town every week on the substrate in her nano-reef and it is covered in diatoms!

 

[AssistedDecoy]

Yeah ive been cleaning all my substrate everytime i do it, maybe ill cut it back and see what happens. Thanks for the help

 

[Anna94]

Yeah ive been cleaning all my substrate everytime i do it, maybe ill cut it back and see what happens. Thanks for the help

Wow, that explains a lot. Every time I do water changes I clean all of my gravel. I've done water changes that way ever since I first set up my tank and my diatoms never go away.

 

[jarrod0987]

Fascinating. Are you sure they are diatoms? Do they brush of easy when you swish the water like dust? Bristle nose Plecco or Otocinclus Catfish should take care of it for you if it is diatoms. If they don't touch it then maybe it isn't. Hard to say in the picture but it sure does look like it to me. Never heard of it lasting more then 2 months. By any chance are you adding iron? Or have a lot of Iron in your water? Rust stains in the toilet etc? Diatoms love iron. Never heard of this though.

Edit: I forgot to mention, I have used silicate tests before. What I found is all tap water is loaded with it but for some reason, once the diatom phase comes and goes, the concentration in your tank drops like a rock. Even though it gets replaced during WC it still drops fast. Diatoms do not return. My theory is that microorganisms in the water eat the diatom algae. Maybe something is happening to the population in your water. It's not my area of expertise unfortunately.