Algae/diatoms?

[PeteW92]

Hi all,

I've been fighting this brown stubborn slightly hairy stuff for the best part of 3 months now, it covers everything, sand, rock etc. grew over my zoa's killing them. Not seen anything like it. 3 local fish shops couldn't even identify it, so hoping someone else on here has seen this before and knows how to rid of it. I changed the bulbs last month when they turned 9 months old, run rowaphos, water change 10% weekly using R/O water with TDS of under 5. TMC pro reef salt. Ammonia and nitrites are 0, nitrates around 25.



Thanks,
Pete.



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[fishenthusiast]

Hi all,

I've been fighting this brown stubborn slightly hairy stuff for the best part of 3 months now, it covers everything, sand, rock etc. grew over my zoa's killing them. Not seen anything like it. 3 local fish shops couldn't even identify it, so hoping someone else on here has seen this before and knows how to rid of it. I changed the bulbs last month when they turned 9 months old, run rowaphos, water change 10% weekly using R/O water with TDS of under 5. TMC pro reef salt. Ammonia and nitrites are 0, nitrates around 25.
View attachment 274361
View attachment 274362

Thanks,
Pete.



Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

Those do look like diatoms, and they do occur usually after or at the end of the nitrogen cycle. In my freshwater planted tank, they gradually went away by themselves after steady water changes and with time. I don't know if it is any different for saltwater as I have no experience in the salty side.

 

[ImACoolguy]

Diatoms usually appear for one main reason: silicates.

Once they eat all the silicates in the tank the diatoms recede.


Caleb

 

[PeteW92]

Thanks for responses, so that does look like diatoms to you?


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