djmpj2
Aquarium Advice Freak
When we were cycling our tank we had diatoms. I was told here to let it be and it will burn off itself. We did just that and it went away and we were SO happy.
But it's back! Some days there will just be a little gathering on the equipment (power heads, filter parts, etc) and other times the walls and sand are covered too. Initially we got in there and pulled out all the hardware and cleaned with hot tap water. We were not sure we did the right thing because as we pulled out the equipment the diatoms came off int the water and made the tank so cloudy. The tank looked a little better for a few days but it's back with a vengeance.
Our clean up crew consists of 2 snails and about 10 hermit crabs. The LFS told us to try star fish (2 chocolate chips - not our best purchase because I guess we won't be getting any corals). We have never used tap water in the tank - we buy store bought premade water for all water changes. We currently feed our 2 clowns twice a day but I think we'll cut that back to once to see if it helps. They eat like pigs and no piece of food really makes it down to the substrate.
We have 2 power heads going. We run our lights about 11 hours a day. Our parameters are all consistently great. (ammonia: 0, PH 8.3, Nitrite: 0 , Nitrates: 0, temp 80F, Salinity: 1.022. ).
It's so frustrating because we are working so hard to make the tank nice and some days it just looks gross!
Will chemi clean help us at all? More snails? Any other suggestions? Do you clean your equipment? If so, how? Maybe I should get a silicate test and test the store's water we are adding?
TIA
DJ
But it's back! Some days there will just be a little gathering on the equipment (power heads, filter parts, etc) and other times the walls and sand are covered too. Initially we got in there and pulled out all the hardware and cleaned with hot tap water. We were not sure we did the right thing because as we pulled out the equipment the diatoms came off int the water and made the tank so cloudy. The tank looked a little better for a few days but it's back with a vengeance.
Our clean up crew consists of 2 snails and about 10 hermit crabs. The LFS told us to try star fish (2 chocolate chips - not our best purchase because I guess we won't be getting any corals). We have never used tap water in the tank - we buy store bought premade water for all water changes. We currently feed our 2 clowns twice a day but I think we'll cut that back to once to see if it helps. They eat like pigs and no piece of food really makes it down to the substrate.
We have 2 power heads going. We run our lights about 11 hours a day. Our parameters are all consistently great. (ammonia: 0, PH 8.3, Nitrite: 0 , Nitrates: 0, temp 80F, Salinity: 1.022. ).
It's so frustrating because we are working so hard to make the tank nice and some days it just looks gross!
Will chemi clean help us at all? More snails? Any other suggestions? Do you clean your equipment? If so, how? Maybe I should get a silicate test and test the store's water we are adding?
TIA
DJ