Diatoms

[Ndmartin0120]

Can diatoms kinda be hairy? My tank is two months old and just past two days it looks like a diatom outbreak but the some of the brown looks kinda hairy. Is this diatoms or something else?

 

[CleverBs]

I'm currently having the same issue in my tank and it is about 2 month old reef tank as well. I'm thinking it's hair algae but it may be diatoms as well I can't figure it out for sure in my tank but all the pictures of diatoms online are like a slimy brown looking algae and mine is fuzzy as well.

 

[Ndmartin0120]

I'm sure someone will help us out. I would like to get a pic but it's so small don't know if it would turn out.

 

[EriksFish315]

Try and take a pic

 

[Ndmartin0120]

 

[Ndmartin0120]

Also starting to get spots of bryopsis in sand bed but when I do my pwc this weekend gonna try to suck it out with vacuum hose

 

[EriksFish315]

Looks just like diatoms. How long ago did you start your cycle?

 

[Ndmartin0120]

Set tank up january 1st

 

[EriksFish315]

Alright looks like your tank might almost be done with the cycle.

 

[Ndmartin0120]

My levels have been zero for at least three weeks trates run around 10 though thought my cycle was over then

 

[EriksFish315]

Yeah you should be done I got the diatoms after I was cycled as well.

 

[Ndmartin0120]

So just let it be and try and suck the bryopsis out the best I can? From what I have read that bryopsis is hard to get rid of is this right?

 

[Elitehunter1]

I wouldn't vacuum it. You could spike your nitrates by doing that

 

[Elitehunter1]

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=60144

This is lengthy but it pertains. It gives a great understanding of what your actually working with.

 

[Ndmartin0120]

Great article thanks

 

[EriksFish315]

Nice article I learned something I never knew

 

[mr_X]

I wouldn't vacuum it. You could spike your nitrates by doing that

You can safely vacuum out algae or detritus with out causing any spike. Disrupting a very old sand bed can cause a spike, but this is clearly not the case.

 

[Elitehunter1]

How old would it take to make a difference?

 

[Ndmartin0120]

Sad day!!! I think my diatoms died out but in doing so it killed all my fish. I guess it depleted all the dissolved oxygen as the article said. My crabs and snails are still alive for now but all my fish are dead.

 

[Ndmartin0120]

So do I need to do a big water change or not? All levels show fine.