Help id please?

[Dimdim]

Okay so ive never ever seen diatoms like this... I have milllllliiiiooooonsssss of little bubbles coming off them from the sandbed and rock... Any ideas!?:s

 

[Lunchbox209]

It's just a really really bad case of diatoms

What are the specs on your tank?

 

[Dimdim]

Ammo and trites 0 ph 8.1 sg 1.0255 trates under 10ppm temp 80-81 started with tap to get a good dkh, and am topping off with distilled my tap waters phosphates are impressive at .25 and under. The distilled i use is tested 0. Dkh is around 10 now due to distilled top offs, not worried as my water changes should keep it regulated? I dose instant ocean reef accelerator once a week. No protein skimmer, two powerheads a marineland 900 and topfin30 239 w t5 ho lamps 12000k supllemented with blue 3w leds about 25 watts of total led power. I run a hob filter for gas exchange and clean filter floss weekly.

 

[ccCapt]

That's not diatoms, it's dinoflagellates. It's caused by excessive nutrients in the water (you said you started the tank with tap water and you do not have a protein skimmer). You need to do more frequent water changes with RO/DI water and since you don't have a skimmer you should run a high quality carbon (in a reactor for best results). Raising pH with kalk will also help kill the dinoflagellates.

 

[Dimdim]

My ph is 8.1 wont raising it have an effect on my livestock? And i thot it was dinos. I i am using distilled water for my top offs, but t did not arrive untill i put some very well cured lr about 7lbs in to finish up my cycle if i do a watee change with distilled water and run some chemi pure elite think i will so some results? What about purigen?