The Diatoms Persist...Please Advise

[eco23]

Maybe I got the wrong kind of otos .

I'll trade some out with you. Mine are so fat from eating them I'm afraid they'll explode, lol.

 

[fred]

Actually, I think it was me who should have read your statement more carefully; your initial post that I was responding to didn't really hint at diatoms being in your tank for "three years." I believe I misinterpreted that.

I'm told they're from a lot of things -- a new tank coming to complete cycle, water supply with silicates, the sealants inside tanks, certain foods and so on...

Tell me about it; I have a "pirate shipwreck" ornament in the center of the tank that is absolutely devoured in brown diatoms -- I have cleaned this ship down numerous times, and cannot get the leftover brown stains they have left off the sails. However, I don't see any "waving" in my water, as you're experiencing...

No problem for the link -- I hope the info helps. Seemingly, the PhosGuard has not helped me, maybe just a tad. But it's disheartening to know that your cat and snails aren't eating the diatoms, as I have been promised they do...

Why? Budget?

Yes I have 4 children and already spend enough on my fish . I alsso use a python to clean my tank so lugging containers of water would defeat the while purpose of the python!

I know the popular test kits like the Freshwater one from API (which I have) don't have tests for these parameters -- but apparently there are tests out there. I have also been advised to ask my water company about the water, but I haven't gotten around to it. I have also been advised to test the tap water myself.

Tell me about it...

I think I'll phone my water company and find out. I haven't tried switching food so maybe that'll help?

 

[fred]

Sorry I'm not so good at responding using a quote...hope you can find my reply in all that

 

[BillD]

Otos will eat diatoms. They will not eat filamentous algae. They will also survive in an unheated tank.

 

[mommytron]

Otos will eat diatoms. They will not eat filamentous algae. They will also survive in an unheated tank.

my otos LOVE diatoms. they eat any algae my tanks have seen except BBA. I love them. I know that they can indeed survive coldwater because I recently had a tank crash, and when the temp dropped to 72* my otos were the only survivors. they're amazing little fish.

yes, I am positive it is ok to feed every other day. I've been doing it for six months or better I've even missed a few days before with no ill effects (of course I would not advise this )

 

[Osage_Winter]

I think I'll phone my water company and find out. I haven't tried switching food so maybe that'll help?

Ahhh...I see...I understand about the children element (in response to your comment).

What kind of food are you feeding now?

 

[Osage_Winter]

Sorry I'm not so good at responding using a quote...hope you can find my reply in all that

You just need to take a certain paragraph and add the "QUOTE" "/QUOTE" commands...

But no worries, I did get your reply about the children...

 

[Osage_Winter]

Otos will eat diatoms. They will not eat filamentous algae. They will also survive in an unheated tank.

Good to know.

Are diatoms part of the "filamentous" algae family?

 

[Osage_Winter]

my otos LOVE diatoms. they eat any algae my tanks have seen except BBA. I love them. I know that they can indeed survive coldwater because I recently had a tank crash, and when the temp dropped to 72* my otos were the only survivors. they're amazing little fish.

yes, I am positive it is ok to feed every other day. I've been doing it for six months or better I've even missed a few days before with no ill effects (of course I would not advise this )

Thanks.

 

[fred]

Ahhh...I see...I understand about the children element (in response to your comment).

What kind of food are you feeding now?

I feed flake food, sinking pellets, cucumber, zucchini, shrimp and blood worms... Not all at the same time if course . One thing that's happening now is the algae on the plants us still brown however the algae on the glass is green!! My poor tank needs a good scrub! How's your tank doing?

 

[Osage_Winter]

I feed flake food, sinking pellets, cucumber, zucchini, shrimp and blood worms... Not all at the same time if course . One thing that's happening now is the algae on the plants us still brown however the algae on the glass is green!! My poor tank needs a good scrub! How's your tank doing?

My tank, unfortunately, is still bogged down with climbing degrees of a diatom outbreak -- they're all over the ornaments (although they seemingly have stopped growing on the glass), plants and filter intakes and they just don't let up. If it is my water supply at this point causing them, I'm just going to learn to live with them I think, no matter how ugly they make the tank look, because I just can't afford to buy gallons of water from the store (purified) for every single top off...

As we have just discussed, I know you can understand that situation and relate to it...

 

[James_in_MN]

I have to agree that ottos are great at taking care of a diatom problem. I have 3 of them in my 20g tank, and in less than a week any and all diatoms in my tank were gone.

Amano shrimp and RCS may also consume diatoms. I have both of those shrimp in my 10g tank, and the small amount of diatoms I had in there were gone pretty quickly.

I did a little bit of google searching about diatom issues, and will post a link for you to review. Granted, it's a writeup for saltwater, but it may apply.

About Brown or Golden Diatom Algae - What Makes Brown Algae Grow and Solutions for Eliminating This Problem in Saltwater Aquariums

There were a few suggestions in the thread that you could look into with your particular problem.

- There could be excess silicates/phosphates in your tap water. You did say there may have been a reduction of diatoms when you tried RO water, so this may be something to look into.

- It also suggests that substrate could cause diatom outbreaks. What substrate are you using?

- An overabundance of nitrAtes can contribute, but I'm sure you're watching your nitrAte levels and changing your water weekly.

Hopefully the article can help you figure it out.

 

[Osage_Winter]

- There could be excess silicates/phosphates in your tap water. You did say there may have been a reduction of diatoms when you tried RO water, so this may be something to look into.

Indeed, although it could have been just placebo effect on my part...what I "wanted" to see...

- It also suggests that substrate could cause diatom outbreaks. What substrate are you using?

Store-bought colored gravel.

- An overabundance of nitrAtes can contribute, but I'm sure you're watching your nitrAte levels and changing your water weekly.

That may be an issue...

 

[James_in_MN]

- An overabundance of nitrAtes can contribute, but I'm sure you're watching your nitrAte levels and changing your water weekly.

That may be an issue...

What are you testing your ammonia / nitrIte / nitrAte levels with? Don't use test strips, as they are notoriously inaccurate. You should be using a liquid test kit; the favorite of these forums is API Freshwater Master Test Kit, found in any chain pet store.

What are your ammonia / nitrIte / nitrAte levels currently?

 

[Osage_Winter]

What are you testing your ammonia / nitrIte / nitrAte levels with? Don't use test strips, as they are notoriously inaccurate. You should be using a liquid test kit; the favorite of these forums is API Freshwater Master Test Kit, found in any chain pet store.

What are your ammonia / nitrIte / nitrAte levels currently?

I'm using the API liquid kit.

No matter what my readings and test results are -- whether they're poor or fantastic -- I always get the diatoms, even if my parameters remain good for a stretch of time. This doesn't seem to stop their growth, at all.

 

[fred]

I have to add that although high nitrates may be a cause, I don't think it's the case for my tank. When I first got my tank (and was a total newbie) my nitrates were always very high. Partially because of the bio load I had and not doing my pwc. Anyways I have since changed most the fish and my nitrates are kept below 20 (usually around 10) and that's when the diatoms started. Now not only do I have the diatoms I have a green sort of slimy algae on the glass?? This is making me crazy!!! Do you think taking the substrate out and scrubbing it in hot water, along with everything else covered in the tank will help? Sorry Osage don't mean to take over your thread...lol...I'm learning a lot though

 

[Osage_Winter]

I have to add that although high nitrates may be a cause, I don't think it's the case for my tank. When I first got my tank (and was a total newbie) my nitrates were always very high. Partially because of the bio load I had and not doing my pwc. Anyways I have since changed most the fish and my nitrates are kept below 20 (usually around 10) and that's when the diatoms started. Now not only do I have the diatoms I have a green sort of slimy algae on the glass?? This is making me crazy!!! Do you think taking the substrate out and scrubbing it in hot water, along with everything else covered in the tank will help? Sorry Osage don't mean to take over your thread...lol...I'm learning a lot though

I know exactly what you mean about the green algae -- there are nasty green spots that have popped up on my shipwreck ornament's sails, kind of eating over the brown patches of diatoms. I had assumed this was green algae taking over, as I was told that's normally the next step -- that the green "eats" the brown -- but this doesn't look like normal green algae; the green is a kind of bright "kelly" sort of green and that's concerning me as well. That may be happening in your tank too...

I have done what you are pondering twice already -- that is, taking all the ornaments and plants out and scrubbing them down with hot water to remove the diatoms -- and each time the diatoms have returned. The tank sure did look much nicer and cleaner with the cleaned decorations, but it wasn't long before they came back. I wouldn't break my back taking out the SUBSTRATE though of your tank (do you have standard gravel?) because that's really a big job -- do you have fish? I forgot...

Do you have any pics of your diatom problem you can post so I can see if it's the same as mine?

Interestingly enough, just before I checked my email and saw your reply to the thread, I topped off my tank and did some filter cleaning, and just removed the pouch of Seachem PhosGuard from my AquaClear filter because it has to be exhausted already -- it's been in there for months on end now, and this is the stuff that is supposed to get the silicates out of the water, which feed the diatoms...I am going to dispatch another email to Seachem now to ask them what I should do at this point about the diatoms and if I should add any more PhosGuard...

And no -- you're not "taking over" my thread at all, my friend! I appreciate the conversation and hopefully we can get somewhere with all this...

 

[fred]

I have normal, black substrate (well BROWNISH black due to the algae.... For the most part I can vacuum the diatoms off the substrate but it's hard to get it all without emptying my tank. I do have fish. 5 tiger barbs, 2 albino tiger barbs, 3 silver dollars, a clown loach and a clown pleco and I think 2 snails but haven't seen them for awhile (my loach probably ate them !!). I will take some pics and post later! I only have my iPhone so pics aren't always the best! I have to admit I haven't cleaned my tank for 2 weeks (children take up alot of my time!!). As well I have a 44g tall planted tank (no diatoms...which is why I don't think it's my water!) I'm going to clean and scrub my decorations tonight so we will see!! Do you have fish? You might have said already... sorry didn't read back

 

[mommytron]

what are your nitrate readings? are you controlling them with weekly water changes? if high nitrate could be a cause, that's one of the first things i would control to see if it will help. try testing every couple of days, and doing a water change whenever nitrates climb above 10ppm or so. maybe starving the algae of nitrates will encourage it to stop growing? you never know, it's worth a shot.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Here's a link that's very helpful for algae.

Greater Washington Aquatic Plant Association » Algae in the Planted Aquarium