The Diatoms Persist...Please Advise

[Osage_Winter]

I have placed the order for the PHOSGUARD and the BAG from Seachem; can anyone walk me through the procedure for putting the PhosGuard in the bag? Just drop it in (how much?) and then seal the bag? And then this goes right into my AquaClear 110?

 

[vfc]

My diatom problem is caused by my tap water. I have diatoms in all my tanks including one set up over four years ago.

What convinced me without a doubt is when my sister gave me her 75G tank. She had it running for over ten years. Her tank was spotless (she has well water and I have public). I drove to her house, put all the plastic plants, gravel, rocks/ornaments, filter media, and fish in four 5G buckets. When I got home, I set it up just like it was with only one difference; I used my tap water. Within a month I had diatoms everywhere.

I keep the diatoms in check in my 150G and my other 75G using Bushy nose plecos. The downside is that they chew up the driftwood, scrap the paint off the resin ornaments, and even scrapped off some of the silicon seal.

Now I have a 125G that I set up 1 1/2 years ago. I have two very large fish in there (with a divider) that would kill any pleco. So needless to say, this tank has diatoms everywhere. I played with the lighting (on a timer) and cut back on food; but no significant change. Cutting back on food did reduce them, but my two large fish were literally starving. I do not want to deal with a chemical solution, so I just accepted the fact that this tank will always have diatoms.

 

[Osage_Winter]

My diatom problem is caused by my tap water. I have diatoms in all my tanks including one set up over four years ago.

What convinced me without a doubt is when my sister gave me her 75G tank. She had it running for over ten years. Her tank was spotless (she has well water and I have public). I drove to her house, put all the plastic plants, gravel, rocks/ornaments, filter media, and fish in four 5G buckets. When I got home, I set it up just like it was with only one difference; I used my tap water. Within a month I had diatoms everywhere.

I keep the diatoms in check in my 150G and my other 75G using Bushy nose plecos. The downside is that they chew up the driftwood, scrap the paint off the resin ornaments, and even scrapped off some of the silicon seal.

Now I have a 125G that I set up 1 1/2 years ago. I have two very large fish in there (with a divider) that would kill any pleco. So needless to say, this tank has diatoms everywhere. I played with the lighting (on a timer) and cut back on food; but no significant change. Cutting back on food did reduce them, but my two large fish were literally starving. I do not want to deal with a chemical solution, so I just accepted the fact that this tank will always have diatoms.

The thing is, I don't think I'm supposed to mix catfish with goldfish...

 

[Jason7894561230]

I dont know if anyone has suggested this but maybe it is the waste from the goldfish giving the diatoms something to feed on. Because the goldies are quite messy fish i think that they coiuld be the culprits. But then again i could be completely wrong

 

[Osage_Winter]

I believe with all honesty that the culprit is my tap water -- I believe I'm having the same issue as the member that posted before you, Jason.

 

[Osage_Winter]

A Diatom Filter May Be in Order...

I'm now being advised to try a Diatom Filter to control what's going on in my tank (seems on a daily basis, these things are growing on everything)...can anyone give me some insight with regard to these filters? Do they replace the power HOBs I'm running now? Are they fairly expensive? Do they really get rid of diatoms?

 

[Jason7894561230]

Lol you are probably right just wanted to say that that may be the reason

 

[Tim Wheatley]

If that's the case, I'm really not sure what could be done about it. I'm fine with the level of diatoms I get, I can deal with it, but if it is overwhelming then perhaps there is something you can buy which would filter out the problem but not the nutrients you want?

 

[Osage_Winter]

I don't know, Tim; I am at my wits end. They get worse each day. I have tried Seachem's PhosGuard, but this hasn't done zilch yet...

 

[Osage_Winter]

Can Someone Please Explain This To Me?

Alright. In the midst of all my other problems I'm having with my tank, here's a real head scratcher -- suddenly (and I am somewhat blaming the diatom outbreak -- which has become VERY bad since I last checked in, covering everything -- for this) my AquaClear 110 stopped pumping out a real strong current from the return fall (even with the tab at maximum output) and at the same time my bubble wands are beginning to go weak and nearly fail. Now, I am definitely contributing the wands to the diatoms which have completely consumed the surface of them, possibly blocking the airholes for the bubbles, but the AquaClear? I do not have an answer for that -- suddenly, the flow is not strong, and yet nothing is blocking the intake strainer nor is anything wrong in the media basket...

The strange thing about all of this is that my water is ABSOLUTELY CRYSTAL CLEAR now, looking more pristine than it ever did -- seemingly, the reduced bubble output from the wands plus the reduced splashing/flow from the 110's return fall has drastically reduced that "snowing inside my tank" effect I was seeing, and seemingly making the water look "off"...but I just don't see how that is possible...

Can someone please give me some tips for what I can do to find out what is wrong with the 110's flow, and why the water suddenly looks clearer and cleaner with LESS filtration pouring in/going on? Is it possible the diatoms have somehow gotten lodged in the motor or impeller shaft of the 110, reducing its output?

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated...

 

[Crepe]

I think what might be happening is gunk building up on the impeller. Pull out the intake tube and clean the impeller. Your filter may also be suffering from a mechanical failure. Machines that run 24/7 are bound to have something bad happen to them eventually, regardless how simple they are.

 

[Osage_Winter]

I think what might be happening is gunk building up on the impeller. Pull out the intake tube and clean the impeller. Your filter may also be suffering from a mechanical failure. Machines that run 24/7 are bound to have something bad happen to them eventually, regardless how simple they are.

Thanks Crepe; I appreciate the quick response...

I will take the filter off the tank tonight and see if there's something building on the impeller; however, with regard to the "mechanical failure," I don't really understand this...the filter is just months old, and aren't they designed to run 24/7?

What bothers me about this is the time frame -- the filter hasn't been running that long, in perspective...

 

[Osage_Winter]

UPDATE: Okay -- took the 110 apart, totally, and made sure there was no gunk on the impeller and completely washed off with hot water the remnants of diatoms which were on varying parts of the filter. I did a thorough cleaning of the unit, plugged it back in, made sure the media basket was in place and STILL the water flow seems weak, even at full capacity...

This is just the weirdest thing because as of yesterday, nothing was wrong with this unit or the bubble wands -- in fact, the 110 was spitting out so much current, it was causing a ridiculous amount of underwater aeration and almost "snowy-looking" bubbles; suddenly, the flow isn't there, and I touched nothing in the interim...

Could the thing actually be dying even though it's been on my tank not even a year -- far from it, in fact?

 

[Unicorn]

play around with the filter
I once cleaned mine and then there was no flow for no reason. I had to play around with the filter to get it going again.
-is there air in the return inverse-U tube
-is there enough water IN the filter
-let the filter run without the return tube for just a second
-...etc

It is readly hard for me to explain what I did to make it work, but basically I played with the water return tube and all the sudden the succtioning worked after there was NO AIR anywhere

Good luck

 

[Deep Seven]

Just gonna throw something out of left field here, could it be a problem with the electrical source? If your power outlet has a short or something it could explain the loss of power happening to two different machines.

 

[Aztec]

Another problem might be you're not getting enough current to your filter and pump. Have you connected anything of high voltage to the electrical line or outlet? If there's something else "pulling" a lot of juice from that same electrical line (not just that outlet) then that can produce those effects.

 

[Osage_Winter]

Hello Unicorn,

Thank you very much for your reply; I will respond to you and Deep Seven and everyone else individually on the mater, so we address specific suggestions...

play around with the filter
I once cleaned mine and then there was no flow for no reason. I had to play around with the filter to get it going again.
-is there air in the return inverse-U tube

Not that I know of; I was aware of this possibility, so I made the connection between the u tube and in-tank intake stalk REALLY tight...

-is there enough water IN the filter

Yes; checked and confirmed.

-let the filter run without the return tube for just a second
-...etc

Well, I didn't do that...

It is readly hard for me to explain what I did to make it work, but basically I played with the water return tube and all the sudden the succtioning worked after there was NO AIR anywhere

Good luck

Thanks.

 

[Osage_Winter]

Just gonna throw something out of left field here, could it be a problem with the electrical source? If your power outlet has a short or something it could explain the loss of power happening to two different machines.

You know something Deep Seven? I considered that possibility and threw it out to my wife, who thought I was nuts, but we came to the conclusion that if it was a power issue, why would it allow the machines to run at all? Wouldn't they either work, or not work?

Further, I am going to do an experiment to switch the plugs of these devices into another outlet and see if that changes anything, but I must say that while I don't know what is causing the AquaClear to reduce its flow, so far as the bubble wands go, they could just be completely covered in diatom gunk (they look it, covered completely in brown) and this could be jamming the bubble holes...

On a side note, I also added 250ml of Seachem's PhosGuard today to try and control to silicates and diatoms, so I will see where that puts me...

Thanks for your input and assistance.

 

[Osage_Winter]

Hi Aztec,

Thanks for your thoughts; indeed, as I said to Deep Seven, this could be, but if the electrical outlet is causing this, wouldn't the filters, lights or pumps just not work at all?

Another problem might be you're not getting enough current to your filter and pump. Have you connected anything of high voltage to the electrical line or outlet?

Nothing is connected to this outlet as far as I know in the fashion that you describe; I'm not running a surge protector for the aquarium gear, but the two filters and air pump are plugged into an extension cord, which is then going into the wall outlet. However, the problem may be the extension cord -- perhaps it's either gone bad, or something else; this brings me back to the question of whether electronic devices could just "slow down" with poor current, or if they just wouldn't work at all...

Also -- there are a lot of pieces of electronic audio gear running in the same room as the tank, as the room is also our music/stereo listening area. On another outlet, not on the exact same wall as the tank though, an audio receiver, CD changer, CD recorder and other various pieces of audio gear are plugged into a surge protector, which is going into the other wall outlet...

Just something to chew on...

If there's something else "pulling" a lot of juice from that same electrical line (not just that outlet) then that can produce those effects.

Well -- I guess this answered some of the questions I have been asking about this, after all! Is this really true?

 

[Osage_Winter]

UPDATE:

Okay -- unplugged the two filters and air pump from the extension cord and plugged them into a top-quality APC surge protector I had lying around. That didn't do anything; the low flow remains, as does the weakened air bubbles (they're almost a trickle at this point)...

So, the extension cord wasn't the problem -- we still haven't taken the wall outlet out of the equation, but I'll get to that next.

This leads me to another question...if it was in fact a weakened current in one of these outlets, why would the devices just suddenly get weaker in performance? There were no issues of any kind up until this point in terms of sustained weak water return flow from my filters, so if there was a current problem, why would it happen all of a sudden?