diatoms
- Thread starter Roo
- Start date
Roo welcome to MASA
Wait for one of the GURU's they will help you
Wait for one of the GURU's they will help you
Howdy Jaak - I new you folks would ask that so here goes..my tank has been running for two years. It holds 3500l and lit by 3 x 250 W MHs, 2 actinic blue and 2 white T5s. I have had the water tested by several others as I only have limited equip but it appears as though phosphates are not traceable and ammonia, nitrates, nitrites etc are all negligable. Ph varies between 7.97 and 8.18, alkalinity 9dKH, temp 24 -25. I have a small DSB with some Chaetomorpha weed over it in the sump. Currently I am tying some carbon and a phosphate / silicate remover called Extrax Phos in a cannister filter but to no avail. What else...I have a kind artificial looking small round ball type of aragonite sand about 15mm thick as a substrate!
I have also tried several types of salt and currently use good old sea water. This has been going on for about a year now.
A VERY WARM WELCOME to MASA, Roo! Great to have you on-board! Would you please be so kind, as to create a new thread, under our "New Members" forum, and tell us more about yourself, your tank/s and your reefkeeping experience?
To answer your question - yes - diatoms do live off silicates..... All new water and new sand have diatoms that starts to grow off them....
Can you please elaborate on how long have you had your tank set up for?
Also - please be patient - once the silicates in the tanks and substrate have been "used up", the diatoms also disappear.....
Good luck mate! Hope you won't be a stranger now! Hope you enjoy our company! It's an amazing hobby, and life changing experience!
To answer your question - yes - diatoms do live off silicates..... All new water and new sand have diatoms that starts to grow off them....
Can you please elaborate on how long have you had your tank set up for?
Also - please be patient - once the silicates in the tanks and substrate have been "used up", the diatoms also disappear.....
Good luck mate! Hope you won't be a stranger now! Hope you enjoy our company! It's an amazing hobby, and life changing experience!
Thanks Brent. This is going to test my skills as I'm a bit *** at this so it may take some time. It is a nice big tank but doesn't look so hot covered in brown diatoms at the moment and everything that goes in is always in mega quants and consequently it is not cheap to run.
Mekaeel
Moderator
Welcome to MASA Roo 
Try and get yourself some Rowaphos. Rowaphos helps in removing Phosphates aswell as silicates.
Try and get yourself some Rowaphos. Rowaphos helps in removing Phosphates aswell as silicates.
Ok Jacque here are some grainy attempts. The water has started to clear as it is now late afternoon but you can still see the brown residue all over the sand around the scooter.
Welcome to MASA Roo
Try and get yourself some Rowaphos. Rowaphos helps in removing Phosphates aswell as silicates.
Thanks Makaeel. I have tried it with limited success and its v expensive so currently trying Extax Phos. Is it not possible to perhaps find the source of the problem rather than treating the effect?
Hi Roo - there are chances that what you are seeing is actually cyano bacteria. Just very limited cyano bacteria growing..... What water flow do you have INSIDE you tank? What skimmer are running on the tank?
Cyano can be removed by increasing the oxygen to the water (perhaps try and put an airstone with air pump in your tank's sump's return chamber) - or perhaps even get another, bigger skimmer?
And also - by increasing the water flow inside the tank - as much as you possibly can - ie, get 2 x 15000 litre per hour ReSun power-heads.... or something similar.....
Cyano can be removed by increasing the oxygen to the water (perhaps try and put an airstone with air pump in your tank's sump's return chamber) - or perhaps even get another, bigger skimmer?
And also - by increasing the water flow inside the tank - as much as you possibly can - ie, get 2 x 15000 litre per hour ReSun power-heads.... or something similar.....