Diatom Bloom

[scubadiver]

Hi all... I am having the diatom bloom, Rust on everything.. yuck. My tank has been set up for ~6 weeks.
My concern... the diatoms are coating the LSB and LR. I am stirring the LSB to reduce the amount of coverage ( Should i be doing that?) and i am trying, without success, to blow the covering off my LR with a turkey baster.
Should i do this or leave it alone? How long will the bloom take to complete?
BTW... what are the little white bugs that live in my sand? Kinda like fleas but snow white? I like them
75G
25# LR 25# LS 80# aragonite NH3/4-0.0
NO2- <0.3 PH 8.6 SG 1.022 KH 8
Aqua C remora w/ rio 1200
40w fluorescent
2 perlula 3 peppermint shrimp 1 royal gramma
10 blue hermits
i intend to get some sand sifters and soft corals later when i upgrade to 200w of brite lites
Any other comments are appreciated. BTW... SWF have been great to do business with...
Thanks

 

[maroonclownfan]

What is your ammonia reading?
Is your tank intended to be a reef tank or a FOWLR?
If a reef, you should consider adding more LR.
Try some snails, they should clean up the diatoms.
How long have you had fish in the tank?
MCF

 

[jarre]

I'm still abit new so if I say something incorrect I surely hope someone will speak up.
1) I wouldn't stir the sandbed or blow the rock. That will spread the algea pores.
2) Your PH is too high.
3) What are you're Alk and Phos readings?
4) Get more of a cleanup crew.
Nerite Snails, Cerith Snails, and some red leg Hermits.
5) Are you using an RO/DI for topoff water?

 

[scubadiver]

Originally posted by MaroonClownFan
What is your ammonia reading? NH3/4 0.0
Is your tank intended to be a reef tank or a FOWLR? Reef with fish... but not yet
If a reef, you should consider adding more LR. My target is 75-90# i will add 25# at a time
Try some snails, they should clean up the diatoms. Thanks
How long have you had fish in the tank? 2 weeks
MCF

 

[scubadiver]

Originally posted by Jarre
I'm still abit new so if I say something incorrect I surely hope someone will speak up.
1) I wouldn't stir the sandbed or blow the rock. That will spread the algea pores. Ok... but i dont have an algae bloom ... i do have some native algaes that spwned on the LR
2) Your PH is too high. Yep
3) What are you're Alk and Phos readings? My current kit does not test for them.... oops
4) Get more of a cleanup crew.
Nerite Snails, Cerith Snails, and some red leg Hermits. I have had bad xp with reds... but the other sounds good
5) Are you using an RO/DI for topoff water? i use filtered water... i tested for copper and bad stuff... it is good

 

[maroonclownfan]

Since the fish are pretty new to the tank, your tank might be going through a mini cycle due to the presence of more fish waste/food this might be spurring the diatoms.
Monitor your parameters, stabilize your ph, add some snails, and the problem should go away. A water change might help too if you haven't done one in a while.
As you add LR, this "may" happen again, not guaranteed, but if you add uncured LR you could get some die off with would add more nutrients to the water for algea and cyanobacteria (diatom) blooms. Just a heads up.
Hope I could help.......MCF

 

[scubadiver]

Thanks MCF... should i continue the practice of stirring the LSB?

 

[maroonclownfan]

Its not necessary.....plus it will just make your tank cloudy a work your filters harder.
Let your cleaners do the work for you!
I know it looks bad, but be patient, it will come around.
MCF