Diatom (brown algae) Problem

M

markc

Guest
I have a major Diatom problem in my 90 gallon tank. I just cannot get rid of it. It is all over my corals and live sand bed. Thank is over 2 years old. It's been over 1.5 months now and it will no go away.
Water Quality as of last night using API reef master test kit:
Nitrates 5
Phosphate 1
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
ph 8.3
SG 1.027
My tank includes the following:
Lighting 2x250watt MH 15K XM lights (2 weeks old)
4 powerheads 2 koralia 2s, 1 Seio Superflow 1100 gph, 1 maxi jet 1200
30 gallon refuge
Coralife Skimmer
Fish:
snowflake eel
Hamlet
2 clowns
Green Lionfish
yellow tank
hippo tang
flame hawk
Feeding Frozen food everyother day thawing it under fresh water placing into net and placing into tank.
Several types of corals and inverts
What I have been doing to rid the problem:
20 gallon weekly water changes
changed out old MH (9 months old)
reduced lighting to 6 hours a day from 8
tried to raise and lower SG
bush off algae and suck it out
clean all equipment
added Purigen
Kent power phos
tried Rowa phos
added a bag of HydroCarbon 2.
Any suggestions on how I can get rid of this crap, it's even getting into my fuge. thank you.
 
wargalley20011

wargalley20011

Member
Maybe adjust your Clean up crew to fit tank? What, and how much do you feed your corals? That could cause your excess algae growth.
 
V

vinnyraptor

Guest
a fighting conch will do the trick. had the same problem in my 95, since "Harry" arrived diatoms are down to a minimum, he keeps my sand bed nearly spotless.
 
M

markc

Guest
Originally Posted by wargalley20011
http:///forum/post/3186920
Maybe adjust your Clean up crew to fit tank? What, and how much do you feed your corals? That could cause your excess algae growth.
The issue with the clean up crew is that my lion fish and eel eat the crabs, snails, and shrimp.
 
M

markc

Guest
Originally Posted by wargalley20011
http:///forum/post/3186920
Maybe adjust your Clean up crew to fit tank? What, and how much do you feed your corals? That could cause your excess algae growth.
I feed the fish once every other day coals about once a week a couple drops of Marine Snow as per bottle.
 
V

vinnyraptor

Guest
Originally Posted by PEZenfuego http:///forum/post/3188877
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/358742/the-dreaded-diatom-bloom
thank you for the explaination. i now know why i get diatoms, i made "homemade" LR from portland cement that contained silocents. im glad to finally be assured that they can be and are a positive thing when under control. we couldn't maintain the conch without them and he is very cool.
i have a 95 but designed the rockwork to leave as much open sand bed as possible. the conch can get to about 75% of the tank floor even though i have over 150 lb.s of LR. he's like a cleaning lady in a big hotel, their is always a dirty rug somewhere. i get zero diatoms on the rock so it works out pretty well. again TY for the explaination, well done!
 
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