Diatoms

[orthoboy]

20 gallow tank with 22 lbs of LR and 2 inch sandbed has been cycling for 5 weeks. All levels are excellent. Just noticed diatom on the sand and LR. Should I just leave it alone or should I get a clean up crew? If I am to get a clean up crew, what would be best to get for my tank size and dispose of the diatoms?

 

[alohami]

Have you been testing your water? What are the readings? It will depend on those whether you can add a cleanup crew or not. If all levels (ammonia, nitrite and nitrate) have spiked and come back down, you could be ready to do your water change and add your clean up crew. Post your water parameters and then we can see if you are ready for them.
Diatoms are common at the end of a cycle. I have them now also. Will eventually go away on their own, but I believe a clean up crew will help also (if you can safely add them at this point).

 

[orthoboy]

Water levels are as follows: pH 8.2 ammonia 0 nitirites 0 nitrates 15. I just begun doing top off water changes with distilled water. How long will it take for the diatoms to go away and in the mean time, how large of a clean up crew should I add to my 20g tank?

 

[mudplayerx]

You will need a clean up crew regardless. For a 20 gallon tank you will probably want about 10 hermit crabs and about 10 snails.

 

[snipe]

I would get a cleanup crew also. I would just get an array of stuff from crabs to shrimp to snails. Basic cleaning crew. The diatoms will go away on there own if there are no nutrients in the water your using. If there arent then it would be a couple months depending on how bad they are.

 

[alohami]

Originally posted by mudplayerx
You will need a clean up crew regardless.
This is true, but we needed to make sure his cycle was finished before he added them.
They are definatey a good addition to a healthy tank, however, they are not required to get rid of diatoms specifically because as Snipe said, they will go away on their own if they lack nutrients in the water.