Diatoms?

[iiinadav]

Travis
Diatoms thrive on silicates and light. Cutting back on the light may slightly stop them from spreading, but they still remain until all of the silicate in your system has been absorbed. Silicates can enter an established aquarium through food and bad RO/DI filters, but in a new system the main source of silicates are fresh saltwater and new sand. Give it time and they will go away. In my 29 gallon tank it over 2 months before the diatoms went away, but my 72 gallon was diatom free in one month.
The hair algae and red slime algae were probably thriving off of high phosphate levels or the high nitrate levels you had. Since you have gotten you nitrate level down, you should also test for phosphates. To get rid of the red and hair algae you should cut back on the lights little, lightly feed you livestock, implement an aggressive water change schedule until you see the algae is gone.

 

[travis89]

OK, thanks for the help iiinadav
I will try to do more water changes and I will cut the hours back

 

[mermaiden7]

I have this problem too. I just got PC lights about 2 weeks ago and that is when it started. When i turn out my lights at night it goes away. But after about an hour after i turn them on in the mornings it is back again.
Parameters:
PH 8.1
Amm 0
nitrate 0
nitrite 0
SG 1.022 ( will raise up to 1.025 tomorrow)
I have polyps and a condy anemone.
I run my lights for about 9 hours a day how long should i cut them back with out hurting the condy or polyps?

 

[mermaiden7]

Bump...

 

[iiinadav]

Tanks size? What's the total wattage of you lighting system? How long has your tank been set up? What type of water do you use? With anemones, cutting back on the photo period is not always an option, but it can and be done. Most people cut back 2-3 hours of lights, depending on you live stock.

 

[mermaiden7]

It is a 10 gallon with 96W PC>
I use RO from LFS

 

[iiinadav]

It looks like you have more than enough light for the anemone, so you can probably cut the photo period back 3 hours. Cut back an hour every 2 days will allow you live stock time to adjust. Change about 1 gallon of water per day if available. Test your tank for phosphates.

 

[mermaiden7]

Should I be testing for all of these: low and high pH, iron, nitrite, phosphate, nitrate, calcium, GH, KH and ammonia? All i test for is PH Nitrate nitrite and ammonia. What is a good brand for the rest of the test kits? The one i use now is made by aquarium pharmicuticals

 

[cain420]

cant go wrong with salifert..

 

[iiinadav]

For fish only aquariums pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate are the main parameter you want to test. Some people with fish only aquariums also test alkalinity, phosphates and silicates. If your tank is a reef, you should test for all of those and calcium, iodine, strontium and molybdenum. Salifert, Seachem and Hagen test kits are all good.