Diatoms

kalamity

kalamity

Member
Ok. So, my tank is nearing the end of its cycle and every few hours the brown spots on the rock and glass triple. Or it seems like it. I am assuming that the stuff is diatom algea. It comes off of the glass easily with the magnet.
Will this go away on its own? Is it ok that it is there? Will anything eat it quickly enough to keep it under control? If so, what should I get once the cycle is finished?
I've read that this is normal, and I keep telling myself that it is normal and ok, but I'm getting paraoid, so I need reassurance. Again.
Help.
 
jdecter

jdecter

Member
Time to go buy a cleaning crew, and well if any sun light is hitting the tank at all stop it. It will greatly reduce the algae growth speed, plus if your running your lights long, and their the cheap free ones you get, don't run them so long.
And upgrade them to at least some power compacts.
It's suggested you can have up to one cleaning crew creature per gallon but thats a bit extreme.
Depending on tank size I'd start out with say 5 hermits and 5 turbo snails. Hermits will stir the sand base (if you have sand) when they walk keeping it clean, and they will eat any uneaten food and fish poop as well.
Turbo snails will clean the tank of any algae growth given enough time, and keep buying more until it seems to balance with your growth.
In short Algae is natural and a good sign that the tank can handle life. But it grows by two needs being met. Phosphorus and Nitrates in the water, and Carbon Diaxide + Light = Algae bloom.
The purplish light from the free florecent hoods you get with most tanks is very much a algae producer, along with any light coming in from windows or glass doors in the same room.
So simple solution is get a cleaning crew, reduce any sunlight or cheap florecents and well once the cycle is done (dont change water during a cycle it will slow it down or start it over), keep your water changed frequent enough to keep the phosphates and trates low.
 
kalamity

kalamity

Member
Thanks for the thorough reply, jdecter. It's a 50 gallon. I've got Coralife Aqualight compact strip running, and I cut down the time the lights are on. The is no direct sunlight hitting the tank, but there is some indirect that filters through the curtains from across the room. I look forward to putting in the first critters. Even if I don't have live rock. I don't want to starve them, but there does seem to be some algae in there!
 
kalamity

kalamity

Member
Originally Posted by jdecter
Turbo snails will clean the tank of any algae growth given enough time, and keep buying more until it seems to balance with your growth.
Will turbo snail impede the growth of coraline algae on live rock and on base rock that is seeded with live rock? Will any cleaning critter keep that from happeneing?
 
omgsaltwat

omgsaltwat

Member
Originally Posted by FishFatty
IMO, clean up crew didnt work for my diatoms, time worked for me


Me to time
***) ***) ***)
they helped a little but not much just time..........
 
aveda6

aveda6

Member
I'm currently in the process of waiting out the algae cycle. I backed off the lights and reduced the feeding, but it seems to just be part of the tank's maturing. I have a good cleanup crew (crabs, snails, etc) but they cannot keep up with the algae. It comes off the glass pretty easily and I'd rather just wait for the system to balance out. By the way, I use RODI water so that's not a part of the issue.
Jim
 
saltwater8

saltwater8

Member
ok, a kind of off the subject question...
How do you get diatoms to grow in your tank?

I really want to get a chevron tang and they eat diatoms as part of their diet.
:happyfish
 
kalamity

kalamity

Member
Originally Posted by FishFatty
IMO, clean up crew didnt work for my diatoms, time worked for me

Just so I can set patience-o-meter, how much time? Several water changes? I know it is different for everyone and every tank. I just want a benchmark. Can I still begin to slowly stock the tank after the cycle, or do I need to wait????
 
promisetbg

promisetbg

Active Member
You can start to slowly add livestock. Diatoms should give way to green algae within the next few weeks.
You do not need diatoms to have a healthy Chevron...just feed lots of greens,nori,formula 2,spirulina, algae based foods and some meaty foods is ok.
 
kalamity

kalamity

Member
Originally Posted by promisetbg
You can start to slowly add livestock. Diatoms should give way to green algae within the next few weeks.
You do not need diatoms to have a healthy Chevron...just feed lots of greens,nori,formula 2,spirulina, algae based foods and some meaty foods is ok.
So green algae is good? I must say, the whole algae thing is quite confusing to me. I read so much about this algae and that algae. What is good algae? Bad algae? Too much algae?
Anyone feel like giving an Algae 101 tutorial? Or, can you put me on the track to a good FAQ thread on algae?
 
omgsaltwat

omgsaltwat

Member
Originally Posted by kalamity
Just so I can set patience-o-meter, how much time? Several water changes? I know it is different for everyone and every tank. I just want a benchmark. Can I still begin to slowly stock the tank after the cycle, or do I need to wait????
I still have very few spots on glass after 5 months.
 
kalamity

kalamity

Member
Originally Posted by OMGsaltwat
I still have very few spots on glass after 5 months.

What would happen if you scrubbed it off the glass? Is that a no-no? Like scratching the chickenpox?
 
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