Diatons How To Get Rid Of

[debi0000]

I SEEM TO BE HAVING A BIG PROBLEM WITH WHAT I BELIEVE IS DIATONS OR MAYBE PHOSPATE. ALTHOUGH WHEN I TEST FOR PHOSPHATES IT ALWAYS TURNS OUT NEGATIVE. WHAT SHOULD I DO TO CLEAR THIS UP. SHOULD I START USING HIGH QUALITY BOTTLED WATER FOR TOP OFFS AND WATER CHANGES? MY WATER NEVER SEEMS TO BE CRYSTAL CLEAR. ANY ADVICE WOULD BE APPRECIATED!
THANKS DEBI0000

 

[kevin34]

What kind of water are you using now? Tap water? If you are you should really switch to RO water.

 

[oniel21]

Definetly switch to RO. But to answer your question, Turbo snails love Diatoms!

 

[reefkprz]

ok one way to have a phosphate problem but test nil is to have a source consuming them as fast as they enter the tank, algae.
also try testing for silicates, diatoms cannot grow with out silicic acid. usually diatoms are a phase new tanks go through, but if there are silicates riding in on your water source you will never be free of diatoms, usually they convert the available silicates to a non soluble form of silica then when they die the silica sinks becoming part of the sand bed. so the ongoing diatoms have to have a source of silicic acid to be a continuos thing.

 

[snaredrum]

ok one way to have a phosphate problem but test nil is to have a source consuming them as fast as they enter the tank, algae.
This is 100% Correct! I was having the same problem. Always testing the tank. Try testing the water before you put it in the tank. I was putting Phosphate in my tank without knowing it. First it was the RO from the Supermarket. It tested 0.1 they weren't changing their filters. Then it was the LFS I buy my premixed saltwater from (I only need 5 gallons at a time with the 29 cube) it tested 0.1 phosphate. I went back to the old LFS that I bought my water from before and bingo! No Phosphates. That is what you get when you try and save 10 cents a gallon. Also, Mexican Turbos cleaned up the problem real fast.

 

[debi0000]

Originally Posted by reefkprZ
ok one way to have a phosphate problem but test nil is to have a source consuming them as fast as they enter the tank, algae.
This is 100% Correct! I was having the same problem. Always testing the tank. Try testing the water before you put it in the tank. I was putting Phosphate in my tank without knowing it. First it was the RO from the Supermarket. It tested 0.1 they weren't changing their filters. Then it was the LFS I buy my premixed saltwater from (I only need 5 gallons at a time with the 29 cube) it tested 0.1 phosphate. I went back to the old LFS that I bought my water from before and bingo! No Phosphates. That is what you get when you try and save 10 cents a gallon. Also, Mexican Turbos cleaned up the problem real fast.

what is a mexican turbo?

 

[coraljunky]

Originally Posted by Snaredrum
what is a mexican turbo?
Snail

 

[chilwil84]

this is what they look like. the name is based on where it comes from and the shape of its shell