Dumb Diatoms

[paintballer768]

Tanks been up for about 4 months now and Im getting a diatom outbreak. Im not sure what causes it but I need some help getting rid of it. Flow is great in the areas its forming too which is odd. Lemme know what I can do please. Thanks

 

[reefkprz]

diatomic growth isnt possible without silicates, so I would say you either havent had the initial burst of diatomic growth yet, or your adding something to your tank that is transporting in silicic acid (could be anynumber of things including new sand, food type, new LR, tap weater or anything else that may contain a soluble form of silica such as feldspar, or already dissolved silica). if this is the initial burst of diatoms then it should pass once they consume all available silicates. if you expirienced your first growth then fade of diatomic algae already then your probably adding silicates and should attempt to find the source.

 

[paintballer768]

Recently I added a phosphate bag. The contents in the mesh bag looked like silica balls (like the kind in some items for absorbing moisture and in the squishy pillows at Sharper Image and Brookstone.) Could they have leached it into the tank? Its been out for a good week or two, and was only in for 4 days as instructed.
How could I help remove them? Water changes?

 

[sepulatian]

Is this your first bloom? The tank is relatively new. It happens in all new tanks.

 

[paintballer768]

I had some diatoms when it was cycling, and they lasted about 2 days before they killed themselves off. This one resembles that of brown cyano almost, but it cant be cyano because I just got arid of it with a series of water changes and the removing of the phosphates that were fueling them.

 

[mcbdz]

Originally Posted by paintballer768
I had some diatoms when it was cycling, and they lasted about 2 days before they killed themselves off. This one resembles that of brown cyano almost, but it cant be cyano because I just got arid of it with a series of water changes and the removing of the phosphates that were fueling them.
Don't be to sure. remeber cyno it a bacteria and some times it is a very tuff kill. Take some pics up close.

 

[paintballer768]

Originally Posted by mcbdz
Don't be to sure. remeber cyno it a bacteria and some times it is a very tuff kill. Take some pics up close.
Yea I will soon. After looking at the pictures I took a while back of the cyano and what this algae looks like and its nothing alike except it covers the bottom. My tank, being a 24g nano, has really strong current that goes in a clockwise motion, and with my GSP rock and others on the bottom right in the flow, stuff accumulates near the front of the rocks on the sand, and those are the most concentrated spots of the light brown algae.
How would I get rid of diatoms if I had them? reefkprZ said silicates, and the only thing Ive added to the water ever was a phosphate pad and cyano remover. I used them together to help blast the cyano a few weeks back. I did the dosage of the remover chemical, and did 2 water changes in a week after it said to do one, so I think that would be almost nonexistent if it were that. The phosphate pad might have done it, but it was only in for 4 days (how long it said to use it for). Opinions?

 

[reefkprz]

a phosphate pad is not going to leach silicates into your tank. I would check your source water, even if there is a very very small amount of silicates in your source water it will build up to higher percentages through top off. (are you using ro from a tested source, AKA your own unit?) unfortunatly purchased RO water often falls far short of the 99.9% pure mark due to inadequet maintinence of the filters.

 

[perfectdark]

Your phosphate pad if left un touched could also release phosphates back into your water depending on how long you had it in there for. And also what the phosphate remover is, either ferric oxide based or Aluminum. I believe the aluminum will bind the phosphates to the media so it cannot be released back into your tank once the media has reached the end of its useful life. The good part is it can be recharged. Again just an idea Im not sure exactly what your using.

 

[paintballer768]

Originally Posted by PerfectDark
Your phosphate pad if left un touched could also release phosphates back into your water depending on how long you had it in there for. And also what the phosphate remover is, either ferric oxide based or Aluminum. I believe the aluminum will bind the phosphates to the media so it cannot be released back into your tank once the media has reached the end of its useful life. The good part is it can be recharged. Again just an idea Im not sure exactly what your using.
The pad looked like tiny white beads, but regardless it said to use for 4 days, and it was in there for 4 days only, give or take a few hours.
Originally Posted by reefkprZ
a phosphate pad is not going to leach silicates into your tank. I would check your source water, even if there is a very very small amount of silicates in your source water it will build up to higher percentages through top off. (are you using ro from a tested source, AKA your own unit?) unfortunatly purchased RO water often falls far short of the 99.9% pure mark due to inadequet maintinence of the filters.
Oh ok, I was not sure if it could. If it comes in the water Im getting, its going to be my LFS's fault. I get the water that they pump from our waters and they treat it to the point it is ok for our tanks. They might need to replace the filters or something along those lines, but Im doing a water change. It may or may not help. I cant think of anything that would introduce the silicates into the water.
Could something possibly have broken and be in the water leaching? Or any medications? Natural causes from our tanks that produce it?

 

[steeliathunder]

Originally Posted by reefkprZ
diatomic growth isnt possible without silicates, so I would say you either havent had the initial burst of diatomic growth yet, or your adding something to your tank that is transporting in silicic acid (could be anynumber of things including new sand, food type, new LR, tap weater or anything else that may contain a soluble form of silica such as feldspar, or already dissolved silica). if this is the initial burst of diatoms then it should pass once they consume all available silicates. if you expirienced your first growth then fade of diatomic algae already then your probably adding silicates and should attempt to find the source.
hey thanks for the info. im getting a light second bloom from the new lr i added. good to know. you guys are awesome sauce. (sorry to piggyback your thread pb).

 

[reefkprz]

Originally Posted by paintballer768
If it comes in the water Im getting, its going to be my LFS's fault. I get the water that they pump from our waters and they treat it to the point it is ok for our tanks. They might need to replace the filters or something along those lines, but Im doing a water change.
A water change can help, even if its done with silicate containing water, sounds contradictory I know but the water containing the silicate may contain a lower concentration than is presently in your tank, this will minimize overall availability of silicates, though it will introduce some. your LFS probably hasnt changed their RO filters in a while, this could very easily be the source.
Originally Posted by paintballer768
Could something possibly have broken and be in the water leaching? Or any medications? Natural causes from our tanks that produce it?
other natural sources include LR deposits of feldspar or garnet like materials contained in the rock can slowly leach silicates, you may possibly be expiriencing a second bloom due to slow leaching from your original rock or sand. it is possible the first wave consumed all the readily available silicic acid (silicates) and now over the course of a couple months the slow leaching of more silicic acid has promoted a second wave of diatoms.
I would be more inclined to believe the incoming water to be contributory rather than slow leaching, though either is possible IMO its probably your incoming water. if your LFS is good then they may tell you, if you ask, when the last time was they changed their RO filters.

 

[reefkprz]

Originally Posted by SteeliaThunder
hey thanks for the info. im getting a light second bloom from the new lr i added. good to know. you guys are awesome sauce. (sorry to piggyback your thread pb).
your welcome.

 

[paintballer768]

Originally Posted by SteeliaThunder
hey thanks for the info. im getting a light second bloom from the new lr i added. good to know. you guys are awesome sauce. (sorry to piggyback your thread pb).
Dont worry about it

 

[paintballer768]

Originally Posted by reefkprZ
A water change can help, even if its done with silicate containing water, sounds contradictory I know but the water containing the silicate may contain a lower concentration than is presently in your tank, this will minimize overall availability of silicates, though it will introduce some. your LFS probably hasnt changed their RO filters in a while, this could very easily be the source.
other natural sources include LR deposits of feldspar or garnet like materials contained in the rock can slowly leach silicates, you may possibly be expiriencing a second bloom due to slow leaching from your original rock or sand. it is possible the first wave consumed all the readily available silicic acid (silicates) and now over the course of a couple months the slow leaching of more silicic acid has promoted a second wave of diatoms.
I would be more inclined to believe the incoming water to be contributory rather than slow leaching, though either is possible IMO its probably your incoming water. if your LFS is good then they may tell you, if you ask, when the last time was they changed their RO filters.
Okay thank you so much. I did a water change today as much as I could do without exposing my zoos to the air, which turned out to be about 8 gallons I'd say. Ive got 3 more gallons left for some other time. Ill see if the diatoms go away today, or at least are less prominent. It might be the LR but I havent added a new piece in about...4 months. So it must be a VERY slow leach if that. When I go down to the LFS to get more water Ill ask them when they changed the RO filters last. About how frequently are you supposed to change them?

 

[reefkprz]

Originally Posted by paintballer768
About how frequently are you supposed to change them?
depends on the quality of the water they are filtering. but about every 2,500 gallons for the carbon and micron filterand DI resin and every year+ or so for the TFC membrane if they flush the TFC membrane often. more often for dirtier source water.

 

[paintballer768]

Ok so Ill keep that in mind. Funny thing, in marine biology class we were talking about algae and there was a diagram of a diatom. The caption said that it forms a silica shell, so reefkprZ definitely knows his stuff!

Diatoms are back today so Ill keep tabs