Help with ALGEA

[rebelprettyboy]

Well i am having problem with some algea and was wondering is this diatom algea?
heres a pic

Doesnt diatoms usually come when you are cycling you tank? I never had any algea while cycling the tank until this popped up in the last week. How should I go about getting rid of it??

 

[rebelprettyboy]

water parameters are:
ammonia .10
nitrites 0
nitrates 0
phopshates 0
calcium 440
Carbonate hardness 12dKH
specfic gravity - 1.026

 

[thud]

Yes, those are diatoms.
This is a new tank correct? If it is not are you using tap water for water changes and top offs?
Stirring up the diatoms or fanning them will not get rid of them, they'll be back.
Get some phosphate removal media.

 

[reefreak29]

i assume your stil cycleing your tank if your amm. is detectibal , diatoms are common in a new tank and should go away in a few weaks .a good clean up crew will get rid of it as soon as your tank cycles

 

[rebelprettyboy]

Tank is not cyclying been set up for 4 months and i never had a problem with algea during the cycle thats why I was woderings.
Phopspate is at 0

 

[reefreak29]

the diatoms are prob. from the ammonia spike did u add new live rock lately or did something in your tank die?
BROWN DIATOM ALGEA: usually accurs in newer reef tanks. mostly because of the introduction of live rock, wich introduces silicates and nutrients to your tank.
a brown film soon coats your sand bed.The control of diotoms is fairly easy.u first need a benificial cleen up crew trochus and astraea snails eagerly consume the brown diotoms. The second thing u want to do is perform regular water changes to remove access nutrients.

 

[rebelprettyboy]

yup colt coral died about a week ago. Ammonia shot up to .50 before i could come home that day from school and take it out. or maybe it was 1 either way it did go up and now its back down to about .10

 

[rebelprettyboy]

bump

 

[reefreak29]

usually diatoms come from nutrients and not flow :thinking:but i suppose u can get nutrients from stuff settleing on your live rock from to little flow

 

[rebelprettyboy]

i have a 55 gallon tank with 27X-30X turnover rate.. Hmm I dont know I cut the lights back to 8 hours a day they run from 9-5

 

[reefreak29]

flows good im sure it will go away once your ammonia levels go down u can also use phosban, even though your phos is 0 it should help

 

[rebelprettyboy]

hmm okay thanks. Do you think Pets Mart have phosban? My local fish store doesnt have many liquids here in Midland and I dont wanna drive to odessa

 

[reefreak29]

Originally Posted by rebelprettyboy
hmm okay thanks. Do you think Pets Mart have phosban? My local fish store doesnt have many liquids here in Midland and I dont wanna drive to odessa
i dont know never been there u can call them thuogh

 

[rebelprettyboy]

ok thanks reefreak