Oh my gosh it keeps getting worse and worse!!

perfectdark

Active Member
How long has the tank been set up... in new tanks its not uncommon for it to get worse before it gets better.
 
My tank has been set-up since October after the inital cycle we had something that looked like this but went away on it's own within a week or so. But nothing that looked as terrible. We just got new lights about a week ago. We went from stock lighting to 4(54) watt
t-5's with individual reflectors.
 

florida joe

Well-Known Member
I have heard that it can be a seasonal thing although I cannot see how. But I can tell you I am having a problem with it now in my 110g that has been running for 7 years
 

dinki

Member
How big is the tank and what kind of turnover are you getting from your powerheads? I had a terrible problem with my tank (set up in Nov diatoms in Dec-Jan) that went away really quick when I increased the flow over my sand bed. I was running two maxijet 1200s in my 55 but now I'm running one with a Sureflow mod and things are great.
 

scopus tang

Active Member
Yep, diatoms, and like Perfectdark said, it will probably get worse before it gets better
. Consider increasing numbers of turbo and Astrea snails. If the blooms gets bad enough, it can smoother corals by blocking the light
. Nonmoving/nonsluffing corals are more suseptable than others. Keep water changes going with RO water (that will help reduce nutrients and silica in the existing water); just don't change too much at once. Beyond that, all you can do is ride it out
. It will eventually get better. Good example of why not to use tap water though, thanks for providing it ~ sorry that it happened, but we learn from our mistakes. Experience is often a harsh taskmaster.
 

nigerbang

Active Member
Originally Posted by dinki
http:///forum/post/2493542
How big is the tank and what kind of turnover are you getting from your powerheads? I had a terrible problem with my tank (set up in Nov diatoms in Dec-Jan) that went away really quick when I increased the flow over my sand bed. I was running two maxijet 1200s in my 55 but now I'm running one with a Sureflow mod and things are great.

I had a major problem with diatoms for a while now I have about 61x turnover in my tank and have no algae growth what so ever..
 
Originally Posted by dinki
http:///forum/post/2493542
How big is the tank and what kind of turnover are you getting from your powerheads? I had a terrible problem with my tank (set up in Nov diatoms in Dec-Jan) that went away really quick when I increased the flow over my sand bed. I was running two maxijet 1200s in my 55 but now I'm running one with a Sureflow mod and things are great.
I have 2 hob filters with 330 gph =660
2 Wavemaker powerheads 214gph =448
For a total of.....1108
Should I get some more flow?
Suggestions for placement, brands, etc..
I have a standard 55 gallon tank
55-65 LBS of LR
40-50 LBS of LS
 

nigerbang

Active Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/2493562
maybe its just you the diatoms are afraid of

Nah 11,000gph just from PH's can do that for ya...lol
and thats just my modded Koralia's not counting the 6 or 7 MJ's behind all the rock and the return...
 

rotarygeek

Member
Originally Posted by dinki
http:///forum/post/2493542
How big is the tank and what kind of turnover are you getting from your powerheads? I had a terrible problem with my tank (set up in Nov diatoms in Dec-Jan) that went away really quick when I increased the flow over my sand bed. I was running two maxijet 1200s in my 55 but now I'm running one with a Sureflow mod and things are great.
I have the same problem in my tank. Its been finished cycling for about 2 weeks now and over the last couple of days (since i added a powerhead) i have seen this orange/brown stuff growing on the highest LR. It only happened after i put the powerhead in though, before i had one, it was fine. The powerhead is pointed right at the LR so i don't know what the problem is. Im going to buy another powerhead on the 29th and put it lower and point it towards the sandbed on my tank.
 

And these were my first frags!!

I'm gonna do a water change ASAP with RO water. I'll cross my fingers and hope for the best. My turbo's and 1 Astrea snail have been doing a great job on the rock!
Just slow lol!
My 4 Nass are nowhere to be found except for one who is cleaning my glass.
Should I up my clean up crew anymore?
5 mexican Turbos
1 Astrea
4 Nass
Inhabitants:
1 emerald crab
1 white anemone crab
1 cleaner shrimp
2 blue legged hermits
1 scarlet hermit
3 red shrooms
2 watermellon shrooms
orange centered zoos
yellow polyps
 

nigerbang

Active Member
Originally Posted by RotaryGeek
http:///forum/post/2493571
I have the same problem in my tank. Its been finished cycling for about 2 weeks now and over the last couple of days (since i added a powerhead) i have seen this orange/brown stuff growing on the highest LR. It only happened after i put the powerhead in though, before i had one, it was fine. The powerhead is pointed right at the LR so i don't know what the problem is. Im going to buy another powerhead on the 29th and put it lower and point it towards the sandbed on my tank.

What kind of Powerheads are you guys and gals using...?
 

nigerbang

Active Member
Originally Posted by amyandbrandon2
http:///forum/post/2493581
Should I have more movement and/or closer to the sand?
The way I gauge it is this: If I drop pellets of food and they reach the sand I need to adjust...Not blowing into the sand, but kinda right across the top of it..
 
When I feed sinking pellets to my shrimp they never go where I would like them to go. I drop them in and they end up on the other side of the tank.
I have 1 emerald crab and today he has been soooo active. He seems to be taking pieces of sand cleaning them and spitting them back out. Is he really cleaning and/or eating some of the diatoms? In a 55 is it safe to have 2?
 

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by NigerBang
http:///forum/post/2493638
The way I gauge it is this: If I drop pellets of food and they reach the sand I need to adjust...Not blowing into the sand, but kinda right across the top of it..
bingo out of the mouth of babes
 
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