what makes diatoms form?

[agoutihead]

I'm starting to get some diatoms collecting on my sand. what makes them form again?

i thought it was from using tap water? but I have only used ro/di from the start?

[m2434]

also, add overfeeding and insufficient protein skimming...

[agoutihead]

ahh. well I don't have a skimmer (on purpose)

and I have been probably over feeding a bit because I just got a new sun coral I have been trying to revitalize.

I'll slow down on the feeds for a few days.

thanks.

[kev apsley]

low flow area's

[agoutihead]

whats the best way to get rid of the problem? just water changes?

I have held off on feeding my sun corals for a few days because it has bloomed into a larger problem.

I have a bunch of rubble rock in my tank that now has brown diatoms all over it, these pieces are generally white. will they eventually lose the brown look and go back to normal when the rest of my tank does?

Or will I have to take them out and re-boil them? (which I would prefer not to)

If these pieces are turning really brown, could they just be newer coral skeletons and not actually live rock yet?

[filmoholic]

Either way the diotoms will go away on there own. Nothing to worry about.Just ugly.

[Travis L. Stevens]

Diatoms are always present in your system. They are just starting to grow in proportions that you can see them. Diatoms use light, nitrate, phosphate, other available chemicals, and silicates in order to grow. Lack of a predator will also let them grow to these sizes where you can see them. Either introducing a predator, actively eliminate one growth factor, or let them use up the available nutrients will cause them to dwindle. The latter two are the typical methods of removal and involves lots of patience, quality water changes, reduced feedings and bioload, etc.

With the exception of a few minor differences, almost all nuisance animals and algae can be taken care of with this method.

[Aquabucket]

Here is a great article for you to read. (http://www.netpets.org/fish/reference/saltref/diatoms.html)

[skeeter-doc]

you need to remove any silicate from your RO water too

[kev apsley]

replenish your clew up crew, I did that and they have mowed down all my diatoms

[agoutihead]

In my display alone I have probably 2-3 hermit crabs, 4 or 5 emerald crabs, a porcelian crab, a blood shrimp, i dont know what more I could get in a 40 breeder without over populating the tank with so many inverts they fight.

I have an ATO, so it is contantly getting new water flushed into it every day.

I will try and do a couple of water changes over the next week.

oh and I have a 4 stage ro/di unit with all brand new media, so I think the water is as pure/clean as I am going to get it

[Travis L. Stevens]

It's going to take a while to get rid of them, and if it helps any snails are typically the predator of diatoms, and you don't have any listed.

[agoutihead]

the only snails I have are nassarius, I have maybe 3 of them and plan on getting around 5-8 more for my display.

what kind of snails actually eat diatoms?

Isnt this just part of the cycle of a tank? It seems every new tank always has a diatom problem in the begining.

[kev apsley]

you can get a clean-up pack from Fosters and Smith that will help like you won't believe

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=494

[Travis L. Stevens]

Yes and no. Predators or not, chances are you'll get them even if briefly, that is true. But not all tanks have gone through noticable blooms.

Nassarius snails are scavengers. You'll need an herbivore to take care of this. Cerith snails do a fine job keeping the sand clean, and occassionally the rocks and glass. Astrea Snails are really good for rocks and glass, and are pretty much useless for sand. Trochus and Turbo Snails tend to eat larger, tougher stuff, but I have seen them eat film algaes like dinoflagellates and diatoms, so you can't rule these guys out completely.

[erbio]

mexican turbo snails or fighting conches

[Mr31415]

My experience (based solely on non-scientific observation) is that diatoms will bloom whenever you increase any of the factors Travis named earlier.

In my case, when I added a 150W MH light to a well established tank where my initial diatom bloom came and went, I suddenly started experiencing another diatom bloom. The nitrates, phosphates, silicates etc were all exactly the same as before I added the light. The initial diatom bloom I had when I started the tank all disappeared eventually on the other side of the tank where I had my big Sfigoli light pendant. But by adding light to a previously unlit section of the tank they started to grow again - in the newly lit section only.

Why this happens is beyond me, but I am 100% sure it is not due to anything bad in the water. Diatoms - according to my experiences - will always bloom in a tank at some stage or another. When it is bad is if the bloom does not disappear after a while. Mine (fortunately) always did.

[agoutihead]

seems it is even worse off today, I havent gotten around to doing a water change, I have just been so busy lately.

Other than looks, does a large diatom outbreak effect your tank in any harmful way?

Obviously if it covers corals it could smother them, but it seems that the diatoms grew every where else but the corals, so that is at least a good thing.

now I just have a bunch of bubbles popping out of my sand. what is that from?

[CruzinKim]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10806835#post10806835 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by filmoholic
Either way the diotoms will go away on there own. Nothing to worry about.Just ugly. I have an hard time getting the stubborn type off the front of the tank.

[agoutihead]

would cutting my lights ran per hour each day help clear things up quicker?

I run a 14k 175W about 12 hours a day.

[m2434]

Lights will make a diffrence, but light spectrum may be more important. I remember years ago I had a diatom problem and someone told me to close my blinds. Within a day or so the diatoms were gone! Yellow/red light = bad, actinic or 20000K lights don't really seem to promote diatom growth.

[lazluvtoo]

Is this what your diatoms look like? These are all over my sand/crushed coral substrate.

http://s28.photobucket.com/albums/c247/tigerluv700/?action=view&current=IMG_0953.jpg

[agoutihead]

yup, thats them! how long has that tank been up and running for?

I havent fed my sun coral in the last 4 days or so, i was doing some in-tank, heavy feeds, and I have no fish and only 1/2 of the clean up crew that I want total.

So until I get my tank fully stocked, no more big, in-tank feedings. I'm just going to take it out and feed it. It's nice to be able to see it open in your tank after it feeds though.

[lazluvtoo]

Technically, my tank has been up and running since 1997. I started with a 75 gl and when we moved to Florida in 1999, upgraded to a 90 gl using the same water, substrate, rock, fish, etc. So, my 90 gl (which I currently have) has been running since October 1999.