diatoms

[Burbs]

best way to prevent/get rid of it?

[demonsp]

Proper flow , water source , cleanup crew , not to over stock , no overfeeding. LR loose enough for good flow through it. Could be many reasons really need more info. Like stock equipment ect..

[Burbs]

i have 2 koralia 3 powerheads


livestock:
foxface
pair of true perc clowns
lawnmower blenny
twinspot goby
10 cerith snails
3 turbo
10 nerite
4 queen conchs
1 fire shrimp
1 cleaner shrimp

[Burbs]

oh yeah i use ro/di water and i feed once a day with one cube of frozen brine

[demonsp]

The foxface and blenny would like some nori.
What do you use for flow ? How long has this tank been up and running?

[Burbs]

i feed nori every 2 days or so blenny doesnt touch it he enjoys algea off rocks and the brine

mag12 and 2 koralia 3's for flow

[Burbs]

tank has been cycled for almost 4 months

[demonsp]

Those koralia pumps are not good enough for your tank. They are underrated i think.

[Burbs]

what do you recommend then?

[julianp]

I had an ongoing diatom problem for months. Three things that worked very well for me to finally get it under control:

(1) I purchased a cheap ($35) Two Little Fishies PhosBan reactor. Most phosphate removal media also remove some silicates (which is what the diatoms in particular feed off of along with excess phosphates). Even if using ro/di, you are likely getting silicate leaching from the rockwork or sand and will eventually calm down on it's own... but may take months more... who knows.

(2) Switched the refugium light in my sump/fuge combo to run 24/7. This seemed to make the most immediately noticeable difference. The diatoms are then able to take over the refuge area and out-compete algae growth in the display tank because of the constant light source. It's important to note that this step is a temporary fix, but will not solve the source of the problem... just helps divert the ugly algae growth into an area that won't be on display anyway.

(3) When I cleaned the diatoms from the glass, I began to wipe them upward and out of the water with a pad and rinsed it after each wipe to keep as little of the spores as possible from just floating around the tank and settling somewhere else.


Good luck! I'm sure you'll be able to get them in control pretty soon.

--Julian

[MR PALM BEACH]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11153434#post11153434 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Burbs
i have 2 koralia 3 powerheads


livestock:
foxface
pair of true perc clowns
lawnmower blenny
twinspot goby
10 cerith snails
3 turbo
10 nerite
4 queen conchs
1 fire shrimp
1 cleaner shrimp

I have 2 K-4 In a 90, so trust me If you thought you were going to have to much flow In there you could step It up a notch without any chaos or Issues. Just my 2 cents.:rollface:

[USC-fan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11153517#post11153517 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Burbs
i feed nori every 2 days or so blenny doesnt touch it he enjoys algea off rocks and the brine

mag12 and 2 koralia 3's for flow just buy a koralia 4. I got mine off ebay for $45. That should help with the flow....