Diatom bloom out of control.

[lextheimpaler]

Tank been up and running for a week. I know this is a diatom bloom, but is this bad? Can I do something or just leave it?

[SpartaReef]

Leave it they will die of in time, its part of the cycle.

[lextheimpaler]

Leave it they will die of in time, its part of the cycle.
Thanks!

[thegrun]

It looks very normal.

[lextheimpaler]

It looks very normal.

Thanks but ugly as hell. My new tank was so clean. Now it looks like a toilet. Should I be concerned with bubbles coming out of the rock?

[coralsnaked]

NO it is doing just what it is supposed to do. Right now you are growing your bio-filter. Bio meaning bacteria. Ever seen where bacteria grow, well that's there food source. The bigger the cycle or diatomic bacterial bloom then the better the indication your tank will be in the future. Also means you have silica food source in there which is OK now, but you will not want to continue feeding the tank any silica. This means you will have needed to use good substrate and pure water source. If so then in the future when you see those bubbles comning from your rock you will know they are full of de-nitrifying bacteria. The kind that eats Nitrates and turns them into harmless Nitrogen gas. This is GOOD stuff. Right now you are growing Nitrifying bacteria, the kind that eats Ammonia and Nitrites which is extremely harmful to aquatic life. These bacteria turn these harmful chemicals into less harmful Nitrates and are begining to feed the wonderful de-nitrifying bacteria. Oh life in the tank although seemily ugly is really a catapillar which will become your beautiful butterfly. Enjoy the N cycle process and watch it grow. It is beautiful in it's own sense.

[lextheimpaler]

NO it is doing just what it is supposed to do. Right now you are growing your bio-filter. Bio meaning bacteria. Ever seen where bacteria grow, well that's there food source. The bigger the cycle or diatomic bacterial bloom then the better the indication your tank will be in the future. Also means you have silica food source in there which is OK now, but you will not want to continue feeding the tank any silica. This means you will have needed to use good substrate and pure water source. If so then in the future when you see those bubbles comning from your rock you will know they are full of de-nitrifying bacteria. The kind that eats Nitrates and turns them into harmless Nitrogen gas. This is GOOD stuff. Right now you are growing Nitrifying bacteria, the kind that eats Ammonia and Nitrites which is extremely harmful to aquatic life. These bacteria turn these harmful chemicals into less harmful Nitrates and are begining to feed the wonderful de-nitrifying bacteria. Oh life in the tank although seemily ugly is really a catapillar which will become your beautiful butterfly. Enjoy the N cycle process and watch it grow. It is beautiful in it's own sense.

Thanks coralsnaked. I learned something new today.

[kmdrysdale]

I have that in my sand pretty bad too. Should I not touch it at all or can I vacuum the sand and keep it a little cleaner?

[Sk8r]

If they give you trouble later, first of all google 'diatom bloom' and read. Secondly, get some cerith and nassarius snails, ,the latter 3 per 50 gallons.