defeating diatoms

[fishox]

I upgraded my tank about 2 mos. ago. Now, I am going through a pretty big diatom bloom. I thought I'd be able to avoid the bloom since I transferred over rock and some sand that had been in my tank for almost 2 yrs.

I have about 200 lbs of LR in a 120 gallon FOWLR that is becoming a mixed reef. I am worried about the diatom bloom because it is keeping my GSP from coming out fully.

For the record, my nitrates are at 10, no phospate or silicate according to my Salifert kits. Other parameters are KH at 9 CA at 350, PH 8.3 no ammonia or nitrite. Temp is right at 80.

Any suggestions on how to halt this or do I just let it run its course and continue to use the turkey baster to blow off the diatoms?

[Pandora]

I wouldn't worry about it, since you said that you just upgraded your tank. These new changes will cause significant dieoff of bacteria even though you used some rock & sand from the old established tank; in some ways, this is a partially recycling tank that is going through the 2 month stage many tanks go through.

What kind of bioload in this new tank? Your parameters look fine otherwise. Do you have a refugium? Macroalgaes in there will surely help.

[jmack]

try a Kole tang..they eat diatoms and help keep the rocks clean.

[fishox]

I have a pseudo refugium in that I removed the bio balls from a wet dry a long time ago and replaced them with live rock. Around Christmas I put some chaeto in there as well. I don't have sand in the sump. I keep it lit 24/7.

I have a purple tang in there that won't touch the stuff. I am guilty of overfeeding my tank, but I compensate a bit by running a Euroreef CS8 skimmer

Thanks for the replies.

[danferd2002]

get a conch, it has kept my sand perfectly white and clean