! Diatom Dilemma ! - Page 2

kenbow19 · 05/23/2008, 11:18 PM

IMO, adding a Phosban reactor will help, you might want to check your water for silicates, you may need a new RO membrane and or fresh DI resin.

4luvofhrses · 05/24/2008, 11:59 AM

...I think! I hope this stuff does not take over!

So, can diatom algae also occur as a blackish-grey dust as well as the golden brown? My sandbed keeps getting covered with a blackish-greyish "dust" that I siphon out, but it keeps coming back! I thought it was dirt from outside or carbon dust, but after
using pantyhose over the media bag, it still comes back!
All I can say is that this is ANNOYING!

Does the phosban hurt seahorses?

WaterKeeper · 05/24/2008, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Larah
Grrrrr..... Won't someone answer our questions?
Waterkeeper?
Seapug?
Capt'n?
Bertoni?

How dare you invoke the wrath of the Gods Larah?

Ocassional diatom outbreaks do occur in marine tanks. I really am unsure why they do, but suspect that things like dying sponges on the LR in your tank may add significant amounts of soluble silica into the water column. The good thing about it is they tend to be short lived. If the plague of diatoms had been going on for some time then Cerith snails or Shield limpets,Scutus unguis can help speed their demise. The other possibility is a brown algae and using a phosphate removal unit will almost always help quell that type of outbreak.

Larah · 05/24/2008, 06:41 PM

Ahhhhh... Thank you oh wise sage!
I have done another 20% water change and will be checking the membrane on my unit. Thouh the unit has only been functioning for about 5 months. I was lead to beleive that I would have to change it out once a year? Perhaps that was misinformation?
Or someone has done a "Nixon" and miss spoke them selves? LOL!
I also need to looking intoa phosban reactor post haste!
Just surprised by the suddeness of the outbreak after
so many months of smooth sailing...
Oh a nd I don't think Phosban will hurt seahorses...
Though I am certainly no seahorse expert or any other kind of expert either

Larah · 05/24/2008, 07:08 PM

Here's a picture I just took moments ago...
This is AFTER I've done a 20% water change, cleaned the skimmer, replaced the sock, put in new phosban (Into a mesh bag in the over flow box) I am also running PURIGEN and CHEMI PURE Carbon, also in mesh bags in the over flow box where it has water constantly going through it...

I am wondering if it's the filters on my Water purification unit?

Larah · 05/24/2008, 11:24 PM

*bump*

Larah · 05/25/2008, 07:01 PM

Pretty sure it's my water purification unit... I just replaced the sediment and carbon filters in it...
We'll see if that does the trick. If not I'll need to replace the membrane...

jackcarp · 05/30/2008, 10:31 AM

I am having the same problem-
performing regular water changes, using phosphate absorber, not feeding the tank. I am wondering if it can be due to old lights? I am currently using an orbit pc. Any thoughts?

kzooreefer · 05/30/2008, 01:01 PM

I'll throw my thoughts in here. I too have had a diatom problem and tried all the solutons mentioned with no change. Its not phosphate, silica, anyhting dead or dying, skimmer works fine etc, etc, etc... Then one of the ballasts, the one for my actinics, went out on my lights. This left me with 48 watts of light, 1 ati aquablue special and 1 ati blue plus. It took 2 weeks to get a replacement ballasts and after 2 days of a lower light regimen the diatoms dissapeared completely. Once the new ballast arrived I put it in and fired up both my actinics and the diatoms came back with a vengenance. So far I've cut my lighting down by 2 hours but still the diatoms persist. My next step is to maybe only go with one actinic and see what happens. It would appear that 96 watts of T5HO for a 29-gallon is too much light or that actinics promote diatom growth.

05/23/2008, 11:18 PM	#26
kenbow19 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: MI Posts: 89	IMO, adding a Phosban reactor will help, you might want to check your water for silicates, you may need a new RO membrane and or fresh DI resin. __________________ 180 sps dominated. Current Tank Info: 180- sps dominent

05/24/2008, 11:59 AM	#27
4luvofhrses Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: New York Posts: 21	diatom dictatorship... ...I think! I hope this stuff does not take over! So, can diatom algae also occur as a blackish-grey dust as well as the golden brown? My sandbed keeps getting covered with a blackish-greyish "dust" that I siphon out, but it keeps coming back! I thought it was dirt from outside or carbon dust, but after using pantyhose over the media bag, it still comes back! All I can say is that this is ANNOYING! Does the phosban hurt seahorses?

05/30/2008, 10:31 AM	#33
jackcarp Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Lovell, Wyoming Posts: 87	I am having the same problem- performing regular water changes, using phosphate absorber, not feeding the tank. I am wondering if it can be due to old lights? I am currently using an orbit pc. Any thoughts? __________________ Jack of all trades, master of none Current Tank Info: 110 custom Reef Savvy with ghost overflow, living color sump, 30 gallon refugium,

05/24/2008, 06:41 PM	#29
Larah Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Portland, Oregon USA Posts: 1,932	Ahhhhh... Thank you oh wise sage! I have done another 20% water change and will be checking the membrane on my unit. Thouh the unit has only been functioning for about 5 months. I was lead to beleive that I would have to change it out once a year? Perhaps that was misinformation? Or someone has done a "Nixon" and miss spoke them selves? LOL! I also need to looking intoa phosban reactor post haste! Just surprised by the suddeness of the outbreak after so many months of smooth sailing... Oh a nd I don't think Phosban will hurt seahorses... Though I am certainly no seahorse expert or any other kind of expert either

05/24/2008, 07:08 PM	#30
Larah Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Portland, Oregon USA Posts: 1,932	Here's a picture I just took moments ago... This is AFTER I've done a 20% water change, cleaned the skimmer, replaced the sock, put in new phosban (Into a mesh bag in the over flow box) I am also running PURIGEN and CHEMI PURE Carbon, also in mesh bags in the over flow box where it has water constantly going through it... I am wondering if it's the filters on my Water purification unit?

05/24/2008, 11:24 PM	#31
Larah Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Portland, Oregon USA Posts: 1,932	bump

05/25/2008, 07:01 PM	#32
Larah Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Portland, Oregon USA Posts: 1,932	Pretty sure it's my water purification unit... I just replaced the sediment and carbon filters in it... We'll see if that does the trick. If not I'll need to replace the membrane...

05/30/2008, 01:01 PM	#34
kzooreefer Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 453	I'll throw my thoughts in here. I too have had a diatom problem and tried all the solutons mentioned with no change. Its not phosphate, silica, anyhting dead or dying, skimmer works fine etc, etc, etc... Then one of the ballasts, the one for my actinics, went out on my lights. This left me with 48 watts of light, 1 ati aquablue special and 1 ati blue plus. It took 2 weeks to get a replacement ballasts and after 2 days of a lower light regimen the diatoms dissapeared completely. Once the new ballast arrived I put it in and fired up both my actinics and the diatoms came back with a vengenance. So far I've cut my lighting down by 2 hours but still the diatoms persist. My next step is to maybe only go with one actinic and see what happens. It would appear that 96 watts of T5HO for a 29-gallon is too much light or that actinics promote diatom growth.