diatoms

[treesprite]

I am STILL getting diatoms growing on my glass. This has been going on forever and I'm getting kind of tired of it. There is nothing appearing on the aragonite sand (what very little there is of it), just the glass.

 

The things I've been dosing on a routine basis are Biodigest and VSV. I feed homemade frozen (Scott's) or Rods alternating with Spectrum pellets, and very infrequently Omega 1 flakes. The silicone I used to put in the c2c of & re-seal the tank says on it is aquarium safe. I have not added any new liverock for about 3 years. The sand is aragonite. The epoxy I've been using is Water Weld. The superglue I've been using is the "Original Superglue" gel-type (the green tubes). I have not been doing any large enough water changes which might cause mini cycles. Going by my interpretation or color perception of color charts, Ph about 8.0, alk in the mid range (card just has colors no numbers), and nitrate looks like <5. Lights I sometimes override the timer at night because I get home so late sometimes, but I don't think it's enough on a consistent enough basis to cause diatoms.

 

Is there something I'm not considering?

[zygote2k]

I still get cyano bacteria from time to time. Why worry about it? Are the fish stressing out because of the diatoms?

[treesprite]

I still get cyano bacteria from time to time. Why worry about it? Are the fish stressing out because of the diatoms?

 

There's a big difference between diatoms and cyano. Of course it isn't bothering the fish - silly question. It bothers me because I'm really tired of cleaning it off of the glass.

[Coral Hind]

Are you using RO/DI? Have you changed your filters and resin lately? Can you increase the snail population so they clean the glass and not you? Can you position the lights so less light is on the front glass cutting down on the diatom growth?

[treesprite]

I use RO/DI.. The membrane is almost new, filters still have a while to go before replacement. Snails.... yeah, I need snails because I only have a few. Do snails actually eat diatoms, or just plow through them which wipes them from the glass?

[trockafella]

how often do you clean the glass? Do you think you should never have to?

[Coral Hind]

Do snails actually eat diatoms, or just plow through them which wipes them from the glass?

Yes, they actually eat diatoms.

 

If the DI resin is starting to be exhausted it will release phosphate which can lead to increased diatom growth. From my experience this starts to happen a good bit before the color fully changes on the resin.

[treesprite]

Yes, they actually eat diatoms.

 

If the DI resin is starting to be exhausted it will release phosphate which can lead to increased diatom growth. From my experience this starts to happen a good bit before the color fully changes on the resin.

 

My DI filter is not clear so I can't see color changes. I get zip phosphate on post filter water test, while pre-filter tap water test does show phosphate.

[Amuze]

Use a cleaner magnet and put in work. Should take about 1 minute or less with a glass tank.

 

 

*(Scraping with a razor down by the sand, in corners and near top rim or brace may take longer and require more effort. Sore muscles and stiffness may occur. If you experience any of these side effects, please see your local personal trainer immediately.)

[Chad]

^lol.

 

Based on what I read I cannot identify the reason, however, long-term (not new tank) diatom issues are usually caused by an excess of silicates. Diatoms require silicates in thier structure, which is not usually available for very long, so it gets used up and they go away on their own.

 

So, with that, I have to ask: how you are sure it's diatoms and not something else (e.g., a thin film of cyano)?

[treesprite]

^lol.

 

Based on what I read I cannot identify the reason, however, long-term (not new tank) diatom issues are usually caused by an excess of silicates. Diatoms require silicates in thier structure, which is not usually available for very long, so it gets used up and they go away on their own.

 

So, with that, I have to ask: how you are sure it's diatoms and not something else (e.g., a thin film of cyano)?

This is a golden brown color - when I have had cyano it has always been a red/burgundy sort of color. I can't figure out where any excess silicates would originate in the tank.

 

I would like to be able to not have to wipe the glass ever. This stuff makes me have to do it every 2 or 3 days, but it's not just the wiping away of the diatoms. When I use the mag floats to clean the glass, any drips that have gone down the outside of the glass get smeared all over the glass and then I have to clean that mess up on top of wiping away the diatoms. If I stick something inside the tank to wipe the glass in there, I end up making such drips go down the outside glass so then I still end up having to clean the outside of the glass. It's insanity I tell you, insanity!

[trockafella]

Sounds like normal maintenance.

[treesprite]

But I am quite definately extremely low on snails. At one point I had a fresh water mishap and almost all of my snails died. I only replaced a few so far because I have been waiting to use my SSW credit to get snails and thus far there has been no ideal opportunity to do it.

[Amuze]

Forest, this is normal. Your next post has to be about something positive.

[GraffitiSpotCorals]

Snails clean the glass? They just leave snail sucker marks on mine.

[Sharkey18]

Yeah, two or three days sounds like a normal amount to me too. Just part of the maintenance. You can't fine "excess" silicates because there isn't any.

 

Just normal glass scum. Keep some glass cleaner nearby... that's what I do.

[treesprite]

Yeah, two or three days sounds like a normal amount to me too. Just part of the maintenance. You can't fine "excess" silicates because there isn't any.

 

Just normal glass scum. Keep some glass cleaner nearby... that's what I do.

 

Well that's good to know. See generally we see other people's tanks when the glass has just been cleaned in expectation of company, so it makes it seem like no one else has this "problem", which from what I am seeing shouldn't be so bothersome to me. I would love to be able to see everyone else's tanks after 3 days of no glass cleaning, so I would have something for comparison.

 

Thank you for all of your responses.