Is this Diatoms or something else?

KeithR423

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 15, 2016
Messages
80
Reaction score
40
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My reef tank completed its cycle around 4 months ago, now I believe diatoms have invaded. I have brown patches on my glass that easily come off with a my mag float. It's a bare bottom tank so no issues with sand. The rock I purchased from Reef Cleaners is around 30% covered with the slimy brown stuff and is growing thick is some low float areas between the rocks. I can blow it off or use a toothbrush and it comes off and floats around so I can siphon it out or it some of it will go in my filter sock (which I'm changing daily right now). But the next day it seems like its back all over again. Is this just diatoms? Best course of action to get rid of this?

Salt 1.024, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 30, ph 8.2, Alk 9, temp 79, calcium 440, phosphate 0, no test kit for magnesium.
90 gallon bare bottom with sump with protein skimmer, filter sock, purigen, gfo.

P1010597.JPG
P1010600.JPG
IMG_1173.JPG
IMG_1174.JPG
[
 
Last edited:

Oscar47f

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Messages
1,373
Reaction score
906
Location
Miami, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
if its slimy looking and comes off in matts then its not diatoms its most likely cyano.... what do you use for flow?? and i would suck as much o f it up during water changes..
 
OP
OP
K

KeithR423

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 15, 2016
Messages
80
Reaction score
40
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It feels slimy and comes off in just small flake pieces. I have 2 power heads facing each other on both ends of the tank in wave motion, I have 2 more powerheads on the back glass pointing forward to the front glass. I think I may need something on the bottom of the tank and there isn't much going on there.
 

Oscar47f

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Messages
1,373
Reaction score
906
Location
Miami, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
To me it looks like its cyano, but looks can be deceiving .. diatoms feed on silicates, are you using RO/DI water by chance for water changes ?
 
OP
OP
K

KeithR423

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 15, 2016
Messages
80
Reaction score
40
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Yes RO/DI water on everything. 0 TDS. This stuff looks brown during full spectrum and blue lights, under just UV lighting it looks redish.
 

Oscar47f

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Messages
1,373
Reaction score
906
Location
Miami, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
What are your Phosphates at?? and do you ever go around blowing detritus from the tank during water changes?
 
OP
OP
K

KeithR423

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 15, 2016
Messages
80
Reaction score
40
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
phosphate 0 and yes I'm blowing the stuff off the rocks every other night as well as before water changes every 2 weeks (20%-30%) each time
 

TOP 10 Trending Threads

BRISTLE WORMS...LOVE OR HATE?

  • I love them!

    Votes: 15 8.8%
  • I hate them...

    Votes: 30 17.6%
  • Love is a strong word...But I don't mind them.

    Votes: 61 35.9%
  • Hate is a strong word...But I don't want any in my reef.

    Votes: 35 20.6%
  • I'm indifferent to them.

    Votes: 28 16.5%
  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 1 0.6%
Back
Top