Diatoms!!

Im dealing with a Diatom problem that has not gotten completely out of control yet because im staying on top of it... however, no matter what i do they keep coming back....1st i thought it may be my RO/DI for obvious reasons so i ordered all new cartridges and a new membrane did water changes and changed my ATO water... nothing changed so i thought mayb my lights are putting out a lower kelvin and need to be changed... i ordered new bulbs and the Diatoms still wont go away... i replaced my GFO and cleaned out my sump....Also, i got a clean up crew to help out...

MY tank is three years old
Anyone on SI with a TDS meter please PM me i may need to check my source water because silicates have to be coming from it

Haveing same issues and did the same as you?
My tank is only 6 months old but it never really had a full blown diatoms attack like I hear some people have, but I have been keeping up on it with water changes and vacuuming it up once a week. I also have allot of premium live rock and someone sujested that this comb might be the reason? The tank never had a full blow out diatoms attac and they never got a chance to run out of food and die off?

Not sure but for the last few weeks I can do a water change,vacuum the sand and the very next day I have small amounts of diatoms in some small areas,like inbetween two rocks were there is no direct flow.:scratch:

Hmmm :scratchch maybe it has to do with our names and location lol

MikeC said:

Haveing same issues and did the same as you?
My tank is only 6 months old but it never really had a full blown diatoms attack like I hear some people have, but I have been keeping up on it with water changes and vacuuming it up once a week. I also have allot of premium live rock and someone sujested that this comb might be the reason? The tank never had a full blow out diatoms attac and they never got a chance to run out of food and die off?

Not sure but for the last few weeks I can do a water change,vacuum the sand and the very next day I have small amounts of diatoms in some small areas,like inbetween two rocks were there is no direct flow.:scratch:

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I vaccum the sand as well once a week and move the sand around every day it just keeps coming back... the problem i believe is silicates i just dont know where there coming from... Could be my RO/DI, fish food, the new salt i am using (red sea coral pro salt) i just dont know..

MikeC said:

Hmmm :scratchch maybe it has to do with our names and location lol

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Probably lol

Anyone on SI have a TDS meter??

I just changed my RODI filter and also us Red Sea Salt but only recently started haveing the problem so I don't think it is the salt.

I feed rods food,a slury mix I made myself from the fish dept. in the grocery store and pellets? ( forget the name) BUT I only feed every other day and spairing at that so I don't thing it is over feeding.

Ps I have a TDS meter on my 5 stage RODI system and everything is good.

Mike389 said:

I vaccum the sand as well once a week and move the sand around every day it just keeps coming back... the problem i believe is silicates i just dont know where there coming from... Could be my RO/DI, fish food, the new salt i am using (red sea coral pro salt) i just dont know..

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how long have you been running GFO?

also you said you move the sand around every day - i wouldn't, definitely not on 3 yr old sandbed.


i think it just needs to run its course. water changes, siphon, and change the gfo as needed.

I'm running high capacity from BRS and let it go for 6 weeks it claims to be good for 8 weeks? That **** is expensive lol should I be changing it sooner?using another GFO?

JonnyJ said:

how long have you been running GFO?

also you said you move the sand around every day - i wouldn't, definitely not on 3 yr old sandbed.


i think it just needs to run its course. water changes, siphon, and change the gfo as needed.

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I only graze the surface of the sand enough to get the daitoms off... I change the GFO too often(im actually changing it as we speak)

Ive been running GFO for about a year now

Everyone loves brs gfo. You should be changing till your phosphates are at an acceptable range. Then changing it monthly or as per directions.

I was changing daily when I had a problem while testing to see when gfo was exhausted....And now change monthly at the moment.

I have the same problem i cant get rid of it

B.BASH said:

I have the same problem i cant get rid of it

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Do you think it may be the water in SI... i have to change the micron cartridge weekly it always gets brown fast!

JonnyJ said:

Everyone loves brs gfo. You should be changing till your phosphates are at an acceptable range. Then changing it monthly or as per directions.

I was changing daily when I had a problem while testing to see when gfo was exhausted....And now change monthly at the moment.

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Johnny i know you had a similar problem... did it just resolve itself or did you do something

check my thread, just constant water changes, gfo changes, reduced feeding, removed sandbed, start a fuge, cleaned SUMP completely.



if u had poor habits for 2 years before starting GFO, it can definitely take a while to fix some of the problems. You could also try dosing special blend.

I was thinking of buying florida fighting conch, fuzzy chiton or sea cucumber they supposedly eat diatoms off your sand bed

I think you are doing to much let the tank get in ballance it may look bad for a bit but it will come along

cibo said:

i think you are doing to much let the tank get in ballance it may look bad for a bit but it will come along

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+1