A couple questions

[John_A]

Hello! So my tank isn't new 4+ years old and I'm currently dealing with a Diatom bloom on just my sand bed and slightly on glass due to not changing my resin soon enough on my rodi.My first question is if I stir the sand bed is this making it worse or helping filter it out?

Next question I've been Carbon dosing to reduce the Diatoms would this be a effective strategy?

Last question So let's say you have a Diatom Bloom is this proof of nitrates and phosphate in the system or just silicates? Is it also true if you dose Nitrates it reduces phosphate?

 

[sfin52]

any pics

 

[John_A]

 

[John_A]

This picture was from last week I can update tomorrow with a new picture but same thing

 

[Jekyl]

Can you lost parameters also please? Diatoms as I understand feed off the silicate in new sand and rocks.

 

[John_A]

Can you lost parameters also please? Diatoms as I understand feed off the silicate in new sand and rocks.

To be honest working on getting a new test kit this just popped up when my resin had depleted nothing new honestly well the sand is I was bare Bottom and went with sand it's been about 2 months since adding the sand tho

 

[UMALUM]

You mean carbon dosing to reduce phosphate? Silicate to grow and phosphate to thrive. I've never heard of nitrate having an affect either way.

 

[John_A]

You mean carbon dosing to reduce phosphate? Silicate to grow and phosphate to thrive. I've never heard of nitrate having an affect either way.

Well my understanding is carbon dosing does more for nitrates then phosphate but figured it may help combat diatoms in some ways but ofcourse dont want to bottom them out either so if you carbon dose along with dosing nitrates are they cancelling each other out?

 

[Jekyl]

To be honest working on getting a new test kit this just popped up when my resin had depleted nothing new honestly well the sand is I was bare Bottom and went with sand it's been about 2 months since adding the sand tho

Any advice given without test results won't really be sufficient. Has the sand went through this already? This sounds like natural progression to me.

 

[UMALUM]

Well my understanding is carbon dosing does more for nitrates then phosphate but figured it may help combat diatoms in some ways but ofcourse dont want to bottom them out either so if you carbon dose along with dosing nitrates are they cancelling each other out?

To a certain extent I belive that's a fair assessment.

 

[JNalley]

My first question is if I stir the sand bed is this making it worse or helping filter it out?

It's doing neither...

Next question I've been Carbon dosing to reduce the Diatoms would this be a effective strategy?

Carbon dosing reduces nitrates which can help reduce diatoms, but might also cause cyano or dinos if you bottom out.

Last question So let's say you have a Diatom Bloom is this proof of nitrates and phosphate in the system or just silicates?

It's proof of both but you really shouldn't focus on it, diatoms are a normal stage in the tank, and even if a 4-5 year old tank gets a bloom, it's not anything to really worry about. A lot of CUC Members should readily eat it, and any sand sifting fish should do the same.

Is it also true if you dose Nitrates it reduces phosphate?

It's unclear. The "Science" behind NOPOX says that certain strains of Heterotrophic Denitrifiers are also Phosphate Accumulators and that by carbon dosing, you are effectively removing both. Since the main bacteria they are targeting are De-Nitrifiers, it stands to reason that in order for their carbon dosing to work, you would also need more nitrate to facilitate the uptake of phosphate, though whatever ratio that needs to exist in is unclear. You can read more about it here:

Nitrate & phosphate reduction via carbon dosing

Fighting nutrient build up in the aquarium is one of the major struggles the common hobbyist must face on a daily basis.

g1.redseafish.com

 

[John_A]

Any advice given without test results won't really be sufficient. Has the sand went through this already? This sounds like natural progression to me.

The sand has not the tank was Bare bottom for a few years and recently sand was added around March 25

 

[John_A]

some current photos from this morning

 

[mues]

If you just added the sand, this is natural. The sand does not have the same biodiversity as your established tank does.

 

[John_A]

If you just added the sand, this is natural. The sand does not have the same biodiversity as your established tank does.

Anything I need to or just let it ride I have a conch that's working on it but wasn't sure if there was anything natural I could do to speed it up

 

[mues]

I'd imagine it will probably go away on its own pretty quick. Can turkey baste, but it will keep coming back. CUC will clean up some of it as well.

 

[John_A]

Yea I have stirred the sand a few times it does come back and it's only the sand some running my skimmer s little wet and I've been keeping some magic erasers on my return to catch the fine stuff but glad to know it's just the sand being new thanks for the help!

 

[Jekyl]

Yea I have stirred the sand a few times it does come back and it's only the sand some running my skimmer s little wet and I've been keeping some magic erasers on my return to catch the fine stuff but glad to know it's just the sand being new thanks for the help!

As soon as the remaining silicate are consumed it will disappear on its own.