Diatom established tank

[dbq5anlxj]

I'm having a diatom outbreak on my 10 months old tank. Tank is 180 gallon mainly sps. I'm running new silica buster on my rodi unit. I think it's triggered by those siporax I added to the sump a months ago. And dosing po4 and no3 made it worse. I removed the siporax 5 days ago and I haven't touch the tank ever since. Right now，It's coved in diatom. I'm thinking to let it grow and when those silica get to certain level it will die. Is it a ok to let it grow or I better clean it out?

 

[Miami Reef]

I think you can clean the glass. No need to torture yourself to look at that.

As long as the silica source is removed, you’ll find that diatoms quickly go away. They burn through silica fast.

I dose silica to my tank and I’ve noticed the diatoms turn back to green after a week.

 

[dbq5anlxj]

I think you can clean the glass. No need to torture yourself to look at that.

As long as the silica source is removed, you’ll find that diatoms quickly go away. They burn through silica fast.

I dose silica to my tank and I’ve noticed the diatoms turn back to green after a week.

Thanks Yeah I can barley see through the tank. However, My fish and snail are having a wonderful time. It's just the smell from those diatom is unpleasant haha.

 

[Miami Reef]

Thanks Yeah I can barley see through the tank. However, My fish and snail are having a wonderful time. It's just the smell from those diatom is unpleasant haha.

Do you run activated carbon? If not, you’ll find that it should help reduce odors.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I'm having a diatom outbreak on my 10 months old tank. Tank is 180 gallon mainly sps. I'm running new silica buster on my rodi unit. I think it's triggered by those siporax I added to the sump a months ago. And dosing po4 and no3 made it worse. I removed the siporax 5 days ago and I haven't touch the tank ever since. Right now，It's coved in diatom. I'm thinking to let it grow and when those silica get to certain level it will die. Is it a ok to let it grow or I better clean it out?

Diatoms are a brown algae that typically appear in a reef tank that has just completed its cycle but they can also reappear in an established reef tank. As diatoms feed mainly off of silicates they also consume dissolved organic compounds, phosphate and nitrates. Unfiltered tap water contains silicates and is a good way to jump start a bloom if you use it to mix salt or to replace water that evaporated from the tank. Assure no3 and po4 have not become elevated.
Some cleaner crew to help control it are : Cerith snails, Nerite snails and Trochus snails and also Astraea snails are effective at removing diatoms.