Diatom Explosion! Help

yojowill · Oct 1, 2013

My tank is only a couple weeks old. We have a 185 gallon tank, seeded with 70lbs of live rock from a show tank from our LFS and 70lbs dry rock from Marco. We use TLC once a week and Purple Up daily, at night and turn the lights off.
We have 10 hermit crabs, 3 emerald crabs and 2 crabs I do not recall the name at this time. We also have about 12 fish, including chromis, clowns, cardinals and angels. We even bought a soft coral from a different LFS that was having a big sales to celebrate their anniversary.
I cam home from work today to find my tank full of this brown stuff which I originally thought was algae, but after searching online I understand it may be diatoms. Pictures are below. What can/should I do about it? Help please...

Zero Nitrates · Oct 1, 2013

It took about 3 months for diatoms to go away in our tank.

StevenBell · Oct 1, 2013

If you used half and half (dry/live rock ),your dry rock may just now be starting to take to the bio load.Blow it off with a turkey baster and conduct a good water change.How are your parameters looking as well?

yojowill · Oct 1, 2013

StevenBell said:
If you used half and half (dry/live rock ),your dry rock may just now be starting to take to the bio load.Blow it off with a turkey baster and conduct a good water change.How are your parameters looking as well?

I just completed a test. The results are below:

Nitrite = 0ppm
Ammonia = 0-.25ppm
Nitrate = 0-5ppm
pH = 8.2

Thanks

robbrouse · Oct 1, 2013

I would do something fast and get the ammonia and nitrates down. 2 fish killers.

StevenBell · Oct 1, 2013

robbrouse said:
I would do something fast and get the ammonia and nitrates down. 2 fish killers.

+1!That dry rock caused a mini cycle.

yojowill · Oct 1, 2013

I just added some TLC and Prime to help with the ammonia and nitrate levels. I also changed my filter pad. I can't do a water change tonight. I will post an update tomorrow morning...
Thanks!

yojowill · Oct 1, 2013

I also do not have an RO system. So I may check with my LFS about buying water from them tomorrow for the water change.
Thanks again.

StevenBell · Oct 1, 2013

Have you been using tap water to mix your sea water or top off system?If that's the case it would explain quite a bit

yojowill · Oct 1, 2013

This will actually be my first water change. My water level has not dropped very much so I haven't topped it off...

yojowill · Oct 1, 2013

StevenBell said:
Have you been using tap water to mix your sea water or top off system?If that's the case it would explain quite a bit

This will actually be my first water change. My water level has not dropped very much so I haven't topped it off...

StevenBell · Oct 1, 2013

If the tank is only a couple of weeks old and you have not done a water change yet,that is going to be a massive factor for this diatom bloom.You have extra proteins and nutrients in your water column along with chloramines and anything that has not been filtered properly.Do a massive water change,by RO/DI water and use it only, slow down on your stocking and have patience

yojowill · Oct 1, 2013

StevenBell said:
If the tank is only a couple of weeks old and you have not done a water change yet,that is going to be a massive factor for this diatom bloom.You have extra proteins and nutrients in your water column along with chloramines and anything that has not been filtered properly.Do a massive water change,by RO/DI water and use it only, slow down on your stocking and have patience

Thanks again!

dendroman · Oct 1, 2013

Diatoms

First thing buy a RO Unit cyphon out diatoms water change and be patient add some diatom eating snails will help also hang in there it will go away:smile:

yojowill · Oct 1, 2013

As luck might have it, my wife bought a RO system when we moved into this house but we never installed and forgot about it. Guess what I will be doing this weekend! I am going to buy some pre-RO treated saltwater from my LFS tomorrow and do the big water change...
Rookie moves all around

robbrouse · Oct 1, 2013

If there us bi DI on that system your wife bought might want to think about added one..

185 Gallon, dang that's gonna be a few trip to the store. I'd start off with maybe 25 gallons and wait a day or two and do another 25 and so on. Do not want to shock your fish.. Also make sure the water the LFS sells you matches your salinity. I did this one time and they sold me water at 1.016 or something like that. Way low.