diatom help

[bryan oestreich]

so I have been experiencing diatom aglae problem for about 2 months now. tank is 10months old. 60g tank. 60lb live rock. 55lb live sand

parameters are:
temp. 77-78
salinity: 1.025-1.026
cal: 380
mag:1280
alk: 9ppm
nitrate: 15ppm
phosphate: under .03ppm

my main questions is I haven't had the time to take care of this problem or try to solve what is causing the algae breakout. will this hurt my fish or coral long time if I don't fix it right away. what is the long turn damage if its not fixed?

 

[shornik]

Usually as the tank matures diatoms will go away on their own. What do you mean by "problem"? I believe certain snails are pretty decent at eating diatoms whats your CUC like?

 

[twilliard]

How old is the tank and do you have a picture of the issue?

 

[bryan oestreich]

How old is the tank and do you have a picture of the issue?

google diatoms my sand looks just like that. its 10months old.

 

[bryan oestreich]

Usually as the tank matures diatoms will go away on their own. What do you mean by "problem"? I believe certain snails are pretty decent at eating diatoms whats your CUC like?

2 peppermint shrimps
cleaner shrimp
coral banded shrimp
3 Super Tongan Nassarius Snails
10-15 mixed trochus and turban snails
2 red tip dwarf crabs
1 scarlet reef crab

I guess its not a problem as long as it doesn't effect anything long term. fish or coral or inverts don't seem to be effected so I haven't really been stressed but if there is something I can add to the tank to help control it better would be nice

 

[twilliard]

Highly unlikely it will be diatoms unless the tank is heavily overfed.

This is an image of what diatoms are. I am growing them for study.
Diatoms are easily dispersed.

 

[bryan oestreich]

Highly unlikely it will be diatoms unless the tank is heavily overfed.

This is an image of what diatoms are. I am growing them for study.
Diatoms are easily dispersed.

well I don't know what they look like under microscope ha

 

[bryan oestreich]

ive considered that I over feed but. I feed once a day. blood worms and Mysis shrimp everyday. I cut a cube in half for both and thaw out and feed thru turkey baster. 2-3times a week I throw a little bit of reef frenzy and phytoplankton for my inverts and corals

 

[bryan oestreich]

Picture is a week or 2 old but sand still looks like
this might not be a good picture

 

[twilliard]

Spirulina is my first bet
Diatoms at 10 months is hard to grow, you have to really kick start them.
A simple method to help determine what you have

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/positive-identification-of-cyanobacteria.253287/

If this test comes out negative then spirulina would be next on my list

 

[bryan oestreich]

Spirulina is my first bet
Diatoms at 10 months is hard to grow, you have to really kick start them.
A simple method to help determine what you have

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/positive-identification-of-cyanobacteria.253287/

If this test comes out negative then spirulina would be next on my list

so I would just take some of the sand with the brown algae on it in a cup and add the peroxide?

 

[twilliard]

so I would just take some of the sand with the brown algae on it in a cup and add the peroxide?

Yes
It looks like a bacteria from the picture so this would be a good first step.
Do you have any chemiclean on hand by chance for a spirulina test?

 

[bryan oestreich]

Yes
It looks like a bacteria from the picture so this would be a good first step.
Do you have any chemiclean on hand by chance for a spirulina test?

I'll try it and no I don't have any chemiclean. Where can I get it and do I do the same test jus using the chemiclean?

 

[twilliard]

I'll try it and no I don't have any chemiclean. Where can I get it and do I do the same test jus using the chemiclean?

Yes it would be the same test method just with chemiclean
I would first try the h2o2 to eliminate the possibility of cylindrospermum cyanobacteria