Diatom issues

tgionet · May 26, 2017

Having diatom issues that I believe are related to using tap water to clean filter socks etc (socks are the biggest culprit). Looking for a way to eliminate the silicates. I'd also like to avoid cleaning the socks in RO/DI if possible. GFO isn't an option since I struggle with maintaining measurable levels of phosphate.

FTS showing the problem, it's not plague proportions just ugly

Shaddow_wolf169 · May 26, 2017

Phosphate reactor or phosguard.

stevo01 · May 26, 2017

A fighting conch is great for cleaning up diatoms, but it doesnt fix whats causing it.

40B Knasty · May 26, 2017

+1 on fighting conch. Fun to watch and smashed my diatoms in a little over a week.

tgionet · May 26, 2017

Shaddow_wolf169 said:
Phosphate reactor or phosguard.

Not an option, PO4 is .018 ppm. I have both high capacity and regular GFO but if use it I'm going to lose or at least harm some SPS.

I'll probably have to go with sand cleaning inverts

GoVols · May 27, 2017

tgionet said:
Having diatom issues that I believe are related to using tap water to clean filter socks etc (socks are the biggest culprit). Looking for a way to eliminate the silicates. I'd also like to avoid cleaning the socks in RO/DI if possible. GFO isn't an option since I struggle with maintaining measurable levels of phosphate.

FTS showing the problem, it's not plague proportions just ugly

Yes, Their ugly but I clean my filter socks with tap water and have no diatoms.
If they are confined to your sand bed then your could add a small Diamond golby to help make your sand bed look pure white and they are also fun to watch doing their thing. If you can get a small Diamond golby to eat mysis shrimp then your home free without the worry about one staving over the long haul. Otherwise I just let a diatom bloom burn out over time.

Timothy Butler · May 27, 2017

I use only Rodi water to top off and mixing salt for water changes

GoVols · May 27, 2017

@tgionet
Does your RO/DI unit have a built in TDS meter?

GoVols · May 27, 2017

Timothy Butler said:
I use only Rodi water to top off and mixing salt for water changes

+1

tgionet · May 28, 2017

GoVols said:
@tgionet
Does your RO/DI unit have a built in TDS meter?

Yup, reads 0. I'm on a well and have extremely high silicates and iron in my water, to the point of turning the sediment filter brown within minutes of changing it. Diatoms are limited to the sand bed and things that have contacted tap water, namely the unused scrubby pad bit of my flipper algae magnet. When I had african cichlids (aka. hateful murderfish) I was constantly plagued with diatom issues from the source water as well.