Diatoms and algae

[FixIt]

So I started my tank almost 4 months ago and have kept my parameters on the money with just calcium being low at about 400. I went through the diatom stage and then a green algae all over the glass stage but now I am back to diatoms and they seem to be worse than the first time. Is this normal?

32g led coralife biocube
Temp 78
Lights on white for 7.5 hrs blues for about 9 hrs
Calcium 400
Kh at 8
Nitrates at 0
Phosphate 0

That's all I can think of. I know my ammonia was a bit high and did a 25% water change and doing 50% change this weekend.

I feed the 2 clowns 1 damsel and one purple firefish only at night and watch to see if they eat it all and they do. I have 4 astria 3 nasarius 1 hermit and 2 emerald crabs.

Any idea what's up or if it is normal?

 

[cocowizzz]

So I started my tank almost 4 months ago and have kept my parameters on the money with just calcium being low at about 400. I went through the diatom stage and then a green algae all over the glass stage but now I am back to diatoms and they seem to be worse than the first time. Is this normal?

32g led coralife biocube
Temp 78
Lights on white for 7.5 hrs blues for about 9 hrs
Calcium 400
Kh at 8
Nitrates at 0
Phosphate 0

That's all I can think of. I know my ammonia was a bit high and did a 25% water change and doing 50% change this weekend.

I feed the 2 clowns 1 damsel and one purple firefish only at night and watch to see if they eat it all and they do. I have 4 astria 3 nasarius 1 hermit and 2 emerald crabs.

Any idea what's up or if it is normal?

Less light my tank is 5 months old with the same problem I cut my lights to 6 and 6 and it's getting better

 

[reeferfoxx]

Zero nitrates and zero phosphates are a concern. Are your astrea snails grazing or spending most of their time not moving? Was this a dry rock or live rock setup? What are you running for filtration?

 

[FixIt]

Zero nitrates and zero phosphates are a concern. Are your astrea snails grazing or spending most of their time not moving? Was this a dry rock or live rock setup? What are you running for filtration?

The Astrias are all over the glass and the rocks they are always moving and faster than I expected. It was dry life rock. I am using filter floss and chemi pure elite and have rock back there also.

 

[rkpetersen]

How are you supplying your top off water and saltwater? If it's not from an effective RODI system, excess silica could contribute to recurrent diatom blooms.

 

[reeferfoxx]

The Astrias are all over the glass and the rocks they are always moving and faster than I expected. It was dry life rock. I am using filter floss and chemi pure elite and have rock back there also.

I think if ammonia spiked, either the cycle was never completed or something died. I would also remove the chemi pure. It's a little too early for it and without nutrients, bacteria will have a hard time sustaining.

How are you supplying your top off water and saltwater? If it's not from an effective RODI system, excess silica could contribute to recurrent diatom blooms.

The GFO in chemi pure would have absorbed excess silicates, if that were the case.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

That's all I can think of. I know my ammonia was a bit high and did a 25% water change and doing 50% change this weekend.

This probably doesn't have anything to do with the diatoms, but you shouldn't have any ammonia in the tank. That is indicative of another problem with the cycling of the tank. Rather than doing water changes to combat high ammonia, I would consider adding Biospira or Dr Tim's One and Only.

 

[FixIt]

This probably doesn't have anything to do with the diatoms, but you shouldn't have any ammonia in the tank. That is indicative of another problem with the cycling of the tank. Rather than doing water changes to combat high ammonia, I would consider adding Biospira or Dr Tim's One and Only.

I will try to get some Biospira this weekend. Do I just add a whole bottle? What could it be that is creating the Ammonia? I figured it was all set after all the diatoms and algae I had before I guess I was wrong.

 

[FixIt]

I think if ammonia spiked, either the cycle was never completed or something died. I would also remove the chemi pure. It's a little too early for it and without nutrients, bacteria will have a hard time sustaining.

OK so I seems to still have all of the stuff I had put in but 1 hermit crab that did die. I am sure I got him out however unless something was broken off of him.

removing the Chemi Pure will leave me with just filter floss and some rock in the bottom is that sufficient or is there anything else I should have back there at this time? BTW I change the floss once a week.

 

[reeferfoxx]

OK so I seems to still have all of the stuff I had put in but 1 hermit crab that did die. I am sure I got him out however unless something was broken off of him.

removing the Chemi Pure will leave me with just filter floss and some rock in the bottom is that sufficient or is there anything else I should have back there at this time? BTW I change the floss once a week.

Yes, that's enough filtration. In fact, rock is all you need for biological filtration and floss is your mechanical. Chemi pure was your chemical filtration but like I said, not necessary.

As far as the bottle of bacteria, just follow the instructions on the bottle. They come in different bottle sizes.

A small piece of dead hermit shouldn't pollute the tank like that. Not really sure what's going on with your tank. How do your fish look?

 

[FixIt]

Yes, that's enough filtration. In fact, rock is all you need for biological filtration and floss is your mechanical. Chemi pure was your chemical filtration but like I said, not necessary.

As far as the bottle of bacteria, just follow the instructions on the bottle. They come in different bottle sizes.

A small piece of dead hermit shouldn't pollute the tank like that. Not really sure what's going on with your tank. How do your fish look?

Fish all seem to be doing well aside from one clown that has 2 white spots someone called lymph(somethingorother) but doesnt seem to affect it at all. The other fish all look healthy to me and all are swimming happy.