Diatoms are annoying me. lol

Taxus812 · Apr 24, 2019

Gee I am hoping they are diatoms.

Last few days I have been getting a brown dusty coating on my glass. (I think I'm getting a lot of light in my room this time of year.) Anyway I have to clean the glass every day. It’s like brown dust that brushes off and floats away. It makes the water a little cloudy and the skimmer/filter/carbon will clean it in 30 min or so. The next day I have to do it again. It really doesn’t show up until later in the day. I am thinking I may cut down on the light a bit for a while.

Do I need to fire my snails (they are getting fat and may have formed a union) ?

My nitrates are 3ppm and phosphate is 0. (Calcium 450, alk is low at 7.3 and mg is 1350). I use RODI, tested that there are 0 TDS, Red Sea coral pro salt (for now).

Big G · Apr 25, 2019

Mastiffsrule · Apr 25, 2019

Sounds like diatoms. New tank or new sand put in recently

Taxus812 · Apr 25, 2019

It is fairly new. About 6 weeks old. I moved the rocks about a week ago then goofed up a wave pump stirring up the sand bad. I am wondering if it may have stirred up silicate?

It’s getting really bad but I’m due a water change. I am Hoping I can cut them down a bit. My cleanup crew is actually keeping the rocks and sand pretty clean. I really notice it in my glass mostly. I have to while wait all the time during the day.

Mastiffsrule · Apr 25, 2019

Sounds like you are right, if you have not gone thru the diatom phase yet, most likely that is what it is. Once the silicate you mentioned is gone, so will the diatom be.

Taxus812 · Apr 26, 2019

Don’t your brown algae look green ! (I think that is how the song goes) Anyhow I went to do a water change today and realized all my brown algae is now green! Same consistency dusty like.

I cleaned the filter and did a 10% water change. Let’s see how things go

. I will retest my water Sunday.

Mastiffsrule · Apr 26, 2019

Taxus812 said:
Don’t your brown algae look green ! (I think that is how the song goes) Anyhow I went to do a water change today and realized all my brown algae is now green! Same consistency dusty like.

I cleaned the filter and did a 10% water change. Let’s see how things go . I will retest my water Sunday.

awesome song

sounds like you are on the right track. just keep up the cleaning schedule. your numbers are fine. it is possible you Po4 is 0 since the algae is sucking it all up, but new tank i would not expect that.

keep updating.