Diatoms? Hopefully not Dino!

[ExpatFish]

Have a pretty new fluval 13.5 that just finished cycle. Rock and sand started getting a brown color and thought it was diatom but it got dark within 2-3 days and now has tiny bubbles raising from it all day. Looking for opinions on diatom vs Dino (vs other).

temp 78
Ro/di water
Ammonia .25 (api / total amm)
Nitrite 2ppm
Nitrate 40ppm
Pho .25ppm
ph 8.2

going to do a wc for high nitrite/nitrate

pics

 

[susan ingram]

I'm not sure but how long has your tank been up and running? No livestock? Going to bump this and see if we can get you some answers

 

[1ByLand2BySea]

It is most likely Diatom and brown algae as Dino usually don't develop that quickly in this stage.
like to see what others think as well.

 

[MuscleBobBuffPants]

This looks like exactly what’s going on with my nano. Stringy brown bits with no bubbles attached to them, but random bubbles appearing. It’s extremely light and is blown off the rock easily.

What kind of rock and sand did you use?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Blow off with turkey baster and net or siphon loose matter. Reduce white light intensity and add cleaners such as:
3- turbo snails
4- nassarius snails
3- nerite snails
6-8 blue leg hermit crabs

 

[fishface NJ]

You have a new tank. It's the ugly stage. Turn off your lights. There is absolutely no reason to have them on. Congrats on the new tank!!!!

 

[brandon429]

World's easiest fix here

Do a rip clean, disassembly clean and it's fixed and won't recycle.

All small reefs are literally immune to invasions using this method, they're only invaded if we opt out and leave them in.


Dose nothing measure nothing, rip clean it we have 35 pages now of solid rip cleans yours is dino I bet.

We're really interested in adding this tank to our fix logs if you want it clean by dinnertime tonite. Most will choose to keep the invasion even after seeing the fixes, we hold onto our invasions amazingly

 

[ExpatFish]

Thanks everyone for your help! Have a larger tank, this smaller one is newer and the “diatom stage” just seemed more extreme which is what worried my... but this tank is smaller and light is stronger so that’s probably why...

 

[brandon429]

Do you want to fix it by cleaning the tank, It's the right way.

 

[MuscleBobBuffPants]

World's easiest fix here

Do a rip clean, disassembly clean and it's fixed and won't recycle.

All small reefs are literally immune to invasions using this method, they're only invaded if we opt out and leave them in.


Dose nothing measure nothing, rip clean it we have 35 pages now of solid rip cleans yours is dino I bet.

We're really interested in adding this tank to our fix logs if you want it clean by dinnertime tonite. Most will choose to keep the invasion even after seeing the fixes, we hold onto our invasions amazingly

What is a rip clean?

 

[brandon429]

look how powerful it is to take apart reefs, rinse the sand out using tap water then ro, then reassemble them into perfection

Official Sand Rinse and Tank Transfer thread

Not only do I love that job, I did it in my vase :) so it’s been modeled already/ done your job is just bigger. I’m going to link a thread where nobody listens regarding aiptasia removal, apply this to your mushroom tank. the sand cleaning is already covered here / ridding newly cleaned rocks...

www.reef2reef.com

the number one universal question is does it harm bacteria

how'd we get to 35 pages no ammonia testing and no losses with any harm.


rip cleaning helps bacteria it doesnt harm them


-revolt- < how can you say tap water anything helps tank bacteria


because we are doing something called backflushing. zoos, san diego aquarium, all backflush filters to remove scum so that filter bac are re-exposed to wastewater, and efficiency goes up.

our tanks are the filter. we are backflushing reefs there into total control.


this 13 gallon tank would be the easiest fix. on the last page above I rip clean my 14 year old nano for the fifth time in the thread and there's nothing wrong with my tank it doesnt need rips. I do it to participate and show its no harm, and in fact it adds lifespan to a reef to be backflushed.

when I do rip clean my tank though it stays laser clear for months and months, its better than partial cleans on tanks small enough to be accessed in this way.