Diatoms in a healthy mixed reef

[Treefer32]

I saw a resurrected thread on dinos and went through the pictures. And I definitely do not have dinos. I either have Diatoms mixed with Cyano or primarily cyano with air bubbles (lots of them sometimes). Every now and then I see air bubbles releasing from the rocks. My fish graze the algae, etc that grows around the air bubbles. I blow them off and they release to the surface en-masse but, they always come back.

I have a 2 year old 340 gallon display. My phosphates are always in the .12 -.16 range, my nitrates are usually in the 16-20 range. I run a Algae turf scrubber as my primary nutrient export. I have no skimmer running at this point (I used to, but no difference on the diatoms / Cyano mix with or without skimmer.)

Alk is usually 10-11 (try to keep it closer to 10.) Calcium is 440-480, and mag is usually close to 1500. I do 15-20 % water changes weekly. I run filter socks and change them out every 2 days religiously. I run a 25 micron Nu-Clear Cannister filter for water polishing and occasionally run Purigen and /or Carbon to polish the water.

I use 0 TDS RODI and test and change DI often, changed the RO membranes and carbon blocks in the last 8-10 months. The TDS from RO to DI is 10.

I run a water softener and RODI is plumbed off the softener.

I use basic IO salt. I dose Baked Baking soda for alk and BRS Calcium Chloride for calcium. My corals are all growing well for the most part, other than my Acans. I have a hammer with 4-5 new heads and constantly growing, Acros that have tripled in size and continue to grow. I feel like the reef is established and healthy. I have 17 fish.

Yet, I have a 15" shelf rock that (coincidently all my Acros are on). It's probably 50-60% covered in Coraline Algae now, but still continues to grow Diatoms. I blow it off with a turkey baster every 2-3 days, but, the air bubbles and/or Cyano come back, nearly every day.

I've accepted that it's just a part of my reef. But, just checking is this a sign that something is still imbalanced if I have no other algae on my rocks or sand bed? Or is it just a lack of flow on the shelf rock, or something to do with that rock? The rest of my rocks my have a patch of cyano here and there, but nothing that's invasive or damaging to corals. The shelf is most noticable because it's the only spot that gets the bubbles.

I got some MicroBacter 7 I was thinking about dosing at maintenance levels to see if it would out compete the Diatoms and/or Cyano. I guess is the recommendation just to accept it and someday it may go away? Keep blowing it off and someday it may go away? Or is there something I should be taking action on to prevent a bigger outbreak in the future?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Please post a pic of what you are referring to under white lights

 

[vetteguy53081]

I saw a resurrected thread on dinos and went through the pictures. And I definitely do not have dinos. I either have Diatoms mixed with Cyano or primarily cyano with air bubbles (lots of them sometimes). Every now and then I see air bubbles releasing from the rocks. My fish graze the algae, etc that grows around the air bubbles. I blow them off and they release to the surface en-masse but, they always come back.

I have a 2 year old 340 gallon display. My phosphates are always in the .12 -.16 range, my nitrates are usually in the 16-20 range. I run a Algae turf scrubber as my primary nutrient export. I have no skimmer running at this point (I used to, but no difference on the diatoms / Cyano mix with or without skimmer.)

Alk is usually 10-11 (try to keep it closer to 10.) Calcium is 440-480, and mag is usually close to 1500. I do 15-20 % water changes weekly. I run filter socks and change them out every 2 days religiously. I run a 25 micron Nu-Clear Cannister filter for water polishing and occasionally run Purigen and /or Carbon to polish the water.

I use 0 TDS RODI and test and change DI often, changed the RO membranes and carbon blocks in the last 8-10 months. The TDS from RO to DI is 10.

I run a water softener and RODI is plumbed off the softener.

I use basic IO salt. I dose Baked Baking soda for alk and BRS Calcium Chloride for calcium. My corals are all growing well for the most part, other than my Acans. I have a hammer with 4-5 new heads and constantly growing, Acros that have tripled in size and continue to grow. I feel like the reef is established and healthy. I have 17 fish.

Yet, I have a 15" shelf rock that (coincidently all my Acros are on). It's probably 50-60% covered in Coraline Algae now, but still continues to grow Diatoms. I blow it off with a turkey baster every 2-3 days, but, the air bubbles and/or Cyano come back, nearly every day.

I've accepted that it's just a part of my reef. But, just checking is this a sign that something is still imbalanced if I have no other algae on my rocks or sand bed? Or is it just a lack of flow on the shelf rock, or something to do with that rock? The rest of my rocks my have a patch of cyano here and there, but nothing that's invasive or damaging to corals. The shelf is most noticable because it's the only spot that gets the bubbles.

I got some MicroBacter 7 I was thinking about dosing at maintenance levels to see if it would out compete the Diatoms and/or Cyano. I guess is the recommendation just to accept it and someday it may go away? Keep blowing it off and someday it may go away? Or is there something I should be taking action on to prevent a bigger outbreak in the future?

For diatoms and cyano-
Reduce white lights a few days and use that bacter 7 during the day at 1ml per 10 gallons and dose 1.5ml per 10 gallons at night
For a week

some cleaner snails such as ;

turbo
Nassarius
Astrea
Cerith
Trochus
And a few blue leg hermits will help with both

 

[Arabyps]

Have you considered a regimen of ChemiClean since you believe cyano is prevalent? That worked wonders for me when I had a cyano outbreak. Also, I had a severe case of Diatoms. It turns out my silicates were very high per ICP analysis. Apparently the TDS of the RO/DI water showed zero but did not remove silicates. I changed the DI resin (per ICP recommendation) and that worked to remove the silicates. Now I check the color of the DI resin and replace even if it still shows zero TDS. Like you I also have soft water in the house which goes through the RO/DI unit.

 

[Treefer32]

Have you considered a regimen of ChemiClean since you believe cyano is prevalent? That worked wonders for me when I had a cyano outbreak. Also, I had a severe case of Diatoms. It turns out my silicates were very high per ICP analysis. Apparently the TDS of the RO/DI water showed zero but did not remove silicates. I changed the DI resin (per ICP recommendation) and that worked to remove the silicates. Now I check the color of the DI resin and replace even if it still shows zero TDS. Like you I also have soft water in the house which goes through the RO/DI unit.

Yeah, I'm wondering if it's silicates too. I think pretty common thing. Is changing DI more frequently the only solution? Is there a way to remove silicates from the water already in the tank? Lol.

 

[Treefer32]

Have you considered a regimen of ChemiClean since you believe cyano is prevalent? That worked wonders for me when I had a cyano outbreak. Also, I had a severe case of Diatoms. It turns out my silicates were very high per ICP analysis. Apparently the TDS of the RO/DI water showed zero but did not remove silicates. I changed the DI resin (per ICP recommendation) and that worked to remove the silicates. Now I check the color of the DI resin and replace even if it still shows zero TDS. Like you I also have soft water in the house which goes through the RO/DI unit.

It's a stop gap I've used it before, but, it doesn't solve the problem. I'm not sure what the source issue is. They'll come back 6-8 months later if the original issue isn't resolved.

 

[Hincapiej4]

GFO (Depending on which) can remove silicates in the water.

 

[PBar]

Dear @Treefer32,
please see this post. Might be very useful if it is diatoms (also for ID)

(Super) Silicate passing by all resins

Dear colleagues, I hope everything is fine with you all. I can’t get zero silicate in the RO water. My main concern is linked to a diatoms issue that I’m having in the tank. What really puzzles me is the fact that I’m using now a “huge“ RO/DI system: 1 x sediment filter 10 micron 2 x carbon...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Arabyps]

Yeah, I'm wondering if it's silicates too. I think pretty common thing. Is changing DI more frequently the only solution? Is there a way to remove silicates from the water already in the tank? Lol.

There are cartridges specially designed for silicate removal if you google search. As for ChemiClean, cyano may or may not come back - not black/white as some state. It is important to get it all and if hidden in the rocks it is difficult to treat and may result in growth again. Of course, determining the cause is best. Perhaps a water analysis is appropriate. To quickly lower silicates I did a large water change. Also, I add Microbacter 7 with every water change to out-compete the cyano. I also run NP Pearls (DR Tim's) in a reactor. Here are some videos you may find helpful (lots more on YouTube):

 

[Treefer32]

Dear @Treefer32,
please see this post. Might be very useful if it is diatoms (also for ID)

(Super) Silicate passing by all resins

Dear colleagues, I hope everything is fine with you all. I can’t get zero silicate in the RO water. My main concern is linked to a diatoms issue that I’m having in the tank. What really puzzles me is the fact that I’m using now a “huge“ RO/DI system: 1 x sediment filter 10 micron 2 x carbon...

www.reef2reef.com

Wow. O.k I read through this and saw that the solution was to pass RO water over 6 different DI resins? Yikes. Also, what's interesting is if Silicates feed sponge and other organic filters, well, that explains why my rock work is covered in tubes and yellow sponge. There's tubules sticking out of every crevice I can find in my rocks. I don't mind them, I actually think it makes the reef look more natural and established. But if they're sucking up silicates and there's still enough left for diatoms.... I must have a lot. Ugg.

 

[PBar]

Indeed, but seems that my water here is really bad and I can’t figure it out yet why.
Concretely, I had to reduce flow into the DI resins In order to eliminate the silicates (at least most of it).

For your case, according to the description, could be diatoms also... however, it would be nice to have ICP test to confirm or not the case (tank and RO water)

Good luck!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If too much silicate is getting through your ro/di, it might make the most sense to run some GFO in the RO/DI reservoir, since there is nothing there to deplete it except the silicate.

That said, I dosed silicate regularly to my system.

 

[Hincapiej4]

If too much silicate is getting through your ro/di, it might make the most sense to run some GFO in the RO/DI reservoir, since there is nothing there to deplete it except the silicate.

That said, I dosed silicate regularly to my system.

Hmm, interesting. And he'd have to install something to dial up or down the flow.