Diatoms in cycling tank.

[Shaina Carey]

So, my tank has been cycling for 18 days and I have noticed diatoms or some other brown stuff on my dry rock and sand. Is this normal? In FW tanks, we usually don't get it until the tank is almost cycled.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

It will come and go. Don't worry it gets worse

 

[Shaina Carey]

It will come and go. Don't worry it gets worse

NOOOOOO, lol. I loathe diatoms

 

[reacclimating 2 the hobby]

Cycle without your lights on.

 

[Shaina Carey]

Just turned my lights off

 

[Bayareareefer18]

NOOOOOO, lol. I loathe diatoms

I prefer the diatoms to what follows lol

 

[Shaina Carey]

I prefer the diatoms to what follows lol

Wait. What comes after diatoms?

 

[Crazeh]

The diatoms will be finished when the silicates in your tank are exhausted, so turning lights off may prolong the stage. Best to just push through this phase if you ask me.

New tanks can then get hair algae phases and cyanobacteria as the bioload balances up, but you can take action there.

 

[Shaina Carey]

The diatoms will be finished when the silicates in your tank are exhausted, so turning lights off may prolong the stage. Best to just push through this phase if you ask me.

New tanks can then get hair algae phases and cyanobacteria as the bioload balances up, but you can take action there.

Wait... Cynobacteria? D: Jesus, I hate Cynobacteria. I lost all my plants in my FW 10 gallon because I had to do a week blackout because of that

 

[Crazeh]

Wait... Cynobacteria? D: Jesus, I hate Cynobacteria. I lost all my plants in my FW 10 gallon because I had to do a week blackout because of that

I'm not sure it's a guaranteed stage, someone else can chip in, but it is quite common on the forums. I'm even dealing with it right now. I don't think it's too harmful in a reef tank and there are good products available to sort it quickly, but for me personally I'm trying to get rid of it naturally. Plenty of discussion about it on the forums so have a read and then you won't get any surprises if it does show up.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

Wait... Cynobacteria? D: Jesus, I hate Cynobacteria. I lost all my plants in my FW 10 gallon because I had to do a week blackout because of that

After I finally won the hair algae battle cyano followed for me. Not terrible but unsightly. Siphoning it out regularly really helped. I just hung a filter sock in my sump and siphoned into that so that I was not constantly having to replenish water