Diatoms not going away.

[aquanerd57]

Could be silica. Add a couple of good DI cartridges and do two water changes two weeks apart. How old is the Ro membrane?

 

[chris124]

Could be silica. Add a couple of good DI cartridges and do two water changes two weeks apart. How old is the Ro membrane?

About seven months.

 

[NanaReefer]

I've been battling this exact issue for 2 plus years. Finally gave up and am now slowly removing the entire SB.
Just for the heck of it, I added about a cup of new sand to a bare area and what do you know, it too became infected with whatever the heck this crap is.

 

[mcarroll]

The tank is about two and a half years old and I have had this problem for about six months.

Definitely check the sand bed.....fairly likely that it's compromised and full of nutrients. I could be wrong, but the photos (now that i see em) are also suggestive of this.

See my earlier comments on dealing with this and post any questions if it turns out to be the case.

Remember not to make any big changes all at once.

Im using about one cup of GFO and when its offline I dont see a spike. The main reason I started using GFO was because I read that it can help remove silicate.

I think you have to use small quantities for less than 24 hours if that's your target. Was @Russ265 the other person I've seen testing GFO out for that?

I would also do the DI swap, as I mentioned already, if you're seriously thinking this is the cause, but not before checking your sand bed.

You said I could try to increase the nitrogen input to the take. What would I need to do to do that?

Like I said, it could be something as simple as an additional feeding or no longer using mechanical filtration, or skim less, or it might be something as targeted and specific as dosing nitrates. (See the last part of #16)

Are you saying the 0 nitrates could also cause this problem?

That's probably oversimplifying it, but basically, yeah. It's certainly hampering the diatom's competitors.

Thing is, as you well know, that you can also have 0 Nitrates and no diatoms. Conditions have to be right.

So you need to be looking at conditions....like the sand bed.


Can you post a full tank shot, including your flow pumps?

 

[aquanerd57]

Any sunlight entering the tank?

 

[chris124]

Any sunlight entering the tank?

No that was one of the first things I thought about.

 

[chris124]

I've been battling this exact issue for 2 plus years. Finally gave up and am now slowly removing the entire SB.
Just for the heck of it, I added about a cup of new sand to a bare area and what do you know, it too became infected with whatever the heck this crap is.

What kind of sand are you using? Im using caribsea ocean direct.

 

[chris124]

Definitely check the sand bed.....fairly likely that it's compromised and full of nutrients. I could be wrong, but the photos (now that i see em) are also suggestive of this.

See my earlier comments on dealing with this and post any questions if it turns out to be the case.

Remember not to make any big changes all at once.



I think you have to use small quantities for less than 24 hours if that's your target. Was @Russ265 the other person I've seen testing GFO out for that?

I would also do the DI swap, as I mentioned already, if you're seriously thinking this is the cause, but not before checking your sand bed.



Like I said, it could be something as simple as an additional feeding or no longer using mechanical filtration, or skim less, or it might be something as targeted and specific as dosing nitrates. (See the last part of #16)



That's probably oversimplifying it, but basically, yeah. It's certainly hampering the diatom's competitors.

Thing is, as you well know, that you can also have 0 Nitrates and no diatoms. Conditions have to be right.

So you need to be looking at conditions....like the sand bed.


Can you post a full tank shot, including your flow pumps?

Ok I checked the sand and it looks good to me nice and white. What I think is diatoms on the sand float away like dust leaving just white sand. Here are more pics.

 

[chris124]

I'm going to try a blackout again this time with the tank covered with a sheet. This is getting very frustrating. Fish are happy and what little coral I have is also fine.

 

[Frop]

This has to be coming from my rodi water. Because it slows down when its time for w/c and after w/c its like a poured gas on a fire. My rodi water is showing 0tds. Dose anyone know if silicates show as tds or do I need to just get a silicate test kit. If so dose anyone know of a good test. Thanks.

Maybe you are moving the sand bed when changing the water causing a mini cycle?

 

[chris124]

I try not to move it to much. But you could be right. What doesn't make sense to me is the fact that it gets worse after a water change. I have checked and rechecked my rodi water for 0 tds. I even let the LFS test it. I know when I figure this out its going to be something simple I over looked.

 

[brandon429]

the waste in the sandbed is kicked up during partial work, refeeding the invasion on the bed just above the waste. too white lights is also a possible cause of your issue we show in the big sand rinse thread.

a way to identify the waste in the bed, fueling the invasion, is to make a cell phone vid and post it reaching in the tank and grabbing a handful of sand, then dropping it down so we can see the clouding if applicable. If no clouding, that's amazing good sandbed care Id eliminate topwater TDS issues after sb ones.

 

[JP79]

How old is the tank and what are you using for lights as well as how long are you running the lights?

 

[Luke Schnabel]

I wouldn't think if your TDS meter is new and your reading ZERO then it's not your source water.
Can you increase flow? Can you clean out your sand bed really good... like siphon a bunch out, wash it and put it back? I would try working on the sand bed to clean it up. If it's not covering your rocks as well, whatever is growing is using nutriets in your sandbed to grow then.

 

[chris124]

How old is the tank and what are you using for lights as well as how long are you running the lights?

Its two and a half years old. Im using aqua traders snake eyes. http://www.ebay.com/itm/SE-Quad-48-...l-Reef-Marine-64x-3W-Snake-Eyes-/301303497356 Light are on for 8 hours.

 

[chris124]

I wouldn't think if your TDS meter is new and your reading ZERO then it's not your source water.
Can you increase flow? Can you clean out your sand bed really good... like siphon a bunch out, wash it and put it back? I would try working on the sand bed to clean it up. If it's not covering your rocks as well, whatever is growing is using nutriets in your sandbed to grow then.

It stating to go up the back of the rocks now. By rinsing the sand want that kill the bacteria and cause ammonia? I have a gyre 150 running at 50% so the sand doesn't blow around. Plus im not seeing much detritus in the sand bed.

 

[Brew12]

This has to be coming from my rodi water. Because it slows down when its time for w/c and after w/c its like a poured gas on a fire. My rodi water is showing 0tds. Dose anyone know if silicates show as tds or do I need to just get a silicate test kit. If so dose anyone know of a good test. Thanks.

Silicates will not show on a typical TDS meter. These meters normally measure conductivity of the water to provide a reading. Silicates do not make water more conductive (non ionic) therefore will not show on your meter.

 

[chris124]

the waste in the sandbed is kicked up during partial work, refeeding the invasion on the bed just above the waste. too white lights is also a massive cause of your issue we show in the big sand rinse thread.

a way to identify the waste in the bed, fueling the invasion, is to make a cell phone vid and post it reaching in the tank and grabbing a handful of sand, then dropping it down so we can see the clouding if applicable. If no clouding, that's amazing good sandbed care Id eliminate topwater TDS issues after sb ones.

Are you talking about all sandbeds or just deep sandbeds? My sandbed at its deepest is only 1".

 

[chris124]

Silicates will not show on a typical TDS meter. These meters normally measure conductivity of the water to provide a reading. Silicates do not make water more conductive (non ionic) therefore will not show on your meter.

Ok then I will get a test kit. Thanks.

 

[brandon429]

here is a sb rinse thread, sorry so long lol but at least has examples of others tanks before you go:

no bacteria that matter are harmed in any type of rinse, rock or sand.