Diatoms or something worse ?

[Mrt88]

Hi all,
Looking for some help trying to ID what’s going on.
Some background. Tank is just over 2 months old. Have this buildup on sand and rocks does look a light brown cookie but hard to tell.
I have left the tank alone including the glass for 7 days to see what happens.
Skimmer is really starting to work now.
Is it diatoms ? If so should I be removing with my water changes or should I leave it be ?
Thanks all

 

[bucketnerd5]

looks like diatoms vs dinos to me, part of the cycle ugly phase (although tank looks good)... don't want dinos', keep the P04 and Nitrates above zero to avoid.
good luck

 

[Lavey29]

Looks like diatoms and you probably want those piwerheads placed higher so you have good surface ripple for gas exchange for your 02 level and fish.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Pics are extremely dark and best under white lighting but diatoms seems to be what you see. Diatoms are a brown algae that typically appear in a reef tank that has just completed its cycle but they can also appear in an established reef tank. They can cover sand, rock, pumps, glass, you name it. Diatoms look ugly but in most cases they are harmless so the key is to not panic when they appear.
Diatoms feed mainly off of silicates but also consume dissolved organic compounds, phosphate and nitrates. Unfiltered tap water can contain silicates and is a good way to jump start a bloom if you use it to mix salt or to replace water that evaporated from the tank. The best way to prevent this from happening is to filter water through a RODI unit, although you can still get a diatom bloom when using RODI if the cartridge that removes silicates expires.
Diatoms are typically harmless to a captive reef and can be beaten once their food source expires. Once you put the end to the source, the outbreak should last a couple of weeks so just be patient and it will pass.

For major outbreaks you may want to consider the three day blackout. Diatoms are easily wiped from the glass with a mag float, a turkey baster or a toothbrush can access other areas of the tank. Be prepared for them to re-establish themselves quickly, they are likely to be able to resettle and have higher growth rates.
To prevent their return, practice good aquarium husbandry by doing regular water changes, keep the substrate clean, don’t overfeed the fish, assure your skimmer is running at an optimal level and rinse out filter socks and sponges on a regular basis.
Some cleaner crew to help control it are : Cerith snails, Nerite snails and Trochus snails and also Astraea snails are effective at removing diatoms.

 

[Mrt88]

Pics are extremely dark and best under white lighting but diatoms seems to be what you see. Diatoms are a brown algae that typically appear in a reef tank that has just completed its cycle but they can also appear in an established reef tank. They can cover sand, rock, pumps, glass, you name it. Diatoms look ugly but in most cases they are harmless so the key is to not panic when they appear.
Diatoms feed mainly off of silicates but also consume dissolved organic compounds, phosphate and nitrates. Unfiltered tap water can contain silicates and is a good way to jump start a bloom if you use it to mix salt or to replace water that evaporated from the tank. The best way to prevent this from happening is to filter water through a RODI unit, although you can still get a diatom bloom when using RODI if the cartridge that removes silicates expires.
Diatoms are typically harmless to a captive reef and can be beaten once their food source expires. Once you put the end to the source, the outbreak should last a couple of weeks so just be patient and it will pass.

For major outbreaks you may want to consider the three day blackout. Diatoms are easily wiped from the glass with a mag float, a turkey baster or a toothbrush can access other areas of the tank. Be prepared for them to re-establish themselves quickly, they are likely to be able to resettle and have higher growth rates.
To prevent their return, practice good aquarium husbandry by doing regular water changes, keep the substrate clean, don’t overfeed the fish, assure your skimmer is running at an optimal level and rinse out filter socks and sponges on a regular basis.
Some cleaner crew to help control it are : Cerith snails, Nerite snails and Trochus snails and also Astraea snails are effective at removing diatoms.

That’s amazing information. Thank you very much. Really appreciate it.

 

[Mrt88]

Hi all,
Just wanted to follow up on this. The bloom is still going and it’s showing no sign of burning itself out.
I’m keeping up with my regular maintenance and testing.

Does anyone know how long blooms last for ?
Or anything I can do to speed it along.
Thank you all