Diatoms, please please help! Not your standard cycling problem

paulhaan · Oct 9, 2011

Allright guys, I need your help

I've done my research for the answers I'm looking for, and now I'm coming to you.

I am having the worst diatom outbreak ever. it's insane.

here's the tanks history.

I purchased this 75 gal established tank setup of 7+ years. I transported the live sand, live rock, and all but 15 gallons of the water. I didn't clean out the filter for over 2 weeks to make sure the cycle continued. The ONLY things I added to the tank since it was established was about 20 pounds of live sand (used from the same hobbyist as I purchased the established tank) and 15 gallons of tap water. I have since been doing 20% RO water changes once a week. The tank has a rena 3 canister filter, with new de-nitrate and AC. It has a HOB fuge full of sand and Chaeto. I recently added a remora pro protein skimmer. My pH is 8.3, nitrite is 0ppm, ammonia is .1ppm, phosphorus is .2ppm, temp is 78, nitrate is 30-40ppm. I haven't tested for silica. bioload is about 5 fish, and about 20 reef cleaners including turbos and blue hermits. I've added stresszyme to stimulate cycling.

OK, so the problem is that my diatoms are just out of control. the live rock doesn't look to bad as for the tang and algae blenny, but the sand is awful! I have 230 watts of t5ho lighting with actinic at about 10 hours a day (new bulbs). I am at a loss of what to do with this unsightly mess. it's been about 3 weeks and the more I perfect husbandry and water chemistry, the worse it gets.

Is my substrate bad? should i get new live sand? do I need a massive of load of reef cleaners? should I use algae removers like algaefix or algone? should I use a silica remover (though I don't know if thats the culprit)? I am at a loss and so sick of this unsightly mess in my living room. I spend hours a day doing maintenance to no avail.

please help!

Rockadile · Oct 9, 2011

its cycleing if you have any ammonia . 1 thing i would like to comment on is the use of the other tanks water. Thats a large misconception that using "established" water will help. it will actually do more harm then good as it really holds nothing. everything you need is in the sand and rocks. I mean if using another tanks water was useful we wouldnt need to do water changed to replenish whats lost over time.

redemer123 · Oct 9, 2011

any way to get some pictures? that would probably help A LOT!, sounds to me like moving the tank stirred up something nasty to cause a big cycle, And from my guess a tank thats been up that long has some nasties in the sand bed you don't want to stir up.

skinz78 · Oct 9, 2011

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Can you post a pic of the tank? I wonder if you might have something else going on in there.

I would keep up on the water changes, to me the chemical fix's are just a quick dangerous fix. I stay away from them.

redemer123 · Oct 9, 2011

yeah id never go with a chemical fix, its just a band aid to the problem and it will likely just come back

VegasRick · Oct 9, 2011

redemer123 said:
any way to get some pictures? that would probably help A LOT!, sounds to me like moving the tank stirred up something nasty to cause a big cycle, And from my guess a tank thats been up that long has some nasties in the sand bed you don't want to stir up.

That would be my guess too, I would never put used sand in my tank.

paulhaan · Oct 10, 2011

I will take pics during the light cycle tomorrow.

So in a nutshell, it's probably just cycling?

skinz78 · Oct 10, 2011

It is hard to say without pic's. I think you stirred up a bad thing with the sand.

Reefpestsolutions · Oct 11, 2011

Rockadile said:
its cycleing if you have any ammonia . 1 thing i would like to comment on is the use of the other tanks water. Thats a large misconception that using "established" water will help. it will actually do more harm then good as it really holds nothing. everything you need is in the sand and rocks. I mean if using another tanks water was useful we wouldnt need to do water changed to replenish whats lost over time.

I'll fix you're misconceptions on old tank water so you don't miss lead anyone Feature Article: Bacterial Counts in Reef Aquarium Water: Baseline Values and Modulation by Carbon Dosing, Protein Skimming, and Granular Activated Carbon Filtration — Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine

paulhaan · Oct 11, 2011

photo

paulhaan · Oct 11, 2011

does that pic help diagnose what is going on with my included info?

skinz78 · Oct 11, 2011

Well it confirms you have a bad diatoms problem going on. I would keep doing water changes and siphon out what diatoms you have, use them as a nutrient export method when you remove them. I think if you keep up on it they will go away.

Troylee · Oct 11, 2011

Water changes might just make it worse or last longer... Let them do there thing and use the silicates up and they will burn out... A nice big clean up crew of snails will also clean it up fairly quick... Nazzusars and ceriths would do the job...

Rockadile · Oct 11, 2011

looks like a typical new tank syndrome to me.

Raggamuffin · Oct 11, 2011

yeah doesn't look out of the ordinary to me, maybe a little more than normal but not enough for me to raise a flag on. sand stirring snails (already mentioned) would do wonders.

pmgaudio · Oct 11, 2011

If I may chime in. I have a 29 GAl, and my outbreaks are slightly smaller but still there after 6 months (Or shold I continue to see them casue 6 mothns is EARLY) And HOW MANY nass's are good. I HAD four, cant seem to find the other two. think they died. and a handfull of AStreas and Nerites... LFS didnt have CERITHS

_Alex_ · Oct 11, 2011

get snails that sift the sand that will help, also the snails mentioned above will to. also what do you have for flow??

and like troylee said doign water changes although they seem like they would help can feed them. i woudl get some more clean up crew, make sure im getting good flow accross that area, and maybe kill the lights for a day or 2 to knock it back. its really not that bad just need to let it eat the food it has available and die out.

how often and what are you feeding??

paulhaan · Oct 12, 2011

food

I feed with a small pinch of reef flake food in the morning (all gone within a minute) and in the evening I feed with small chunk of frozen brine shrimpe (2mmx4mmx5mm thawed in a small glass of water)

_Alex_ · Oct 12, 2011

ok i looked back threw the post but may have missed it... how many fish are in this tank???

Troylee · Oct 12, 2011

Frozen food will do it... Thaw it in a glass and rinse well in ro water or don't use it all together... I had similar problems and changed to pellets it made a world of difference...