Diatoms & the Uglies

[LeftFootedJedi]

Tank is nearly 3 months old, cycled & fish doing well. The diatom bloom started about 2 weeks ago. The 1st week I went dark which did the job.. only to have it return as soon as the lights came back on. This week i reduces my whites to 10% & run time to about 8 hrs total including sundown & sunset, changing 20% water every 2 wks, blasting algae off rocks every 2-3 days & reducing feeding..which leads me to this.

Would it be better to go dark 2-3wks (or more) or just let it go with lights & eventually eat itself out of house & home? What has the better success rate?

PS.. parameters have been within normal ranges throughout & I have a CUC (3 hermits / 3 trochus / 2 nassarius).

 

[Albertan22]

You can’t really fight diatoms, just let them run their course. They will always appear as soon as you turn your lights back on, no matter the spectrum. They are there until the silicates from your new sand and new rock are eaten up. As long as you aren’t adding in more silicates with your water change water or top off, they will go away on their own in a couple months.

 

[Copingwithpods]

+1 let them ride, fighting it only makes it last longer. They will bloom then die off be patient.

 

[LeftFootedJedi]

That’s what it seems like.

 

[Copingwithpods]

Diatoms are great because unless you are actively feeding then silicates they just go away on their own, in time you'll get sponges that compete for the silicates and chances are you will never see them again.

 

[Steph37]

I'm battling the same. I do however feel like things are slowly starting to disappear. I think just riding it out has worked.