Diatoms

[anthonygf]

Often the thought is that low nutrients cause dino, which it appears as such. Then tests point to zero readings and tank owner counters with adding phos, nitrate supplements and silicate. Thing is, the dinos have consumed them why they are at zero and are multiplying and feeding off these additives. Nutrient instability is the culprit often achieved from impatience from tank owner.
Blackouts and UV will address it as one method.

You must be getting me confused with someone else. I don't understand? My nutrients have been stable for a few years.

 

[vetteguy53081]

You must be getting me confused with someone else. I don't understand? My nutrients have been stable for a few years.

im understanding you have dino - correct?

 

[anthonygf]

im understanding you have dino - correct?

I guess, that is what was said. I thought maybe diatoms, hard to find any good photos that look like mine. Not to offend you but that is the only correct thing you got about me on your last post. lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I guess, that is what was said. I thought maybe diatoms, hard to find any good photos that look like mine. Not to offend you but that is the only correct thing you got about me on your last post. lol

Here's what the diatoms growing on my glass looked like when a fellow reefer looked at them:

Feature Article: Silica In Reef Aquariums ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

Figure 7. An organism (at arrow point) isolated from the glass surface after silica addition, tentatively identified as the diatom _Cylindrotheca closterium (Nitzschia closterium). It is the second most abundant in the collected material.

 

[anthonygf]

Here's what the diatoms growing on my glass looked like when a fellow reefer looked at them:

Feature Article: Silica In Reef Aquariums ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

Figure 7. An organism (at arrow point) isolated from the glass surface after silica addition, tentatively identified as the diatom _Cylindrotheca closterium (Nitzschia closterium). It is the second most abundant in the collected material.

Thanks Randy, nice photo. It looks like I have dinos and not diatoms. So maybe lowing my nutrients a little will help.

 

[Lavey29]

Thanks Randy, nice photo. It looks like I have dinos and not diatoms. So maybe lowing my nutrients a little will help.

I actually view a different approach. If your parameters have been stable in a good range for an extended period of time then stay the course. Stability is critical. Modify slightly by cutting lights to 6 hours with blue and uv only no whites. Siphon up what you can. Add pods, phytoplankton and dose PNS probio once a week. Set 2 month time frame and re evaluate then.

 

[anthonygf]

I actually view a different approach. If your parameters have been stable in a good range for an extended period of time then stay the course. Stability is critical. Modify slightly by cutting lights to 6 hours with blue and uv only no whites. Siphon up what you can. Add pods, phytoplankton and dose PNS probio once a week. Set 2 month time frame and re evaluate then.

Will try that when I get all supplies together. Thank you. It wouldn't hurt to lower the nutrients a little will it?

 

[Lavey29]

Will try that when I get all supplies together. Thank you. It wouldn't hurt to lower the nutrients a little will it?

Depends on the levels and how your corals look. Plenty of perfect tanks with high nutrients though and no algae issues. They say don't chase numbers but in order to do that you need to evaluate the whole tank and see how the complete picture looks. I have some small dark brown areas on my sand on the side of the tank. Is it dinos? Don't know, my nutrients have never bottomed out. Will I change anything? Not really because the corals are thriving and everything has been stable. I will just siphon as needed, hope the pods or snails eat it and keep adding heterotrophic bacteria weekly like I have been. Hoping the ecosystem deals with it naturally.

 

[anthonygf]

Depends on the levels and how your corals look. Plenty of perfect tanks with high nutrients though and no algae issues. They say don't chase numbers but in order to do that you need to evaluate the whole tank and see how the complete picture looks. I have some small dark brown areas on my sand on the side of the tank. Is it dinos? Don't know, my nutrients have never bottomed out. Will I change anything? Not really because the corals are thriving and everything has been stable. I will just siphon as needed, hope the pods or snails eat it and keep adding heterotrophic bacteria weekly like I have been. Hoping the ecosystem deals with it naturally.

Well unfortunately my corals are suffering the last few months, lost my pipe organ. My branching Monti is doing well, GSP is getting covered in algae and not happy, need to blow off daily. Some zoa's not happy and some are blossoming. I am waiting on my pods and phyto. Only have a few snails left, need to replenish. Don't know what else to do but lower nutrients a bit, dose Dino X maybe. Resumed weekly 10% WC.

 

[Lavey29]

Well unfortunately my corals are suffering the last few months, lost my pipe organ. My branching Monti is doing well, GSP is getting covered in algae and not happy, need to blow off daily. Some zoa's not happy and some are blossoming. I am waiting on my pods and phyto. Only have a few snails left, need to replenish. Don't know what else to do but lower nutrients a bit, dose Dino X maybe. Resumed weekly 10% WC.

Saltwateraquarium has great quality and size inverts. Just got some to refresh the cleaners. Cut lights to 6 hours for a few weeks with no white. See if it helps. If the dinos disappear at night then they are in the water column and UV could help. Change socks frequently to.

 

[Icryhard]

Can silicates in aquarium water be removed by adding a filter to the sump? I didn't have this problem for 7 years, nothing has changed that I can recall.
My NO3- 33.4ppm and PO4- 0.178ppm hasn't changed in 3 years.

What I recommend for sillicates would be something like colombo silicate ex. I just bought one whole package (500 ml) and threw it in my filter. My silicate level is 0 and I keep it at 0. The diatoms will go away in time. Have you put anything new in your tank lately? By any chance that could've brought the silicate in or the water you put into your tank, have you checked it for silicate? Maybe the water you're putting into it has changed (if you buy it somewhere).

However as mentioned, this looks like dino. Keep your water values stable and don't stress too much about it.
What are all your water values now? Phospate, Nitrate, nitrit etc.

 

[anthonygf]

What I recommend for sillicates would be something like colombo silicate ex. I just bought one whole package (500 ml) and threw it in my filter. My silicate level is 0 and I keep it at 0. The diatoms will go away in time. Have you put anything new in your tank lately? By any chance that could've brought the silicate in or the water you put into your tank, have you checked it for silicate? Maybe the water you're putting into it has changed (if you buy it somewhere).

However as mentioned, this looks like dino. Keep your water values stable and don't stress too much about it.
What are all your water values now? Phospate, Nitrate, nitrit etc.

Hello. Don't stress too much? How when it is killing my coral. I try to remove it daily and just keeps smothering some coral. My water params have been stable for a couple years except for silicate, according to ICP in 6 months went from 78ppb to 474ppb. I just got my Hanna Silica LR tester and get 0.61ppm, the max range on tester is up to 2.0ppm. I was told it is not the cause of my problem, but the 2 coincides here. I don't get it. If I can get that stuff here I will try it, thanks for the mention. Also the same salt and water used here, nothing new.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hello. Don't stress too much? How when it is killing my coral. I try to remove it daily and just keeps smothering some coral. My water params have been stable for a couple years except for silicate, according to ICP in 6 months went from 78ppb to 474ppb. I just got my Hanna Silica LR tester and get 0.61ppm, the max range on tester is up to 2.0ppm. I was told it is not the cause of my problem, but the 2 coincides here. I don't get it. If I can get that stuff here I will try it, thanks for the mention. Also the same salt and water used here, nothing new.

I personally do not think the pest is diatoms based on the descriptions and the fact that Si is elevated (lots of diatoms will rapidly deplete it).

.

 

[anthonygf]

I personally do not think the pest is diatoms based on the descriptions and the fact that Si is elevated (lots of diatoms will rapidly deplete it).

.

I do believe you and others who have said this is not diatoms. Just a coincidence that these 2 came together at nearly the same time. I tried most natural methods and then chemicals, DinoX, Red Cyano Rx, and Red Slime remover. Now I will lower my nutrients first, I this does not help I will try Brightwells's media for Phos & silicate removal. With vodka dosing I got my NO3 down from 33ppm to 20.8ppm and PO4 0.178ppm to 0.123ppm in 10 days. Today my PO4 is up to 0.175, I may have to add Phos RX to help lower PO4. I will lower the doses before I bottom out. Thank you Randy.

 

[Icryhard]

Hello. Don't stress too much? How when it is killing my coral. I try to remove it daily and just keeps smothering some coral. My water params have been stable for a couple years except for silicate, according to ICP in 6 months went from 78ppb to 474ppb. I just got my Hanna Silica LR tester and get 0.61ppm, the max range on tester is up to 2.0ppm. I was told it is not the cause of my problem, but the 2 coincides here. I don't get it. If I can get that stuff here I will try it, thanks for the mention. Also the same salt and water used here, nothing new.

Stress causes you to do more damage than good. You panic and start doing all sorts of crazy stuff which ends up causing more harm than good. That's the "dont stress too much". Now, as mentioned in my previous comment: Do that and it'll remove diatoms quickly and eventually it will starve. I had the very same thing as you, I threw in the 500 ml in my filters and tried to keep my values as stable as possible, without interrupting the cycle too much. Keep removing it from the corals once a day and it'll come down eventually. I understand your frustration, but unfortunately you cannot speed the process up anymore than this. You could also completely darken the aquarium and leave it like that for 3 days while the filter is getting rid of the Si with Si filters in it.

 

[anthonygf]

Stress causes you to do more damage than good. You panic and start doing all sorts of crazy stuff which ends up causing more harm than good. That's the "dont stress too much". Now, as mentioned in my previous comment: Do that and it'll remove diatoms quickly and eventually it will starve. I had the very same thing as you, I threw in the 500 ml in my filters and tried to keep my values as stable as possible, without interrupting the cycle too much. Keep removing it from the corals once a day and it'll come down eventually. I understand your frustration, but unfortunately you cannot speed the process up anymore than this. You could also completely darken the aquarium and leave it like that for 3 days while the filter is getting rid of the Si with Si filters in it.

Well it is not exactly stress, it is more of a concern. I don't stress over anything. I do not panic, been slowly working on this for a several months. Trying one thing at a time and waiting to see if I have any progress. What others have said it is not diatoms, what I have is dinos. I have a mix of dinos and GHA. Thank you for your concern.

I am lowering my nutrients a little and forced to use Flux RX and Dino-X. I tried Dino-X with little help if any, now I am using Flux RX with Dino-X. It is starting to recede, algae is starting to come off very easy and is captured by my Magnum polishing filter, I have been using this filter for years when I clean the rocks, glass and sand bed. The Dinos are slowly receding also. I am ready to do a massive water change when needed. I know the risks associated with using all these chemicals, my fish and corals are fine with this treatment. Actually some of the corals are perking up a little, maybe just a coincidence.

 

[anthonygf]

Well just for everyone's information don't use Flux-RX and Dino-X together as most of you know, I was warned. My Branching Monty's tips are all white now, burned? My Plating Monti is okay as well as other coral and my fish. I did use a low dose. Well I was ready and performed a water change and added carbon, also figured I would clean my sump at this time. Looks like some of my Monti will survive. Did get rid of lots of algae though.