DrufusReef tank build

DrufusReef · Aug 16, 2020

So as expected I have a diatom outbreak in my tank. No big deal I assumed it was normal and it will go away, but after the lights went out it seems that there was a bloom. The water is cloudy as hell. Is this normal and safe for my Chromis? I will start making water tomorrow, but I will only be able to do around a 20% water change.

fishguy242 · Aug 16, 2020

are you running uv sterilizer?

DrufusReef · Aug 16, 2020

fishguy242 said:
are you running uv sterilizer?

No...

fishguy242 · Aug 16, 2020

not really expert in diatoms,if have uv turn on,if not go lights out ,try to find a thread on them ,or start one in algae forum

DrufusReef · Aug 16, 2020

fishguy242 said:
not really expert in diatoms,if have uv turn on,if not go lights out ,try to find a thread on them ,or start one in algae forum

From what I've read a diatom outbreak is normal around 1 week after the initial cycle finishes. From what I've heard it will go away within 2 weeks to a month, the cloudyness of the water worries me. I also may be over reacting. I will do as you recommend and go lights off. I will also do a 20% water change withing the next 3 days. Hope everything turns out fine...

fishguy242 · Aug 16, 2020

anything gets worse hit the reef w questions

SPR1968 · Aug 16, 2020

DrufusReef said:
Water is in the tank

Very nice, I really like the aquascape design

Diatoms are normal and may be feeding of silicates from the new sand in there.

There are ways to mitigate this, but most just let it run its course

DrufusReef · Aug 19, 2020

Good news. I siphoned out the substrate 2 days ago, and water is crystal clear again. I'm also not seeing any new algae growth. Still going to get a small CUC over the weekend, but I'm in a better place now. Thanks to all that gave advice.

DrufusReef · Aug 31, 2020

Finally added another fish. I wanted a black comb-tooth blenny, but none of my lfs could find one. Ended up getting a bi-color blenny, but he seems to be doing well. I will post a better picture when I can get one.

DrufusReef · Jan 7, 2021

Been a while since my last update. I had a HW heater flood in my house and had to replace the floors. This made me have to tear down the tank to replace the floors. I was able to keep fish in a 5 gallon bucket and the rock in several 50g barrels. Great news!!! all the fish survived and have been happy and healthy for a few weeks. I will finally be able to add a new fish and my first few corals on Saturday. More updates to come!!!

DrufusReef · Jan 7, 2021

I've fixed the algae issue due to the black out by breaking down the tank. This has caused phosphate to drop to almost nil, and the tank has never been clearer. I've also added a second Nero 5 power head and moved both to the back of the tank creating a very interesting water flow. This would not work for SPS coral, but I think it will be perfect for the LPS softy tank I'm going for