Filamentous Diatoms

Sabellafella · Mar 9, 2017

NakiFantaki said:
It was just something I read. It's not green like typical hair algae. Is hair algae normal for tanks right at the 6 month mark?

Lol no thats green hair algae, just has some brown stuff growing on it. Prob some type of cyano or diatoms-deffinitly does not look like dinos so your fine imo.. just pluck it out, maybe get some herbivours.

Its normal at any time to get hair algae

saltyfilmfolks · Mar 9, 2017

NakiFantaki said:
Lol. I'm guessing I have phosphates somewhere...

We all do. GHA is sooo normal.

bios · Mar 10, 2017

I agree difficult to say from pics Salty
Thats a problem related to a too young tank
you can verify if diatoms by testing the silicates in your tank thats a good marker for them
and wath sayed above is perfect

NakiFantaki · Mar 10, 2017

Thanks for the advice guys. I really appreciate it. Since I'm not showing hardly any phosphates when testing I'm assuming they hair algae is eating it up before I test for it right? What plan of action should I be using to figure out where my phosphates are coming from? My water always measures 0 TDS. I always have a bag of chemipure blue or elite in one of the back chambers and I always run a piece of poly filter. I know manual removal is needed but it seems to always come back within a few days.
I really would rather not have to run a bunch of reactors on a little 20 gallon AIO tank. Maybe a little HOB fuge? I was reading about a product called phosphorus RX, does anyone have experience with that?

Or is this something I just need to grin and bear until I resolves itself?

saltyfilmfolks · Mar 10, 2017

NakiFantaki said:
Thanks for the advice guys. I really appreciate it. Since I'm not showing hardly any phosphates when testing I'm assuming they hair algae is eating it up before I test for it right? What plan of action should I be using to figure out where my phosphates are coming from? My water always measures 0 TDS. I always have a bag of chemipure blue or elite in one of the back chambers and I always run a piece of poly filter. I know manual removal is needed but it seems to always come back within a few days.
I really would rather not have to run a bunch of reactors on a little 20 gallon AIO tank. Maybe a little HOB fuge? I was reading about a product called phosphorus RX, does anyone have experience with that?

Or is this something I just need to grin and bear until I resolves itself?

Don't freak on the Phosphates. Itll work itself out. And if it doesn't there is the Vibrant.

NakiFantaki · Mar 11, 2017

One last question... what's the best way to manually remove this? When I try to yank it out of the tank it just falls apart. I've tried to take the rock out and scrub with a toothbrush but the minute the rock is out of the tank the hair algae becomes soooo hard to see...
It's on the sand bed as well... how can I remove it with leaving as much sand as possible?

michaelrp · Mar 11, 2017

NakiFantaki said:
So I think I am battling filamentous diatoms. I have done tons of reading on this algae that I have been dealing with in my tank and I have come to the conclusion that this is what it is. First I thought it was hair algae but after looking at millions of pictures and reading tons of articles I don't think that is what I have.
The stuff in my tank is a brown color and it looks like hair. It grows from the substrate and on the rocks. When I try to remove it manually it just disintegrates between my fingers and it doesn't pull off of the rock easily.

I'm not sure how to get rid of it. Is this something I need to let run its course? My tank is about 6 months old now and my fish and corals and inverts are happy.

Does anyone have any tips?

Current parameters are..
PH 8.2
Salinity 1.025
Calcium 410
Alk 10.2
Mag 1410
Nitrates 10
Phosphates 0.03

Help me make my tank pretty again! [emoji56]

You probably still have new tank syndrome. When I had this I sucked it out with a tube every 3 days or so and did a 20% water change every week. On top of that you need to be sure your filtration is doing its job. Is it clean? What are you using?

seaplane · Mar 11, 2017

That looks and sounds like what I had. No fern like appearance, Brownish, soft short, couldn't pull it off the rocks, no CUC would touch it s. Fluconazole killed it in 5 days!!

FishGuyBri · Mar 11, 2017

Just so you don't feel alone I'm in the same boat. As long as it doesn't hurt my tank inhabitants, I'm going to ride it out.

NakiFantaki · Mar 18, 2017

Ugggghhhh.... SO frustrated. Came back after a week vacation to Disneyland and my tank is covered in this same green hair algae. It's the same as before but worse. I had cleaned out the tank really good before I left and was hoping it wouldn't get so bad while I was gone.... but it did.

I'm not sure what to do... all my water measures 0 TDS.. phosphates is always under 0.03 and my nitrates are about 10-20.
I don't get the feeling that this is something I need to just ride out..

So I need help.. what should my first plan of attack be?