Need help with extremely high silicon.

[Joshua Jordan]

Greetings
I recently have been having issues with diatoms so I decided to serve a sample to be tested at ATI in Germany. They tested both my display task water and my rodi. Here is what is strange: the silicon readings in my RODI test sample are setup zero. Here, the silicon reading in my DT water is nearly 700!! So the silicon is obviously not coming from my source water (RODI) but it is getting in the tank some how. Does anyone have any advice or any ideas as to what is causing the silicon to get into the tank? Something in my equipment? The tank is 6 years old, 50g cube with a sump, I use MarinePure spheres for biomedia (along with live rock), I also use Purigen and Chemi Pure blue, a titanium heater.

I am attaching the results from ATI. One is the RODI sample and the other is the tank sample. Please let me know if you need additional information.

Cheers friends!!
Josh

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If the silicon is silicate, then it can be reduced with GFO. But it may be something else.

I actually wonder if some diatoms getting into the plasma might explain these sorts of very high Si results.

are you sure what you have are diatoms and not cyano or Dino’s?

 

[Joshua Jordan]

If the silicon is silicate, then it can be reduced with GFO. But it may be something else.

I actually wonder if some diatoms getting into the plasma might explain these sorts of very high Si results.

are you sure what you have are diatoms and not cyano or Dino’s?

You know what?....you are totally correct....I completely typed in the wrong thing. Yes....I have Dinoflagelletes......NOT Diatoms. (Really long stringy brownish stuff with air bubbles. It goes away when the lights are turned off and come back once the lights turn back on.

 

[Joshua Jordan]

Greetings
I recently have been having issues with diatoms so I decided to serve a sample to be tested at ATI in Germany. They tested both my display task water and my rodi. Here is what is strange: the silicon readings in my RODI test sample are setup zero. Here, the silicon reading in my DT water is nearly 700!! So the silicon is obviously not coming from my source water (RODI) but it is getting in the tank some how. Does anyone have any advice or any ideas as to what is causing the silicon to get into the tank? Something in my equipment? The tank is 6 years old, 50g cube with a sump, I use MarinePure spheres for biomedia (along with live rock), I also use Purigen and Chemi Pure blue, a titanium heater.

I am attaching the results from ATI. One is the RODI sample and the other is the tank sample. Please let me know if you need additional information.

Cheers friends!!
Josh

I think what I have must be diatoms. I just looked at it under a microscope and it looks exactly like what is on the internet searches for "diatoms under microscope"

 

[Joshua Jordan]

If the silicon is silicate, then it can be reduced with GFO. But it may be something else.

I actually wonder if some diatoms getting into the plasma might explain these sorts of very high Si results.

are you sure what you have are diatoms and not cyano or Dino’s?

Also, you mentioned silicates. All it says in the test result was that it was SILICON that was extremely high. How can I find out if the silicon is silicates?

Thank so much for your help

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

No pest in a reef tank uses silicate except diatoms. Dinos ignore them, as does cyano.

if you don’t have a problematic level of diatoms, I’d ignore the silicon measurement.

 

[Joshua Jordan]

No pest in a reef tank uses silicate except diatoms. Dinos ignore them, as does cyano.

if you don’t have a problematic level of diatoms, I’d ignore the silicon measurement.

LOL...now I am second guessing what I have is Diatoms or Dinos. They are long snotty stringy with air bubbles. They go away when the lights go out. I really think that whatever it is, is related to the extremely high levels of Silicon.

 

[Joshua Jordan]

No pest in a reef tank uses silicate except diatoms. Dinos ignore them, as does cyano.

if you don’t have a problematic level of diatoms, I’d ignore the silicon measurement.

I just thought of a possibility.....I store my saltwater for water changes in a plastic 30g trashcan I bought at WalMart. It is not Brute. I honestly don't know which brand it is and I don't know if it is food safe. (I doubt it) I store my water in this sometimes for weeks/months at a time. Could THIS be the culprit for high Silicon?

 

[eqbal9947]

I have bad diatoms and they say if you use dry rock its just a matter of time.
Ive been vacuuming, changing filter socks like crazy, got some snails and conches and didnt really help.
I set my light schedule to only be on 4 hours a day and that has helped.
BRS test video they did said the copepods help alot.
Ive ordered 50 snails and alot of copepod jars. will let ya know

 

[taricha]

They are long snotty stringy with air bubbles. They go away when the lights go out. I really think that whatever it is, is related to the extremely high levels of Silicon.

I know you have a worrying test result, and a brown nuisance in the tank, but what Randy said is correct. If it is dino's, they don't care about the silicate, and the test levels are not a concern. If it is diatoms, and yes there is at least one strains of stringy diatoms, then you can logically connect the two.
Find a buddy with a microscope.