QuarantineReefer
Community Member
I'm struggling with figuring out what I've got. I am leaning towards Diatoms but with being as new as I am to the hobby I figured it best to ask everyone here. It kicked in a couple weeks ago and has just kind of maintained it's level of ugly. If it makes any sense or difference, where I can see it on my my powerheads it almost looks dusty. That would be the best way to say it I guess. It moves around in the flow but doesn't look hairy. I don't really see any bubbles anywhere on it either. If there are they're small enough I can't see them. As far as the color it's hard to say. I'm colorblind but to me it looks like a brownish color? I'm testing my nitrates and phosphates as I type this out and will post those results as soon as I have them. The last time I tested Nitrates were between 5 and 10 with a Red Sea test and my Phosphates looked to be 0.01 using an Aquaforest kit. These tests were from this last Sunday. I currently have 2 Mocha clowns and 1 Diamond watchman goby. I have 3 small frags of coral. 1 zoa, a small Mushroom and some GSP. Everything is healthy and eating just fine. And all the corals have been totally open, showing signs of growth and beautifully colored. I'll attach the best pictures I can get of what I have going on and if you need anything else from me let me know. Thanks!
Quick edit: I do want to say that I am currently in the process of getting my RO/DI setup. I'm suspecting the water I have been getting from my 2 LFS's hasn't been the best. I always run rull tests on my waterchange water before I use it and one tested through the roof with ammonia and the other I repeatedly had much higher than advertised alk for the salt I am using with my water i mix for a water change. I tested that freshwater alk and it tested just over 6 using an Aquaforest test kit before I even mixed anything in. That kind of led me to believe I was battling Diatoms and actually feeding them with the water I'm getting from the LFS with my ATO. Am I wrong in assuming this? I'm not 100% sure what the alk of true 0 TDS RO/DI water should be. But I thought i read somewhere on here that it should be much closer to 0.
Quick edit: I do want to say that I am currently in the process of getting my RO/DI setup. I'm suspecting the water I have been getting from my 2 LFS's hasn't been the best. I always run rull tests on my waterchange water before I use it and one tested through the roof with ammonia and the other I repeatedly had much higher than advertised alk for the salt I am using with my water i mix for a water change. I tested that freshwater alk and it tested just over 6 using an Aquaforest test kit before I even mixed anything in. That kind of led me to believe I was battling Diatoms and actually feeding them with the water I'm getting from the LFS with my ATO. Am I wrong in assuming this? I'm not 100% sure what the alk of true 0 TDS RO/DI water should be. But I thought i read somewhere on here that it should be much closer to 0.
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