Newish tank, diatom deaths!

[tomb18]

I have a 55 gallon tank with 2 clown fish and a hang on refugium.
After about 6 weeks I got the usual brown diatom cover on gravel and rocks. Nothing too serious. I reduced the light to about 3 hours a day and then pretty well the diatoms started diminishing.
They were almost gone, and then they were completely gone and the tank is now cloudy, whitish.
Looking in the sump, there is a ton of deposits on the bottom, brownish white. I presume this is the dead diatoms.
I will vacuum them out. I have not seen this before so I was wondering if this is a common occurrence?
Nh3 0, no3 p, phosphate 0.00
Thanks.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Diatoms are derived from inorganics and silicates
It generally hovers for about 12 weeks then subsidies
Continue with your light schedule.... siphon as needed and add bacteria weekly.
Nassarius and asters snails and sand sifting stars may help

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have a 55 gallon tank with 2 clown fish and a hang on refugium.
After about 6 weeks I got the usual brown diatom cover on gravel and rocks. Nothing too serious. I reduced the light to about 3 hours a day and then pretty well the diatoms started diminishing.
They were almost gone, and then they were completely gone and the tank is now cloudy, whitish.
Looking in the sump, there is a ton of deposits on the bottom, brownish white. I presume this is the dead diatoms.
I will vacuum them out. I have not seen this before so I was wondering if this is a common occurrence?
Nh3 0, no3 p, phosphate 0.00
Thanks.

Common -yes

 

[tomb18]

No danger to fish?

 

[Madonia]

You shouldn’t have 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates

 

[attiland]

I have a 55 gallon tank with 2 clown fish and a hang on refugium.
After about 6 weeks I got the usual brown diatom cover on gravel and rocks. Nothing too serious. I reduced the light to about 3 hours a day and then pretty well the diatoms started diminishing.
They were almost gone, and then they were completely gone and the tank is now cloudy, whitish.
Looking in the sump, there is a ton of deposits on the bottom, brownish white. I presume this is the dead diatoms.
I will vacuum them out. I have not seen this before so I was wondering if this is a common occurrence?
Nh3 0, no3 p, phosphate 0.00
Thanks.

0 phosphate and nitrate is often sign of dinos. Get a cheap microscope and ID it. If I were you I would either dose po4 and no3 or remove nitrate or phosphate removal media.
As @Madonia said 0 is not a good number for those.
My Dinos have started with the same symptoms. And that was a 3 months fight