RO/DI on Well Water Diatom Outbreak

[BUVandy1010]

Hello all!

I purchased my first RODI unit a few months ago for my 40 gallon mixed reef. I am on well water in Illinois so I opted for the 5 stage. However, ever since then I have had a crazy diatom outbreak. I have lost a number of corals and the tank (including the surface!) is overrun with diatoms. Has anyone experienced this or had any similar issues? The TDS meter reads 0 on the output. BRS help line has suggested upgrading from a 5 stage to a 7 stage but I don’t want to make that investment unless I can be confident in results. It seems like every water change makes things worse.
Thank you!

 

[Formulator]

If you are reading 0 TDS, adding more stages won’t help you. Kind of annoying that’s what BRS told you…they just wanted to sell you another filtration system. Bozos!

Are you sure it is diatoms and not dino? If your water supply had phosphate and/or nitrate in it before you installed the RODI, and then you suddenly had none, that could explain a dino outbreak. Silicates from RODI could explain diatoms, but you would see that on your TDS meter I think.

 

[BUVandy1010]

If you are reading 0 TDS, adding more stages won’t help you. Kind of annoying that’s what BRS told you…they just wanted to sell you another filtration system. Bozos!

Are you sure it is diatoms and not dino? If your water supply had phosphate and/or nitrate in it before you installed the RODI, and then you suddenly had none, that could explain a dino outbreak. Silicates from RODI could explain diatoms, but you would see that on your TDS meter I think.

I guess I’m not sure which it is (Dino’s/diatoms). I don’t have a microscope or anything. It is brown sludge algae with bubbles in it. What would you do in my shoes? It looks AWFUL haha.

 

[Formulator]

I guess I’m not sure which it is (Dino’s/diatoms). I don’t have a microscope or anything. It is brown sludge algae with bubbles in it. What would you do in my shoes? It looks AWFUL haha.

Sounds like dinos. What is your nitrate and phosphate at? Dinos (dinoflagellates) are a HUGE pain. You have a battle ahead of you. I suggest starting here: Article: Dino Treatment Guide

 

[Ajayabb]

Grab a picture of what your seeing and we can probably Tell you whether it’s Diatoms or Dino’s

 

[Formulator]

Grab a picture of what your seeing and we can probably Tell you whether it’s Diatoms or Dino’s

Yes a picture would be nice. Based on this:

brown sludge algae with bubbles in it

and the introduction of RODI, I’m pretty sure it is dinos, but a pic would confirm.

 

[BUVandy1010]

Yes a picture would be nice. Based on this:

and the introduction of RODI, I’m pretty sure it is dinos, but a pic would confirm.

Thank you all for your help! Here is a pic (I know disgusting)

 

[BUVandy1010]

Sounds like dinos. What is your nitrate and phosphate at? Dinos (dinoflagellates) are a HUGE pain. You have a battle ahead of you. I suggest starting here: Article: Dino Treatment Guide

I didn’t see this before going to bed, I will do a test when I have time and post it then.

 

[BUVandy1010]

Sounds like dinos. What is your nitrate and phosphate at? Dinos (dinoflagellates) are a HUGE pain. You have a battle ahead of you. I suggest starting here: Article: Dino Treatment Guide

Thank you for the guide. I will look into that!

 

[Formulator]

Thank you all for your help! Here is a pic (I know disgusting)

Ya that looks like mostly green hair algae (GHA) with some dino mixed in. I would focus on the dino first and in the meantime get yourself a pincushion urchin, some trochus snails and/or turbo snails. They will get to work on eating up that GHA.

First step for the dino is to get your nutrients up. Shoot for 0.1 ppm phosphate and 10-20 ppm nitrate. I assume one or both of those is currently zero, but let us know what your testing shows. To raise them, brightwell makes a couple convenient products called NeoNitro and NeoPhos you can use to dose the tank and bring those up if needed. Alternatively you can mix up your own solutions with food grade ammonium chloride (ammonia gets converted to nitrate) and sodium phosphate.

 

[BUVandy1010]

Ya that looks like mostly green hair algae (GHA) with some dino mixed in. I would focus on the dino first and in the meantime get yourself a pincushion urchin, some trochus snails and/or turbo snails. They will get to work on eating up that GHA.

First step for the dino is to get your nutrients up. Shoot for 0.1 ppm phosphate and 10-20 ppm nitrate. I assume one or both of those is currently zero, but let us know what your testing shows. To raise them, brightwell makes a couple convenient products called NeoNitro and NeoPhos you can use to dose the tank and bring those up if needed. Alternatively you can mix up your own solutions with food grade ammonium chloride (ammonia gets converted to nitrate) and sodium phosphate.

This is really helpful, thank you for the input!