what is silicate and how do i test for it

[reefer newby]

Just did my first water change on my new saltwater tank. Used instant ocean sea salt. LFS said its the best. Package said it contains o nitrates. Got up the next morning to a sand and rock covered with brown/gold algae. What the heck happened? Does this salt have silicates in it? If so could this have caused this to happen. I had some brown/gold algae before the water change , but never a dusting like this.I use only ro water and ran a 1450gph power head for 24 hrs in a tub before changing the water. I checked the salinity and temp before changing. How do I test for silicates.

 

[Travis Dragan]

sounds like a diatom bloom, more likely in the water not a silicate problem. How are you testing the tds?

 

[NanaReefer]

100% normal. Especially in a new system. everything leaches silicates! Glass, plastic's, sand and RO water. Ugly yes but no need to worry about it. Are you not using a DI resin?


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[Russellaqua]

100% normal. Especially in a new system. everything leaches silicates! Glass, plastic's, sand and RO water. Ugly yes but no need to worry about it. Are you not using a DI resin?

I agree here. Diatoms use silica, and there will always be a little in your water. Glass itself is amorphous silica (as opposed to crystalline silica, aka quartz or other related minerals.) You can reduce the problem with a DI resin stage on your RO unit, and this will remove any other dissolved chemicals, like phosphates, that may make it through an RO-only system and feed diatoms. A diatom bloom is 100% normal in a young system though, and everyone gets it.



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