Death to diatoms!!!

So I need help, I have asked this before and I know some of you want to shoot me but hear me out. I have a bad outbreak of diatoms and I know they go away when the silicates are gone but I've only added a mag float and they were there before that. But I read somewhere they could be dinoflagellate or something like that and they won't just go away. It just makes me feel like a bad reefer so if anyone could shed light on this subject...

 

Look like diatoms to me

 

Silicates are found in just about everything! Substrate, glass, rock, power heads. Your tank looks fairly new, it's nothing your doing wrong. Give it time to mature It is the ugliest and most common aspect of the new tank syndrome.

 

Thanks Nana Reefer, I just feel like I'm doin it wrong haha. Il give it time to go away, hope it don't get worse first

 

Well prepare for it to get worse before it gets better...just sayin LOL

 

How long have they been there? I had the "problem" for a good month before it finally cleared up. A good vacuuming helped.

 

Whats the flow like in your tank? are your running powerheads?

 

It's been there for prob 2 weeks. I have 2 powerheads but I can't get them to close to my substrate because it's fine sand and it makes a bad sand storm in my tank

 

That's completely normal It always gets worse before it gets better.
What's your CUC like?

it will take at least a month or so to completely go away. ( but they will in due time).

You could stir the top of your sand lightly with something just to give you "something to do and see results while you wait" for lack of a better word LOL
Just don't actually stir so much you make a sand storm. Just lightly enough to cover the brown spots in the sand.

 

You could also add a bag of ChemiPure Elite to help absorb the excess silicates and nitrates. If you have a HOB filter just add it to that. If not, place it in a high flow area. It works great!