Can't Shake Persistent Diatoms

Tank has been set up for about 8 months now, and I still get the brown algae/diatoms from time to time on the glass.

I'm good with Water Changes, I'm running GFO, and my Nitrate is around 10PPM.

I've tried to aim the big power head on the left down at the sand, but I can't seem to get it perfect.
It's either too high, and it doesn't help at all. Or it's too low and the sand just gradually blows chaotically.

I try to suck it up weekly when I do a WC, but I'm getting to the point where I'm pulling out too much sand. Fist full of sand here and there adds up.
Plus the little $3.00 siphon thing really doesn't work that well.

Any suggestions? I guess it's just an aesthetic thing, but I want white sand 8)

 

I have the same problem. My 125 is fully established and has been up longer than yours but from time to time I get diatoms on my sand bed. That is the only place they grow. Powerheads help but are not the answer. I found a GFO reactor helped but was not a cure. I have not tried this yet but I am in the market for a fighting conch. (I live in rural Iowa so things are hard to come by.) I read they will destroy any and all algaes on your sand bed.

 

Just curious, but what kind of water are both of you using. The only thing that I can honestly think of is that you are using tap water and there are to many silicates in the water that the diatoms would be feeding off of. If you use strictly RO/DI water, then you shouldn't have this problem. I changed to only using RO/DI water about a month ago, and all of diatom algae is completely gone now.

 

Nothing but RODI water here. I have never been able to find the source of my problem with the diatoms on the sand bed. I find they come and go and often are not bad. But I know they are there so that is bad enough.

 

Just thinking, but maybe it is the type of sand that you used? Or maybe you are just a source of silicates from somewhere.

 

Well, I still just buy my SW Pre-mixed from a store nearby.
I do like 10G changes a week.

I assume they're using RO/DI, but never asked. I'm pretty sure they would...
I haven't had my phosphates tested in a while however, so maybe they're high.
Just seems like they GFO should be taking care of that, and the weekly water changes.

I was thinking that it was just a dead-zone, but the flow didn't seem to help.

My sand is just Aragonite

 

I am at a loss for what I know about aquariums. Hopefully someone else with more experience can chime in.

 

Ive heared that if you feed phytoplankton it can cause algae blooms. From experience this does happen somwhat in my tank as well. Do you use phyto? Or is there some source of silicates that may be getting added to your tank somehow?

 

I squirt a little phyto in there once a week. But I feel like I might be an over-feeder; Mysis and Rods.
And Flakes/Seaweed from time to time.

I mix it up.

I'm going to get my Phosphates tested tomorrow at a store

 

Algae problems are usually caused by aquarium water with excess nutrients like phosphate, nitrates etc. In the long term you may have to examine how you care for your tank. There are some commercial dry foods also contain excess nutrients and other undesirable things like nitrates, phosphates etc so I strain/rinse my fresh/frozen foods before feeding my tank. You may want to consider feeding your fish less often. Also using RO/DI water and a high quality salt with little if any NO3, phosphates etc like Tropic Marin will really help too. Adding a phosphate remover, increasing flow in your tank, adjusting your tank's photo period or replacing old bulbs may help too.