Diatoms from H__L

You bought the HD "play sand"?


luna

 

No, I bought beach sand on ebay, but I am concerned that maybe the person just took HD play sand and was reselling it, I don't think there's any way to tell, but like I said this is the worst I've ever seen diatoms. Perhaps there is a snail or crab that enjoys the taste of diatoms more than my turbo, cerths, and blue leg crabs.

 

If the sand is beach sand, then just wait 5 weeks to see if it goes away by itself. If you do find out that it is HD play sand, you'll need to take it all out.



luna

 

there are silicate testers you can test the water for it. what manufacturer or sand is it? if its that quikrete stuff that HD sells you're gonna have to remove it like luna said.

 

Okay, So i contacted the vendor, my sand is mostly silica but it is collected from "around" reefs in the carribean. He told me that generally his experience is that the sand will have crazy blooms for about a month then all the easily diluted silica is gone, and the amount it leeches beyond that point is very little (comparable to what is found in most salt mixes). He suggested I use GFO which he said is a generic form of phosban, for a few weeks and that should put things right long-term.

Does phosban or any other chemical absorb some silicates. I haven't tested phosphate because the kit's expensive and I'm actually saving for a "reef" test kit so I can watch calcium and alk when I start getting some SPS. Either way if something absorbs silica from the water that'd probably be good for me to add so I can accellerate this process... Otherwise I'll step up my water changes and go to 20% weekly until the problem is gone...

Thanks again.

 

ceriths and nerites eat it up, but it only takes the edge off, they still have to burn themselves out on the silicates, but I think you are up on all that.

 

Yeah the only thing I cant figure out is the pattern.

Day 1 lights on 2 pm, light diatoms
4 pm HEAVY NASTY OMG diatoms
8 pm getting better
9 pm lights off
2 am (I work nights) check the tank with non-tank light no diatoms at all
day 2 at 2 pm light diatoms (ambient room light probably)
4 pm nasty
8 pm much better
DID NOT TURN LIGHT OFF
10 pm lighter
2 am almost gone (light still on)
Day 3
8 am (still on) almost no diatoms
6 pm (still on) beautiful
9 pm light off at normal scheudle
day 4
2 pm light go back on and there are light diatoms
4 pm nasty (not as bad as before but still enough that its nasty)
etc

why did they go away when i left the light on (on purpose) and then come back after having a night cycle... maybe I should leave my lights on 24/7 Coral growth would be good, power bill not so much.

 

dont know... do you have some huge swing in water params when your lighting is off? i know ph and alk can be affected by lighting but im not sure how that relates to diatoms

 

having the same problem after starting my new 110g about 5 weeks ago. But just hang in there... it will go away after a while... at least that's what I am hoping!!

 

that is just the way diatoms are....phosban wont help at all. For real fun, clean the entire tank until it is spotless, and then come back 4 hours after the lights come back on. Awesome growth....