Take a look at this picture

Well, that depends on how your water tests at If you're lucky, you won't have any green hair algae show up. What did you use to cycle your tank?

 

I used live sand. I added my live rock after I cured it in a TUB. Anyway, I have a few more questions regarding this diatom problem. Amcarrig if you or anyone else can answer these question I would really appreciate it, thanks:

1. Does fresh RO/DI water contain silicates, if so, is the quantity large enough to cause my diatom problem? My TDS meter states that my Total Dissolved solids are 020 is that good?

2. I have DSB is it possible that the Denitrifing bacteria is not established yet in the sand bed and not converting my nitrates and cause the diatoms problem? I've had my tank up for 12 days.

3. Does the glass inside my tank contain silicates? if so how long until they are consumed or how can I remove them?

4. Can diatoms be completely removed from my system. if not how can they be controlled, or minimized?

5. Should I minimize the photo period to 6 hrs instead of 10 will that help with my diatoms?

6. How long does this diatom phase last?

7. I have 12 margaritas, 15 red hermits, 2 emerald crabs and 2 sally lightfoots, should I get a bigger crew to eliminate the diatom problem? Also are these guys good for a reef tank?

 

Ok, if you added cured sand and cured rock, you didn't really have anything in there to start a cycle properly. Do yourself a favor and put a fish in there but only one. I would recommend a yellow tailed damsel as they're not aggressive like a lot of their damsel "cousins". Now, onto your questions

1. Fresh RO/DI water should not contain ANYTHING but H2O. If it does, it's time to change the filters. A TDS of 20 is not a good thing so I'd look into replacing the filter cartridges asap.

2. Not likely. Last I checked, nitrates do not convert to silicates and silicates are the main cause of diatom algae blooms. Since your tank is new, I wouldn't worry about the diatom bloom at all. It will go away.

3. Yes, most if not all glass is made from silicate sand but there is absolutely no chance that these silicates are going to leach. It just won't happen.

4. No. You can keep the diatoms at a minimum by keeping your water nice and clean and free of silicates.

5. No and no. I don't believe that diatoms rely as much on light as they do on silicates, etc.

6. You will always have diatom algae just not as much as what you're seeing now. I expect that the "bad" phase of the bloom you're experiencing should only last another couple of weeks.

7. Your clean up critters are fine although I would add more snails.

Hopefully, other folks will chime in and correct me if I'm wrong or missed something

 

tank

i have been told intill you have fish or corals in there you get this build up of brown i went throught this with my tanks and after i put fish in them and in a few weeks after stiring it up with my hand every day it went away.they also told me to cut my lights to just 3 hours a day till i get fish or carals in there.

 

Thanks Amcarrig,

A few things though, What readings should my TDS meter have to have good RO\DI water?

Second, I've had my RO\DI unit only 2 months help me to understand why I might need to replace the filter cartridges already?

Third I do have a DSB consisting of 90% Aragonite oolite and 10% Bahama oolite, do these types of sand have silicates?

Fourth you said "if you added cured sand and cured rock, you didn't really have anything in there to start a cycle properly" But I though live sand with bacteria will start the cycling phase, besides my Ammonium reads -0 nitrite - 0 and nitrate -0 , or am I confused about the cycling phase is there another phase of cycling that I am missing.

Thanks Amcarrig.

 

I like my TDS to read 0 or at least not higher than 7. Now that I look at your number again, I'm wondering if your TDS is at 20 or .020? You put a "0" in front of your number so I'm not sure I'm reading you right.

I have a friend in New Jersey who has such hard/bad water that he can barely run 100 gallons through his r.o. unit before the membranes clog so your water source will determine how often you go through membranes. Are you on city or well water?

I'm not sure about the Bahama but the Aragonite should not contain silicates.

The bacteria in your live sand and your live rock have nothing to consume. They need something in there to produce ammonia so that they can convert it to nitrite. Then the denitrifying bacteria can begin to grow and convert the nitrite into nitrate which will eventually leave your system in gas form (I think).

 

Not true.

 

My TDS meter reads 020 not 20. I am using City water, as far as what my bacteria is feeding on it's the fecal pellets left by the cleaning crew, is that good enough? lots of them since they are consuming the diatoms. Been like that for 10 days.

 

OK, then I'm thinking that 020 represents a fraction of "1" so you should be ok.

Clean up crew critters don't produce enough waste to have much of an impact on your bio-load and certainly not enough to start a cycle. One fish should do the trick.

 

Thanks Amcarrig,

Can I get a Clown?