Blacking out a tank to combat algae?

[Antegon]

Talking hair and diatoms mostly. Water levels are good -
Ph 8.25
DKH 12
Cal 450
Mg 1350
Po/n 0
Water changes/physical removal on the reg. Seen some retreat from the invading algae, but still a big issue. LFS recommended a 48hr full and total blackout from all light to kill the algae. Says corals (softies only rn) and everyone would be ok.
Thoughts? Was also concerned of a spike in A or N from the die off if there was one?

Thanks!


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[ReefkeeperZ]

diatoms are indicative that there is soluble silica in the water, as long as there is silica diatoms will form, a balck out wont combat the cause, hair algae if your gonna black out you also need to combat the food source, water changes carbon dosing, etc. some form of export, other wise it will just come back.

 

[Antegon]

diatoms are indicative that there is soluble silica in the water, as long as there is silica diatoms will form, a balck out wont combat the cause, hair algae if your gonna black out you also need to combat the food source, water changes carbon dosing, etc. some form of export, other wise it will just come back.

Thanks for the info. Feeding is being controlled (freshwater mysis with a baster), and carbon is being run in the HOB. The hair algae is definitely retreating much more than the great sea of brown on gravel, rock, and glass lol.
How would one combat the soluble silica levels? Is that a symptom of something else? Thanks again!



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[Fredfish]

How long has the tank been set up?

 

[Antegon]

How long has the tank been set up?

Over 3 years


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[ReefkeeperZ]

silica is normal in the start up of a tank (there's usually an influx with new sand rocks etc.) or introduced through new water at water changes. source water is the most common source of ongoing diatom blooms.

if you are using RO/di mayhap the DI resin is exhausted or damaged bypassing allowing silicates through. A lot of people use fish store RO and often those filters dont get changed enough. I can't say wihtout knowing but most of the time ongoing diatoms come from the water having silicates.

 

[Antegon]

Thanks for the help! I have my own RO filter but perhaps it's due for a filter change, or I need to upgrade it


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[ReefkeeperZ]

the important part for your own ro in the case of silicates is the DI resin, some units are only ro, some are RO/DI. most of them change color as they exhaust from light/clearish to dark brown. If you dont have the 4th stage then you can usually add one on. a 3 stage is usually prefilter, carbon, then RO, a 4 stage is prefilter carbon, ro, then DI for the clean water.

 

[Antegon]

Ok cool. Yeah it's a 4 stage, the membrane was located inside the casing, unlike the other three which are easily accessed, and therefore I'm reckoning has not been changed in quite some time. But looking at the resin cartridge, it's half darker brown/caramel color and half white, with some random brown spots as well. I threw up a thread to crowdsource on the best replacement cartridges and the benefits/drawbacks to the refillable versions.


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