Chaeto and diatom problems, related?

[ostrow]

For about 3 months now I have had a diatom problem in my established tank. I was always under the impression this is a new tank cycle thing. I have never, ever had them until now. For a while, it was everywhere but my fuge is suddenly clean of them entirely, it's just in the display now.

At the same time, in my fuge my chaeto is not growing at all ... it just dies off. I had this problem in my previous setup (but not the diatoms).

The current issues of die-off of chaeto and appearance of the diatoms​​ both began at the same time, about three months ago, so I believe whatever the cause of is the cause of both. But I am clueless about solution.

On chaeto, over the years I have tried CF bulbs from home depot, MH bulbs, and my current 2xT5 white light fixture. It had been doing well under these T5s, as I said. I have high flow in the fuge. Have tried less and more. I do run GFO, but have seen many tanks with massive chaeto growth that run lots of GFO. I just read a good thread about iron and may try that.

But my main concern is the diatoms which coat my sandbed in the display and are ugly. Interested in thoughts to attack both of these problems.

Thanks!

 

[Mike_Noren]

You sure it's diatoms and not cyanobacteria?

Pretty much everything eats diatoms, which is why it tends to only dominate in newly started aquaria where there's not yet many snails, small crustaceans and worms to eat it. If it's really diatoms then some cerith snails and small hermits should help.

Few things eat cyanobacteria, and where the conditions are right they can dominate indefinitely.

 

[philosophile]

Diatoms need silicate to reproduce too... So new tanks with new sand tend to have lots of silica to be used up, by the diatoms. So if your established tank is really established, and it really is diatoms, you need to find the source of your silicate.

But since its established,, I would probably guess like the post above, that its cyano, not diatoms. They look pretty similar sometimes.

 

[ostrow]

It's not cyano. I thought it was for a while, but everyone who sees it says diatoms. I'm 99.9% sure.

I have tested silicates a couple of times and found none.

It is what is puzzling as I have a huge CUC and pods galore. Weird.

Thanks, looking forward to more ideas.

 

[milesofreefs]

http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/algaecontrol/a/aa091100.htm

This link is all about diatoms.

This part got my attention,

"Nutrients: Diatoms are most responsive to silca/silicates, but DOCs (Dissolved Organic Compounds), nitrates, and phosphates are food sources as well."

Chaeto and skimmers may give us 0 readings on our test kits but in reality there still there. The diatoms could be eating what your cheato and skimmer arn't pulling out fast enough. Just my two cents don't shoot me if I'm wrong

 

[ostrow]

:uzi:

haha.

Yeah, I overskim and my chaeto doesn't grow. Maybe it's outcompeting the chaeto? Don't know. One would think the dosing kalk for topoff would have helped too, by another article I read.

But I wonder if silicates are the problem and not measuring because of the diatoms? I'll have to investigate that further.

 

[jimrawr]

Tagging along with the same issue

 

[milesofreefs]

Keep in mind, though its ugly, its coral food. i read on "wiki" (witch might be wrong) that it is another type of phyto, also been told that some of those expensive coral foods in a bottle, use it as the main ingredient... Hold on let me get my gear on :strooper: now im ready for the responses to that. HaHa