Diatom mix up

[reef tank 2.0]

I am being hit with diatoms at the moment. About a week or two. Right now it's over all my rocks, sand, and cuc's. I have been taking a turkey baster and blowing it off of everything, including the sand. Once everything settles, I noticed the diatoms are mixed all through out the sand bed.

Am I causing more harm than good by stirring the aragonite sand up?

This is an image from earlier this week, obviously it's thicker and darker each evening I get home.

http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/yy321/crankbait09/fish tank/20160204_215431_zpsiyxoflqn.jpg

 

[davehead86]

Ive got the same problem. I upgraded lights and now my tank is going through an algae cycle of sorts. I clean that crap once a week and suck the hell out of the aggrogite. My LPS and Anemone dont seem to mind so my water parameters must not get too screwy with it. I use the baster the day after to spray off any settled dust and dirt on the corals and trying to get any leftover.

 

[reef tank 2.0]

Ya, Iv'e been doing the same. I di notice whenever I mix this sand up, my Nassi snail is on the move pretty quick. Doesn't seem to like crawling over the diatoms. He looks for the "clean" substrate and then buries himself in the cleanish sand, where he stays.

 

[whosurcaddie]

How old is your tank? This is completely normal for a new tank and if you're in your cycle I would just leave the lights off.

If your through your cycle just let it run its course they will fade in a few weeks as the silicate is used up.

 

[reef tank 2.0]

I get this is due to a new tank. It's expected. But I was mainly asking about the sand stirring and the effects that it has/does not have on the tank