diatom outbreak #2?? Qestions.

[bassdrummer1]

So my tank is about2 months old and I had a diatom outbreak about 3 weeks ago and it lasted about 2 weeks. All the diatoms pretty much went away for a week and now they are back!


Is this common?? 2 outbreaks??

 

[kookie_guy]

So my tank is about2 months old and I had a diatom outbreak about 3 weeks ago and it lasted about 2 weeks. All the diatoms pretty much went away for a week and now they are back!


Is this common?? 2 outbreaks??

You sure it's diatoms? When my sand gets dirty and starts to form the purple slime, it initially appears brown before you can obviously tell it's purple. I just suck it out, and it's gone for a while.

 

[joeychitwood]

It is certainly possible to have multiple diatom outbreaks in a new tank. Keep an eye on the tank parameters. You should be fine.

 

[ducatimikep]

Are you using tap water?

 

[bazineta]

If it happens after a water change, check your DI filter performance; it might be exhausted and letting silicates through.

 

[bassdrummer1]

no rodi water.

and i have not even done a water change yet...

 

[mikk1301]

no rodi water.

and i have not even done a water change yet...

have you added any extra rock/sand between the diatom blooms?.the lack of water change until now would point to a build up of nutrients feeding a cyanobacterial algae,do you have your no3,po4,kh test results?

 

[Mr. Right]

Are you feeding? Have you added livestock? Diatoms can come in even after an initial cycle. It is possible that the beneficial bacteria isn’t built up enough to outcompete it. In a established system diatoms can sometimes comeback when nutrients are high.

 

[rivoth]

no rodi water.

and i have not even done a water change yet...

I would hope you've been toping off your water evaporation loses. A TDS meter is pretty cheap and a good way to verify when you need to change your RO/DI filter media. Odds are that everything is fine though.

 

[heckhole]

Your tank is 2 months old and you've yet to do a water change? Dude, do some water changes with proven RO.