Diatoms ugly

[Insert]

So for past month or so been having diatoms on my sand bed on the regular. I have a ehime filter and even bought a reef octopus hob, which is awesome taking out so much nasty out my water but diatoms stay. All my parameters are good calc is a little high around 500 but that can't be it. Local fish store tried to get me to buy some phosphate and silicate removal chemicals but I'm not ready to go that route. They suggested a conch to move some sand but didn't know. Figured I would ask the brains here for help before I buy anything.

 

[Aerosol]

Diatoms use silicates. As long as you use RO/DI, they should use up the silicates and go away on their own. IMO, I wouldn't buy anything for diatom removal, just let it run its course.

 

[pyithar]

like he^^ said, it'll go away on its own over time. in the mean time, get some more water flow to prevent its growth on sand. trochus, turbo, astraea snails all eat diatoms.

 

[Titans_Reef]

Diatoms will go away, I have a new 40g setup and its full of diatoms. I just went to my LFS and picked up 2 turbos an 6 trochus which by the next day, half of my rock is cleaned. The turbos were also cruising along the sand bed eating the diatoms in the sand. The way I see diatoms is your tank is now cycled and its the next step before you can make it into a reef. I used biopellets in my 125g to quickly get rid of them since it removes nitrates and phosphates along with about 6 turbos, nerites, ceriths, and trochus. You will see them coming and going but after the first bloom, most of their food source is gone so it will be easier to manage in the future.

 

[panhandler01]

I had a diatom bloom after about 6 months. I put a dozen nassarius snails in and that took care of it in a few days. I have sugar fine sand in my tank. They keep the sandbed pretty clean.

 

[droog]

Is this diatoms or cyano? Looks like cyano to me...