Getting Really Discouraged, Diatoms

[Amador]

Hey all, I am getting pretty discouraged fighting some diatoms that have been in my tank for the last 4-5 months. long story short, I had some water quality issues and didn't realize it (until I checked my source water) and had a crazy diatom outbreak that I couldn't seem to fix (water changes made it worse, the DI resin was leeching silicates).

Pic of the original problem:

I have since gotten my water quality inline and have done probably 7 or 8 16% (30g) water changes over the course of 2 months. Trouble is, it doesn't seem to be helping. This past weekend I did the "siphon the algae out through a filter sock into the sump" trick and got 98% of what was on the sand (a thick, brown, hairy mat). Here it is 3 days later and already it is growing back on the sand:

It's a brown, powdery algae .. I am fairly certain it is diatoms.

I also have it growing on my rocks:

The stuff on the rocks is super clingy .. I can blast it with a turkey baster and it doesn't detach, just stays in place and blows around. Turbo and cerith snails don't touch it, although my sailfin will pick at it occasionally (not enough to really take a "bite" out of it).

What can I do? I am keeping up with water changes but after 2+ months it doesn't really seem to be doing any good, and makes it hard to find motivation for another WC each week. Do I have to take out each rock and scrub it with a toothbrush to get all the algae off? I REALLY REALLY don't want to do that, I hate aquascaping with a passion and don't want to spend (another!) day doing that if it can be avoided.

What eats this stuff? It is even growing in my fuge on my chaeto. I test for silicates, nitrates, phosphates, and nothing. I have heard the "the algae is using it all up so you won't read anything on a test kit", but come on .. NOTHING? I even tried the "high resolution" version of the silicate test (Seachem) and didn't get anything. I've tried testing during the day, at night .. no difference. I've considered that maybe my bulbs are getting old (250W XM 15ks) and contributing, but I've only been running them for ~9 months. Could the spectrum have shifted already?

I'm at my wit's end here, and I'm starting to think that I'll never get rid of this stuff! Can anyone offer some advice?

 

[slapshot]

Try a Kole Tang. Mine eats that stuff and cleaned a 150 in 4 days.

 

[Scythanith]

Do you have anything stirring up your sand aside from the snails? I like using sandsifting starfish and conch's are amazing cause they can use their little proboscis to reach up onto the rocks abit and clean off detritus and such. Get some more hermits into the tank to scratch off as much of the junk as possible.

All about the cleaner crew!!!!!

They can try and correct your problem.

 

[serty]

Buy a Kole Tang and a lawnmower blenny and you won't ever have to worry.

 

[Amador]

I have a queen conch stirring up the sand. I had a lawnmower blenny up until a week or so ago .. he used to chow down on the algae on the glass .. then he stopped eating and just wasted away . I also tried a tigertail cuke .. I came home today to find his guts and his Cuverian tubules protruding . Luckily everything seems fine, and I kind of feel like I dodged a bullet there, so I'm not very inclined to try a cucumber again.

I might give the Kole tang a try .. would he get along with a Sailfin and a Hippo?

 

[drummereef]

That sucks. We've all been there whether we admit it or not. I'd throw a tigertail cuke or 2 in there and watch it dissapear. Worked wonders in my 40. But, above all getting the DI straightend out is a BIG step in the right direction. Just make sure it is reading 000 tds.

 

[Amador]

Anyone else have any ideas?

 

[SptfireXIV]

Well, first off, it doesn't look like diatoms. If its hairy, its hair algae, if its slimy, its cyanobacteria. Chances are its a little of both.

Clibonarius hermits, queen conchs and lettuce nudibranchs will all tear into hair algae. So will most tangs and rabbitfish.


Second, it looks like your sand is silica based. I know most people will say that this doesn't make a difference, but my mother tried a silica based sand in her tank and she suddenly experienced constant algae problems. Whether or not the 2 events are connected is up in the air, but we removed the sand and did a 100% water change and she hasn't had a problem since.



Just don't give up yet, it'll get straightened out eventually. There are always options.

 

[Sepeku]

I could throw out pics of my 250g "diatom tank". I've had a zen approach to fish keeping ever since. It's why my tank is still "establishing".
The parameters were thrown so far out of wack that I'm still recovering.
It's certainly real depressing, throwing the dough and time into a large tank only to be crushed when the tank doesn't cycle right and is turned into a giant red/brown mess.
And then you have to buy more equipment...
And spend more time changing things because of "learner" mistakes...

I mean, do you really want to show that off to visitors? Or put a blanket over it and hope they don't notice?

It just happens man and a rewarding learning experience. Keep skimming aggressive and the water flow high. Keep the water changes up and try to accept the equilibrium the diatoms bring for the moment.
The key ingredient is time (with a side of vigilance on the part of testing the water).

I've had some success with Nerite snails in ridding it. But they seem most inactive during the day. I've seen Cerith snails eat it, but they don't seem to eat enough to make much difference.

I also have a worm infestation that seemed to eat them (out of the sand and glass at any rate). Though, the evidence is circumstantial at best.
I'd consider culturing them if I did not suspect them of killing the astrea snails and, just recently, start hitching some unsightly rides on the yellow tang. (A whole new batch of problems, hello overdue cleaner shrimp!)

And lastly I have a smaller tank with a different sand bed (really fine white sugery stuff). And it seems to always grow to some degree in it.
I just live with it and turn over the sand every now and then.

 

[GuyAFA]

I've had a similar problem with my tank. It's just a little over one month old so my LFS keeps telling me to give it time. All my numbers are good, although I haven't tested for silica. I added a bunch more clean up crew the other day but they ignore the sand for the most part and focus on the rock. I've read that a sea hare is a good solution but that once they eat all the algea then they have nothing to live off of and can die.

 

[dvmsn]

I don't think that it is diatons, but dinoflagelates. This is the hardest algea to get rid of. Improving water quality will not do it. There are several treads on how to eliminate this stuff, but be prepared to work and trun out your lights for several days.