How long does a diatom bloom last?

[zero26]

Next week will be a month of my diatom bloom. I have noticed it really starting to wind down, especially on the sand. But I am still getting this floating brown goo stuff that clings to everything, powerheads, overflows rocks and green hair algae. My water parameters are good, phos 0, nitrate 0 too. kicked back the feeding to every other day, feeding mostly frozen, with a bit of pellet.

 

[thegrun]

A month seems like a long time. How long are you running your lights? What is the water flow rate in your tank (total pump GPH/gallons of water in your tank)?

 

[zero26]

I run 6 t5's 2 come on for an hour then the other 4 are on, for a total of 9.5 hours. I have 2 koraila 4's and a mag drive 9.5.

 

[badwrasse]

how old is the tank? diatoms mainly hang out in the substrate and it looks more like a dusting,another st.luo guy I see

 

[zero26]

The tank is about 2 1/2 months old. yes I live west of stl

 

[badwrasse]

I think you just have the newly cycled algae blooms, just do 25-30% water changes once a week till it goes away

have you checked out the slash forums yet

 

[zero26]

Here are some pics of my tank and the algae

 

[zero26]

Ya I check out that forum all the time are you a member?

 

[badwrasse]

No, but i do like to keep up with whats in the area. Its hard to see what color the algae is but I know that not diatoms

 

[badwrasse]

did you use RO/DI water when you set it up?

 

[zero26]

Ya those light really through off the color, the stringy gooey stuff is brown, and what I thought is green hair algae is of course green, but is matted down by the brown stuff. I really am pulling my hair out trying to figure this out, the tank just looks nasty.

 

[zero26]

Yes thats all I use is a RO/DI unit from Bulkreef. I have probably put 300-400 gallons through it , and thats over estimating.

 

[badwrasse]

what test kit are you using? It looks like you have both power heads aimed at the middle of front glass, try aiming one long down the tank try cutting lights for 3 days and doing water changes,

 

[zero26]

my Yellow tang love the brown stringy stuff, its almost like it get more stringy and brown when the lights come on. I watched it when the light came on and it didnt look bad but as the day progresses it seems to get worse.


My T5 setup is 2 660's
All my bulbs are Giesemann

3 11000k Aquablue Plus
2 Actinic Plus
1 Pure Actinic

2 Aquablue are on an hour before and after the 4 other come on.

 

[RadReef]

From your pictures it looks like rust-brown cyano and diatoms. Try reducing your phosphates with sponges or a possible reactor?? for the cyano and for the diatoms I use Aquavitro 8.4 buffer which raises your carbonate alkilinity and keeps diatoms in check. My wife and I discovered that the product helps with diatoms a few months back after her tank's glass was always covered in diatoms due to silicates leaching from some non-reef rocks. Use the product only a couple times a week at most, because using too much causes a bloom of cyano (something else we discovered!). Try it, it does work

 

[zero26]

How much should I cut the lighting, I have some zoos, ricdorea green, and that toadstool coral. I am worried that they would nt get enough light.

I have API test kits reef test kit and the marine test kit.

 

[Eff Ewe]

I never had one in my tank. I guess I was just lucky?

 

[badwrasse]

turn them off to starve the algae coral will be fine all of those corals are hardy. test nitrate again with a differant test the api lack in the nitrate department, or take a sample to SI or MS

 

[badwrasse]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15466665#post15466665 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Eff Ewe
I never had one in my tank. I guess I was just lucky?

sometimes it happens sometimes not,
I didn't either but i got the diatoms

 

[badwrasse]

also I would clean any corals off or they won't open anyway