I've read in a few threads that diatom blooms will eventually go away... any idea how long??? this stuff grows fast!!!! covered the backside of my tank which i can't clean with my magnet... all my live rocks... and my sand... just vacummed the sand like 2 days ago and it's back even worse already.... should i clean some of it off or will it just magically disappear once the bloom is gone??? Thanks!!!
How long for diatom bloom to run its cycle???
- Thread starter bimmer88
- Start date
nitrates are somewhere between 0-5ppm... it's kinda hard to tell on the test kit chart but it looks more like 0.... i bought 3 snails to clean up but they don't seem to be working any miracles yet... should i clean the diatoms off or will they just disappear off my live rocks and the backside of my tank?
BurntOutReefer
New member
" i'm using tap water"....there you have it!
ok... as ignorant as this question sounds... how do these RO/DI systems work? Do these tap into the sump like the protein skimmer? Do you use them to filter the water before added to the tank in a separate bucket? If so, how long does it take? Do you hook it up to the tap faucet? I'm clueless as to how these things work... i see many of them for sale for about $159.99... do these work ok or do i have to go with something more expensive? What's a good brand/model to get? Sorry for the thousand questions and ignorance...
augustasalty
New member
diatoms occur when phosphates are high. of course high nitrates are not helping, but high nitrates alone usually lead to algae blooms. The person is using tap water and that is where the phosphates come in. i've fought this battle many times, but not since I got my RO/DI. When you get an RO, invest the few extra bucks to throw on a DI, you'll thank yourself later.
jason2459
Well-known member
BTW, here's the filter guy's website.
http://www.thefilterguys.biz/
I bought my ro/di unit from bulk reef supply and happy with it.
www.bulkreefsupply.com
There are plenty of places to buy them from and are all very similar. There are several options that would depend on what kind of water quality you have to determine the type of water treatment or filtration that you should use. Either way using straight tap water has been used but probably not the best practice. I'd rather remove through filtration the bad components inside of tap water then just neutralize or encapsulate them and not actually remove the bad components out of the water. Chlorine does evaporate out though ammonia, phosphates, nitrites, nitrates, and many other heavy metals found in tap water will not be removed from the water with out filtration. Additives only neutralize them. Who knows for how long.
Most city water supply will come out with at least an annual or more often water quality report. You can check that out or call them up and ask what they add to the water supply and what else is found in the supply.
For example here is what my water company adds and how it treats my tap water in my area. This is a typical standard that most places use but also include even more things like chloramine or other chemicals and other treatments like ozone or uv.
Here's also a basic break down of what they test for and have regulations on. Mind you there could be other things in the water that they don't test for or have regulations on as well. Notice they add ammonia yet don't report on it's levels.
I'd suggest calling, email, or posting in their subforums for at leat one of those two companies above about a proper filtration method for you.
Here's BRS's subforum
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=469
and The Filter Guys' subforum
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=439
http://www.thefilterguys.biz/
I bought my ro/di unit from bulk reef supply and happy with it.
www.bulkreefsupply.com
There are plenty of places to buy them from and are all very similar. There are several options that would depend on what kind of water quality you have to determine the type of water treatment or filtration that you should use. Either way using straight tap water has been used but probably not the best practice. I'd rather remove through filtration the bad components inside of tap water then just neutralize or encapsulate them and not actually remove the bad components out of the water. Chlorine does evaporate out though ammonia, phosphates, nitrites, nitrates, and many other heavy metals found in tap water will not be removed from the water with out filtration. Additives only neutralize them. Who knows for how long.
Most city water supply will come out with at least an annual or more often water quality report. You can check that out or call them up and ask what they add to the water supply and what else is found in the supply.
For example here is what my water company adds and how it treats my tap water in my area. This is a typical standard that most places use but also include even more things like chloramine or other chemicals and other treatments like ozone or uv.
Here's also a basic break down of what they test for and have regulations on. Mind you there could be other things in the water that they don't test for or have regulations on as well. Notice they add ammonia yet don't report on it's levels.
I'd suggest calling, email, or posting in their subforums for at leat one of those two companies above about a proper filtration method for you.
Here's BRS's subforum
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=469
and The Filter Guys' subforum
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=439
Diatom Bloom In New Tank?????!??!
Diatom Bloom In New Tank?????!??!
Hey! SO I set up my new SW tank about 6 weeks ago and I've had Diatoms since about week 2. They won't go away.
That being said, I filled up my tank with Tap water but treated with conditioner.
Thanks to Black Friday I finally ordered a BRS RO/DI UNIT.
About how big of a water change should I do in order to help the Diatoms go away? Is it better to do one big water change or smaller 10-25% water changes every couple of days or weeks? I just want this ugly brown stuff to go away!
Thanks in advanced
Diatom Bloom In New Tank?????!??!
Hey! SO I set up my new SW tank about 6 weeks ago and I've had Diatoms since about week 2. They won't go away.
That being said, I filled up my tank with Tap water but treated with conditioner.
Thanks to Black Friday I finally ordered a BRS RO/DI UNIT.
About how big of a water change should I do in order to help the Diatoms go away? Is it better to do one big water change or smaller 10-25% water changes every couple of days or weeks? I just want this ugly brown stuff to go away!
Thanks in advanced
tjm9331
New member
Hey! SO I set up my new SW tank about 6 weeks ago and I've had Diatoms since about week 2. They won't go away.
That being said, I filled up my tank with Tap water but treated with conditioner.
Thanks to Black Friday I finally ordered a BRS RO/DI UNIT.
About how big of a water change should I do in order to help the Diatoms go away? Is it better to do one big water change or smaller 10-25% water changes every couple of days or weeks? I just want this ugly brown stuff to go away!
Thanks in advanced
If you have no livestock in the tank i.e. fish or inverts then you could get away with do a 100% water change all at once. If you do have livestock then I would probably do a 2 day water change, 50% one day 50% the next.
And yes this is an old thread but apparently still relevant to your question
