Must have tests and additives.

MamaZooKeeper

MamaZooKeeper

New member
I am having a diatom outbreak again. I'm ready to invest in testing and additive equipment I need to be able to figure out what is going on and get my aquarium on track. What are the top things I should have? I have been using testing strips and am finding out thats bad. What testing equipment is best? There are so many out there. Also I have crabs and snails and polyps, am I to be adding calcium for the health of them? What are the best fans? Im thinking i need better water flow. Whats your take?? And where is your favorite place to purchase this equipment?! All input appreciated!!
 
diatoms is just a stage in a new tank, as silica depletes out of the system they will leave too. for basic kits u need ammonia nitrites nitrates and phos and if reef then u need cal alk and mag as well. salifert and red sea kits are very good.
 
I would recommend having at minimum:
Nitrate (Red Sea Pro, Salifert or Elos)
Alkalinity (Red Sea Pro, Salifert or Elos)
Phosphate (for this a Hanna Checker is superior to regent test kits)
If you have stony corals or clams:
Calcium (Red Sea Pro, Salifert or Elos)
Magnesium (Red Sea Pro, Salifert or Elos)
It's always a good idea to have an ammonia test kit on hand to use if you suspect a major problem in the tank, but you rarely need to use it in an established tank.
 
But my tank was over it, its been a year and they just keep coming back!! I cant get rid of it. i dont understand why i keep getting algae outbreaks so I wanna be sure I have everything I need to test test test.
 
The likely cause is phosphates either from food or your live rock could be leaching it into the water. Lighting can also cause algae outbreaks. Try to limit your main lights to 7 hours a day. If you haven't changed out your MH bulb in the last 12 months that could be a cause also. MH bulbs shift color towards red/yellow over time which promotes algae growth. When I was running MH the increase in algae growth was always a clue for me that it was time to replace my bulbs.
 
are you sure it's diatoms and not dinoflagellates?

Diatoms appear as a brown dusting, dinos appear as a brown slime.
 
thegrun said:
The likely cause is phosphates either from food or your live rock could be leaching it into the water. Lighting can also cause algae outbreaks. Try to limit your main lights to 7 hours a day. If you haven't changed out your MH bulb in the last 12 months that could be a cause also. MH bulbs shift color towards red/yellow over time which promotes algae growth. When I was running MH the increase in algae growth was always a clue for me that it was time to replace my bulbs.
Click to expand...

oh i never heard of this before.....I am not sure the light has ever been changed. Ill have to look and see what kind of bulb is needed and look into this. The glass cover over the light had broken so right now i just have the light uncovered in the hood, i wonder if that could be a reason. I just dont have the money for a whole new hood............ty !
 
MamaZooKeeper said:
The glass cover over the light had broken so right now i just have the light uncovered in the hood,QUOTE]

Is your metal halide single ended or double ended? eh, either way, it's irrelevant to the algae problem. UV exposure wouldn't cause algae growth, but you really should replace that glass.
Click to expand...
 
im not sure if its single or double. Ill have to find glass that fits it and figure that out. Glad to know its not causing any issue!
 
I'm using API as well. Just started though.

Are the other test kits easier to read? Its pretty annoying having a card with a solid color on it and try comparing to a translucent solution. But its good enough for a rough estimate.
 
i use API and Red Sea both and since i have Ca and kH tests in both i check both to compare and the tests read the same so it gives me more confidence that the NO3 and PO4 are probably pretty close too in my API.
 
luvzz2play said:
i use API and Red Sea both and since i have Ca and kH tests in both i check both to compare and the tests read the same so it gives me more confidence that the NO3 and PO4 are probably pretty close too in my API.
Click to expand...

On the contrary for me. NO3 and PO4 are garbage on my API Kit. I also have an API calcium reagent that reads 200 higher than normal consistently. Red Sea on the other hand is quite accurate for PO4 and NO3 verified by Milwaukee test equipment.
 
MamaZooKeeper said:
im not sure if its single or double. Ill have to find glass that fits it and figure that out. Glad to know its not causing any issue!
Click to expand...

Just to clarify, the lack of glass (UV Radiation) will not cause algae (although it is damaging to your eyes, be sure the replacement glass is UV rated) but old MH bulbs will cause algae as their color shifts.
 
API test kits are good to get a general idea of your water parameters, but if you want finer measurements you'll need to get the pricier test kits. Bulkreefsupply.com is another excellent site for equipment.

IMO, get a refractometer though before anything else.
 
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