Can a salt mix cause diatoms and hair algae. I use instant ocean salt and rodi water shows 0 tds but the diatoms and green hair algae are taking over going to do a 50% water change today should I switch to a different salt mix the tank is 1 year old now started 2/15/15 now 2/15/16 what a ride not giving up in for the long haul just need some help. Thanks
salt mix's
- Thread starter Mollydog
- Start date
Hi Mollydog, a salt mix with excess silicates or phosphates could be causing your issue I guess, but It is likely something else. Diatom blooms do happen sometimes, and usually resolve themselves (diatoms consume the excess silicate in the water, then disappear). Diatoms are also sometimes confused with dinoflagellates (also brown). If they come and go with light and are a little stringy in appearance, they are likely dinos. Green hair algae is usually a symptom of insufficient nutrient export, root causes being too much nitrate and phosphate. Water change is a good idea to start, then look at RODI filter life (but 0 TDS as you said might rule this out). One year mark bulb spectrum shift is also another possibility (don't know what lights you are running). Most likely it is just excess nutrients - which you can verify by testing nitrates and phosphates if you haven't already. Maybe share those values and we can go from there?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Dkuhlmann
New member
It's not your salt, yes the bloom because of excess silicates in your sandbed mostly and this is all a part of the "ugglies" of having a new tank setup. They will go away as the silicates are consumed, it is absolutely nothing to worry about. Just practice keeping stable water parameters and don't alter your light schedule just because of diatoms. You have many more "ugglies" to come.
Dkuhlmann is right that the diatoms are likely not anything to worry about, but since the tank is kind of emerging from the "new" phase and a year old now, and are you having green hair algae problems as well, there are likely larger issues with nutrient export you can address to solve the issue.
ok thanks should I do a 50% water change I have a led light bar on the tank all test are good with api test kit I do have supper fine sand 1 1/2 deep two small fish a few snails so not a big load on the tank the skimmer pulls gung out but not a lot 90 gal tank with 40 gal sump and should I vac the sand bed
A large water change may be something to do to reduce immediate nutrients feeding your hair algae and get some nutrients down, but it likely won't solve the underlying nutrient issues that got you here in the first place. Some things that will help diagnose the issue are Phosphate and Nitrate test values (I'm not sure what you consider "good"), what skimmer are you using on your 90, how much and what do you feed, etc. Basically a run down of your nutrient imports (feeding, bioload) and how you are taking it out (skimmer, water changes, etc.) Since your bioload seems very low for a 90g, excess nutrients are coming from somewhere - we just have to find out where. Some pictures of your tank might also help us see what is going on. Thanks, Peter
