What is causing these diatoms?

[Flipperfin]

My 12g tank has been running for 2,5 months now, It had its initial diatom bloom after a month which dissapeared again after a week or two. After that some inhabitants (2 small occelaris and some cuc) have been added, and i recently changed to a new pump and heater.

For the past two weeks there has been a little patch on the sand with diatom blooming, and its been slowly growing until now where its almost covering all of the sand. Nothing on liverock, just the sand.

I buy my saltwater premixed and topoff RO water from the LFS, so Im not sure whats causing this? Could it be the new equipment added?
I dont run a skimmer. Ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are all 0.

 

[Reef_Chief]

I doubt it would be the equipment.
Have you tested for phosphate in your tank?

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[mcgyvr]

Sounds fairly normal for a new tank..

What type of sand did you use?

 

[Flipperfin]

I doubt it would be the equipment.
Have you tested for phosphate in your tank?

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No I haven't, yet. I thought diatoms were mainly due to silicates, but I guess i could go out and buy a test

Sounds fairly normal for a new tank..

What type of sand did you use?

I used CaribSea fine Fiji Pink Live Sand, could that be the culprit somehow?

 

[Reef_Chief]

A phosphate test kit will be helpful for future definitely but as mcgyver said, your tank is fairly new so it's common place to get bouts of various blooms etc. It's known as the uglies.

Definitely worth keeping an eye on phosphates though.

I also use the Fiji pink (gorgeous sand IMO), i would just keep your parameters in check and vacuum your sand regularly (unless you have a deep sand bed).

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[Ron Reefman]

I had a huge diatom bloom that lasted a good month and that was in a new tank that I moved my 6 year old live rock, sand, coral, fish and inverts into. Every new tank will have issues until all the water parameters (and not just the ones we test for) settle down to a stable level.

Diatoms use up the available food and bloom, then they starve and die off. The die off creates some new food and they bloom again. Each cycle should be less severe than the previous one. Give it time (like 6 months... maybe more) and it will settle down.

 

[Flipperfin]

That sounds reasonable, guess i might just have to wait this one out
I just tested for phosphates and got a reading of 0, so either its bound up in algae, theres none or im a monkey at testing

 

[scooter31707]

My 12g tank has been running for 2,5 months now, It had its initial diatom bloom after a month which dissapeared again after a week or two. After that some inhabitants (2 small occelaris and some cuc) have been added, and i recently changed to a new pump and heater.

For the past two weeks there has been a little patch on the sand with diatom blooming, and its been slowly growing until now where its almost covering all of the sand. Nothing on liverock, just the sand.

I buy my saltwater premixed and topoff RO water from the LFS, so Im not sure whats causing this? Could it be the new equipment added?
I dont run a skimmer. Ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are all 0.

Do you trust your LFS that they are changing the filters and stuff for making their water? I had this happen to me once and was wondering where it was coming from. A hobbyist on here recommended testing the LFS water and sure enough it was high in everything. At that point, I started making my own water. So just keep that in mind.