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[SMSREEF]

If you kept it for 3 days, diatom can grow. Think of it as if you are cycling, the media here is the filter. So I just wonder if this is valid for our case since diatom will grow ad first phase of the nitrogen cycle. And am worried tou created a small nitrogen cycle outside the tank which explain the diatom.
Yes the picture look like diatom. Cyano will look like a diatom but instead of seprate pieces like you see, the.peices are connected to form a chain..
What you think?

I think they look exactly like some of the things in the first pics from stuff growing in tank under the microscope. Here is pic from 7/9


It’s interesting that I shook up the water and filtered with paper towel. The remaining pieces that got through grew more diatoms. This is from isolated water today’s 7/13

 

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[SMSREEF]

Can I bother you with something.
The only picture of the algae tou have look like hair algae which means picture is not good.
Any chance you can take some of this algae place it on a clean dry surface and take a picture, then take another sample from the water, put it in a cup with tank water so I see the algae both on dry surface and in the water?
Is that possible?

I can’t get it out. As soon as I try, it breaks apart, when I did that test I got the biggest patch in the tank. I had to get it with a tooth brush and even then it did not stay together. There is very little left in the tank now. I’ll let it grow somewhere and try and get a close up video.

I do have this Pic. If you zoom in you can see it. It is not defined in real life. The blurriness is not the photo.


I like your plan. I did a large water change today and cleaned out area where bio balls are. There was a lot of stuff built up between the balls.

I also have some bacteria in glass tubes that I had gotten to cycle the 60 gallon. It’s BioDigest. I just used one for the tank.

 

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[SMSREEF]

You can siphon it cannot you?
Ok earlier this pic tricked me. Insane the red string I thought that was the algae, but now I see the algae you referring to is the brown fluffy stound the string right?
Of answer is yes, I think its diatom indeed.

Yes that is the bacteria, they have multiple products use the one called for maintenance not cycle start. Also never overdose this product tou will deal with more algae..

Yep, the brown fluffy stuff is it.

I used part of a vial. It says for 30 gallons so I did not use whole thing. The one I have does not say for new tanks.

 

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[SMSREEF]

Yes, this is a great article that I read today. This is what made me think diatoms because mine look very much like the diatoms they have picture in the article.

 

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Yes, this is a great article that I read today. This is what made me think diatoms because mine look very much like the diatoms they have picture in the article.

Let's follow the plan my man..
We will beat it.

 

[SMSREEF]

Let's follow the plan my man..
We will beat it.

Following the plan.
-Everything is spotless, including back filter area.
-Large Water change done. Will do 20% week
-Changed my sock (will change every 2 days)
-Added fresh carbon (ROX 0.8 Carbon)
-Bacteria added
-New test kits for NO3 and PO4 ordered
-Light changed to only 8 hours (was 10 but ramped up for an hour and down for an hour so I am just ramping up faster)

This morning:
Ph 8.1
Kh 8.9
Ca 420
Mg 1360
No3 0.5 to 1
PO4 very low-no color that I can see.
NH4 0, I put hang on side ammonia detector in just in case bacteria Had any additive or the cleaning causes an ammonia spike.

I’m a lot more comfortable knowing I am dealing with diatoms. Of the 3 Dino’s, Cyano or Diatoms I will choose what I have any day!

 

[SMSREEF]

My new Hanna ULR phosphate checker came and phosphate is 0.01 and I checked it twice.
Nitrate with Salifert test is 0.2 to 0.5
What do you think @Ohashimz ?

 

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One last question. Are you 100% sure you used the hanna correctly? 0.01 is withen the margin of error of the checker.

 

[SMSREEF]

One last question. Are you 100% sure you used the hanna correctly? 0.01 is withen the margin of error of the checker.

Hi Ohashimz
Yes, followed directions exactly. Both times 0.01 error is +/- 0.02 for test so I guess it could be 0 or 0.03
I don’t use GFO
I have no fish, just a shrimp and corals
I feed reef roids 2 times a week target feeding
Carbon is in a small bag I don’t use a lot... maybe 2 Tbsp, no reactor.

I am not sure I want to be running ULNS, I would rather have more nutrients and happy corals ... I just don’t have fish so I guess it’s ULNS due to not a lot of nutrients being added.

 

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[SMSREEF]

That also might explain the diatom.
Diatom phase go away when your biological filtration is strong(end of the cycle) I think your system is still at the diatom phase.
I would remove the carbon now, not much need for it. You are feeding pure nutrients that coral is taking over it. So much much access to feed all your biological filtration and generate po4 and no3.
I would advice at least a fish or 2

Tank is 2 years old
It is 10 gallons (about 8 gallons water the rest of volume is rock)
I just took Carbon out of tank.
I have not had fish because I had Ich in the tank and I left it fallow for a while and kinda liked it without fish since it’s small.
I have a 60 gallon that I will be setting soon and want to keep rock separated from fish for a few months to cycle.
I will eventually set up quarantine tank for fish while new tank cycles.

If not fish do you have another suggestion?

 

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