Brown Diatoms with no Phosphates?

[Kasey Grohowski]

I recently got a tiny bit of brown diatoms on the top of my rocks and powerhead, and only a couple inches on my sandbed. Can they grow without phosphates? My salifert kit is showing 0 phosphates. Also it started to grow the day after I broadcast fed reef roids so I'm assuming there has to be some phosphates.

 

[HCl+NaHO=]

I recently got a tiny bit of brown diatoms on the top of my rocks and powerhead, and only a couple inches on my sandbed. Can they grow without phosphates? My salifert kit is showing 0 phosphates. Also it started to grow the day after I broadcast fed reef roids so I'm assuming there has to be some phosphates.

I don’t know of life that can exist without phosphorus

It makes up ATP and cell membranes

You are getting “0” on your Salifert because the diatoms, dinos, or cyano are using it up

Your eye test kit is telling you that you have excess phosphates. It’s not lying.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

I don’t know of life that can exist without phosphorus

It makes up ATP and cell membranes

You are getting “0” on your Salifert because the diatoms, dinos, or cyano are using it up

Your eye test kit is telling you that you have excess phosphates. It’s not lying.

Once it is all used up they should die then right?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

No. Phosphate is never zero. It may be undetectable with a kit, but it is not zero. In fact, it may only be low due to the problem algae taking up so much

 

[ChiSox Rabbitfish]

Diatoms feed on silicates I don’t think phosphate matters at that point

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

No. Phosphate is never zero. It may be undetectable with a kit, but it is not zero. In fact, it may only be low due to the problem algae taking up so much

Do you think I should dose phosphates then?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Diatoms feed on silicates I don’t think phosphate matters at that point

Unlike most algae, they do need silicate, but their need for N and P is similar to other algae.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Do you think I should dose phosphates then?

Not if you have any sort of problem algae except Dino’s.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

When I look closely at this algae there a few strands sticking up with bubbles trapped in them. Makes me think dino's?

 

[Hemmdog]

When I look closely at this algae there a few strands sticking up with bubbles trapped in them. Makes me think dino's?

Pics?

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

Best I could get.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

They look like pieces of hair with a bubble in it.

 

[BeejReef]

I had those too first month or two. slimy buggery things ;Vomit

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

I had those too first month or two. slimy buggery things ;Vomit

Hopefully it's just because my rock in not completely cycled.

 

[BeejReef]

Hopefully it's just because my rock in not completely cycled.

I dunno. they're gross, whatever they are. Snails wouldn't touch it. don't know if it was good luck or totally unrelated, but they went away about the same time I put in my hermits.

 

[reeftivo]

diatoms can generate bubbles like Dinos but the bubbles are usually closer to the mat and not long and stringy like the pic.

good chance those are Dinos but i would confirm with a cheap microscope before you start any treatments

i had a bad outbreak while on vacation. i stopped water changes, dosed phosphate and some nitrate with some success. I didn't start seeing progress until i started adding pods and Phyto (oceanmagik) to the system.

if it persists and you confirm you have Dinos then a good read is here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/d...-tired-of-battling-altogether.293318/page-380

 

[Hemmdog]

Add a fish, no more dinos.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

diatoms can generate bubbles like Dinos but the bubbles are usually closer to the mat and not long and stringy like the pic.

good chance those are Dinos but i would confirm with a cheap microscope before you start any treatments

i had a bad outbreak while on vacation. i stopped water changes, dosed phosphate and some nitrate with some success. I didn't start seeing progress until i started adding pods and Phyto (oceanmagik) to the system.

if it persists and you confirm you have Dinos then a good read is here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellates-–-are-you-tired-of-battling-altogether.293318/page-380

Hmm yeah unfortunately I always had 0 phosphates. Must be dino's. I don't have any invert's or algae eaters so I'm not too worried.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

Add a fish, no more dinos.

Got 2 clowns in QT right now. I need more bioload is what youre saying?

 

[Hemmdog]

Got 2 clowns in QT right now. I need more bioload is what youre saying?

Yessir.