Brown stuff on sand, diatoms?

[Fury96]

Hi guys, new to the hobby, only started about a month and a half ago, tank is pretty much that old give or take from end of cycle. I have brown stuff forming on sand which i think is diatoms and i'm not sure what to do, from my research ive come to understand that this is normal and i should leave it and not disturb the sand and let it run its course. Is this correct or should i be doing something about it? I did do a 15 percent water change 4 days ago. It's a fish only tank right now.

Thanks guys.

 

[Euphyllia97]

Yeah looks like diatoms! Very normal in a new tank. It is feeding on silicates and will disappear when it has used up those

 

[Fury96]

Yeah looks like diatoms! Very normal in a new tank. It is feeding on silicates and will disappear when it has used up those

Thank you, i'll leave it be, maybe i'll keep the lights off more as well

 

[kevgib67]

Thank you, i'll leave it be, maybe i'll keep the lights off more as well

It’s a short phase but if you want to speed it up it’s a great to start adding copepods, they’ll eat it and you’ll be starting a healthy population that your fish will thank you for.

 

[Fury96]

It’s a short phase but if you want to speed it up it’s a great to start adding copepods, they’ll eat it and you’ll be starting a healthy population that your fish will thank you for.

Thanks for the tip, maybe ill do that, i have two small clowns and a flamehawk in my tank, my clowns are doing grear but my flamehawk has lost his colour and he is pale. Would that be due to the diatom bloom?