Diatom Bloom or...

calimel · Sep 24, 2020

Hi everyone. My 29g nano tank is 5-6 weeks old, and is mostly through it's cycle...but still very new.
Last week I added some softy corals and 2 clownfish.
About three days ago, I began to get what I think is diatom bloom...but I want to be sure it's not something more heinous. Should I gravel vac it, or leave it until it recedes on its own?
I appreciate your experience and advice! What does it look like from the pic?

My water parameters are:
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: 10
Alkalinity: 210
pH: 8.2
Temp: 77.1
Salinity: 1.026

Have not tested phosphates this evening.
Running AI Prime HD lamp at:
Blues, Royal, Violet: 40%
UV: 25%
White: 10%
No greens or reds

Bfragale · Sep 24, 2020

Hello. No photo or viedo. But sounds like your tank is new and this is part of the uglies is my guess. Do you test po4 (phosphate)?

If diatoms, they should go away on their own with good husbandry.

Is it more dusty? Does it stay on sand/rocks even when lights are off? Do you see any bubbles in it? What color is it?

These may help point to right direction, but sometimes it requires a microscope to really know what your dealing with.

calimel · Sep 24, 2020

Bfragale said:
Hello. No photo or viedo. But sounds like your tank is new and this is part of the uglies is my guess. Do you test po4 (phosphate)?

If diatoms, they should go away on their own with good husbandry.

Is it more dusty? Does it stay on sand/rocks even when lights are off? Do you see any bubbles in it? What color is it?

These may help point to right direction, but sometimes it requires a microscope to really know what your dealing with.

Hi, my video wouldn't load for some reason so I uploaded pics to the original post. I hope you can see them now. I haven't tested phosphates.

Bfragale · Sep 24, 2020

It’s hard to say from the photos. But based on the tank being very young diatoms would be my first guess, but it’s just that- a guess.

I had a very similar looking algea and for the longest thought it was diatoms. Was not until I got a microscope to find dinoflagellates.

I would pick up a po4 test as well. Generally Dino’s appears when the no3 and po4 are at or near 0. I see your no3 at 10, so also leads me to believe diatoms.

But again not all Dino’s is the same. The one I had my no3 was at 10-15 and po4 at .25- also mine had no bubbles either so looked like diatoms.

Bfragale · Sep 24, 2020

For the viedo you can try to post to YouTube then post a link if that helps.

Bfragale · Sep 24, 2020

If your near Los Angeles you can borrow my microscope?

calimel · Sep 24, 2020

Bfragale said:
It’s hard to say from the photos. But based on the tank being very young diatoms would be my first guess, but it’s just that- a guess.

I had a very similar looking algea and for the longest thought it was diatoms. Was not until I got a microscope to find dinoflagellates.

I would pick up a po4 test as well. Generally Dino’s appears when the no3 and po4 are at or near 0. I see your no3 at 10, so also leads me to believe diatoms.

But again not all Dino’s is the same. The one I had my no3 was at 10-15 and po4 at .25- also mine had no bubbles either so looked like diatoms.

Thank you, i'll test for phosphates tomorrow!