Diatom Control Plan

[Psari]

Hello all,

I need some help figuring out a plan based on my system for finally getting rid of brown diatoms.

My current system is up and running with no issues whatsoever for a few months now and everything inside the tank has gone through QT. (I don't currently have any snails as I currently use the QT tank for something else at the moment but I am planning to set up a new one very soon but the snails will be added to DT after 80 days)

Setup:

180L Rimless tank 90cm x 45cm x 45
No light
Oase biomaster filter with heater (Almost 2L of Matrix bio media, one bag of carbon and one bag of GFO. The pre filter sponges are cleaned every 3 days)
Tunze macroalgae reactor with chaeto.
Dry rock and dry sand
2 clownfish
1 cleaner shrimp
1 Sand sifting starfish (was added 2 days ago)

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Ph 7.7 (Salifert kit and was slightly towards 8)

Note: Set up is inspired by MikeyMikeMike

The tank was cycled using TurboStart 900 and feeding the bacteria with pharmaceutical grade ammonia (dosage and method was specific from a reefing article).

For the first month everything was still white and not a single spot of algae as the macroalgae was doing great and I was dosing weekly microbacter clean thinking that the good bacteria will colonise the rocks first and won't allow diatoms to catch on and therefore skip the ugly stage.
I would like to add that I don't actually know if that method worked as I didn't get another bottle when the first one was finished so that I can continue the treatment.

Current thoughts

I purchased a bottle of microbacter 7 and once I get it, I will start dosing.
Start growing a separate copepod population and dosing them to my tank.
Be patient lol

-----

The images you see below are after the sand was cleaned using a vacuum and some parts of the rock that are white, I actually rubbed them with my finger to see how easily it comes off.
Also something very interesting, there are two spots that the brown diatoms turned green (images below)

DAY 1

Now

Diatoms that turned green

Thank you all for the replies in advance!

 

[gbroadbridge]

Diatoms will normally go away on their own as the chemisty settles down.

MB7 is unlikely to make a difference in my experience, but is useful for biological diversity.

 

[Dan_P]

Hello all,

I need some help figuring out a plan based on my system for finally getting rid of brown diatoms.

My current system is up and running with no issues whatsoever for a few months now and everything inside the tank has gone through QT. (I don't currently have any snails as I currently use the QT tank for something else at the moment but I am planning to set up a new one very soon but the snails will be added to DT after 80 days)

Setup:

180L Rimless tank 90cm x 45cm x 45
No light
Oase biomaster filter with heater (Almost 2L of Matrix bio media, one bag of carbon and one bag of GFO. The pre filter sponges are cleaned every 3 days)
Tunze macroalgae reactor with chaeto.
Dry rock and dry sand
2 clownfish
1 cleaner shrimp
1 Sand sifting starfish (was added 2 days ago)

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Ph 7.7 (Salifert kit and was slightly towards 8)

Note: Set up is inspired by MikeyMikeMike

The tank was cycled using TurboStart 900 and feeding the bacteria with pharmaceutical grade ammonia (dosage and method was specific from a reefing article).

For the first month everything was still white and not a single spot of algae as the macroalgae was doing great and I was dosing weekly microbacter clean thinking that the good bacteria will colonise the rocks first and won't allow diatoms to catch on and therefore skip the ugly stage.
I would like to add that I don't actually know if that method worked as I didn't get another bottle when the first one was finished so that I can continue the treatment.

Current thoughts

I purchased a bottle of microbacter 7 and once I get it, I will start dosing.
Start growing a separate copepod population and dosing them to my tank.
Be patient lol

-----

The images you see below are after the sand was cleaned using a vacuum and some parts of the rock that are white, I actually rubbed them with my finger to see how easily it comes off.
Also something very interesting, there are two spots that the brown diatoms turned green (images below)

DAY 1

Now

Diatoms that turned green

Thank you all for the replies in advance!

Your cat looks like mine.

I would say do nothing. Your situation looks normal.