Diatom questions

[mark freshwater]

Hi,
My tank is about 2 1/2 - 3 months old , and have just started to get diatoms.
I have read a few different points of view and was wondering which works the best.
I read just to leave it and it will disapear over time as the silicates get used up.
Ive read to get a clean up crew .
To turn lights out for 3 days.
to get a lawnmower blenny or a diamond goby.
My parameters are fine just a sudden bloom.
I run blue lights 10hrs and main lights 12 hrs.
only thing that has changed is i have been feeding mysis (which ive never seen affect anything), also frozen rotifers which i havnt used before.

Interested in peoples thoughts and suggestions
Thanks
Mark

 

[Chef Tommy]

Think you are just in a phase, I went through 6 months of ugly stages. Chryophytes algae breakout, cyano, then green hair. Diatoms came and went periodically. One day the cheto in refugium took off and no more hair in display. Just keep your cleanings & water changes rolling and be patient. One thing to do is lower light timing to help. I personally dropped to 7 hours and then slowly ramped back up to 10.

 

[mark freshwater]

Ok great thanks,
I will shorten the lights on time and continue on as normal , hopefully dont get cyano i hate that stuff.

 

[Chef Tommy]

I was lucky, the cyano only was within the filter socks.

 

[mark freshwater]

Its getting worse.
Ok diatoms are getting worse , starting to get dinos i think ( bubbles on rocks tiny stingy bits of brown with bubbles on ends aswell)
PH 8.5
Nitrite 0.1
Phosphate 0.38
Temp 26 c
calcium 420

I have just today left the lights off and will do so for 3 days.
Main concern is there is 2-3 brown bits with bubbles on my lobo coral.
Also i've read that because of the algae the phosphate test could be reading wrong .
I am using Continuum reef bio pellet fuel and it states that i can double the amount if nitrates and phosphates are high,
which i'm about to do.
Should i just wait it out or take further action?
Also i worry about dosing with phosphate removal products as years ago i had some cyano and dosed according to instuctions only once ,
woke up during the night to fish trying to jump out of tank.
Should i buy a filter sock and try to siphon the diatoms off the substrate , and reused the water as im relucant to do a water change as it might lengthen the problem.
Any advice much appreciated.
Thanks
Mark