Diatoms in established tank?!

[alexmun31]

I have a 55 gallon tank that has been up and running for over a year now. For some reason I have been able to stabilize the water chemistry. My nitrates and phosphates have consistently been at 0 until about a week or two ago, I’m now sitting at 8.4 ppm nitrate, 0.09 phosphate…in the past month I’ve had a bad case of what I think is diatoms, like literally the entire sandbed. From what I thought, diatoms were only in the system to consume silicates. I haven’t made any changes though at all to my freshwater so I’m not sure if maybe it’s not diatoms and I’m trippin, or if something else is the cause.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

The close up pictures look like dino's

 

[robanister]

I would try some waterglass to raise silicates and starve it out. In the mean time sponge population will grow to help future issues. This worked for me.

 

[alexmun31]

The close up pictures look like dino's

So what has me thinking it’s not is that’s not slimy at all, or snotty like texture. It’s more grainy like. There’s also no bubbles trapped in it. They’re just not the best photos BUT IF IT IS DINOS, do you have any recommendations other than raising nutrients. I don’t want to raise them much higher than they are now.

 

[Fish Fan]

So what has me thinking it’s not is that’s not slimy at all, or snotty like texture. It’s more grainy like. There’s also no bubbles trapped in it. They’re just not the best photos BUT IF IT IS DINOS, do you have any recommendations other than raising nutrients. I don’t want to raise them much higher than they are now.

You don't want to run at zero nitrate or phosphate, you want at least measurable levels of both.

 

[alexmun31]

You don't want to run at zero nitrate or phosphate, you want at least measurable levels of both.

My nitrate is 8.7 ppm as of today and my phosphate is 0.09 ppm.

 

[Fish Fan]

My nitrate is 8.7 ppm as of today and my phosphate is 0.09 ppm.

Yes, I just wanted to be clear since in your first post you mentioned that they had been zero.

 

[Paul B]

I would forget about it. It is natural and normal, and anything you do to eliminate it will make it worse or give your tank something else. It ebbs and grows in all tanks, even mine which is very old and healthy.

 

[alexmun31]

I would forget about it. It is natural and normal, and anything you do to eliminate it will make it worse or give your tank something else. It ebbs and grows in all tanks, even mine which is very old and healthy.

Are you saying if it’s Dino’s to just forget it or if it’s diatoms? It honestly doesn’t seem to stress anything out, just more cosmetic I guess.

 

[i cant think]

I have a 55 gallon tank that has been up and running for over a year now. For some reason I have been able to stabilize the water chemistry. My nitrates and phosphates have consistently been at 0 until about a week or two ago, I’m now sitting at 8.4 ppm nitrate, 0.09 phosphate…in the past month I’ve had a bad case of what I think is diatoms, like literally the entire sandbed. From what I thought, diatoms were only in the system to consume silicates. I haven’t made any changes though at all to my freshwater so I’m not sure if maybe it’s not diatoms and I’m trippin, or if something else is the cause.

What has the temperature of the tank been like recently? I’ve faced various bacteria and algae in the last few months as temperatures have been fluctuating along with pollen. One of the systems facing Cyano occasionally is 3 years old, the others are all 1-2 years old.

 

[alexmun31]

What has the temperature of the tank been like recently? I’ve faced various bacteria and algae in the last few months as temperatures have been fluctuating along with pollen. One of the systems facing Cyano occasionally is 3 years old, the others are all 1-2 years old.

Constant 78 degrees. It’s never fluctuating. I have read somewhere that bumping up to 82 should kill back Dino’s but I really don’t think that’s what this is, uv has been running 24/7 too and it’s not putting a dent in in. ALSO it’s ONLY on the sandbed.

 

[i cant think]

Constant 78 degrees. It’s never fluctuating. I have read somewhere that bumping up to 82 should kill back Dino’s but I really don’t think that’s what this is, uv has been running 24/7 too and it’s not putting a dent in in. ALSO it’s ONLY on the sandbed.

Yep, sounds a lot like what I face. I have UVs on all but 1 of the tanks and, it’s only on the sand or in my case (in a coral tray) wherever coral isn’t growing.
My main issue is the temperature.

 

[Paul B]

Are you saying if it’s Dino’s to just forget it or if it’s diatoms?

Exactly. Leave it alone and it will settle down eventually as everything we add to remedy these occurrences makes it or something else worse. My tank still gets it and it is very old and healthy

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If it is dinos, I definitely would not leave it alone. Diatoms are not a big deal. Dinos are.

 

[Paul B]

I use a diatom filter for all these things.

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

Keep your nutrients up and lower your light schedule for to run for only about 6 hours total a day. Try to maintain 10n & .1 phos for a few weeks and see how things look