Diatoms in new tank? And cleanup crew recommendations please...

[Dave-T]

I have a tank that's just coming out of its cycle, it's been about a month since it had water in it. I have some brown algae growing in the tank, on the rocks and sand. It first started in the sump in the fuge section, because I had the fuge light on, even though I don't have any chaeto yet. (I later turned off that light).

So would this be diatoms? I've read that diatoms grow from silicates from tap water, but all the water in my tank came through my 7 stage RODI system.

I'm looking for ways to minimize the diatoms or whatever it is, along with any future nuisance algae. I know the ugly phase is normal, but my wife is already grumbling about this pretty light dusting of diatoms and I know the ugly phase can get a lot worse!

I do have a skimmer and UV sterilizer, both turned off at the moment while I was cycling. I have some GFO I could add. I also have an algae scrubber, that I turned on when the diatoms started.

The tank has a 2 inch sand bottom (Fiji pink live sand). My scape is Marco (dry) rock.

And I could use advise about cleanup crew, both for this purpose, and to have in the future. Caveat - I'm not crazy about having bristleworms in the tank, but could be talked into it, I guess...

Thanks!

- Dave

 

[ABQ_CHRIS]

Hey Dave. I am newly returned to the hobby and no expert.

Pictures and parameters will help the community to give you sound advice. I expect some of the community to say, "Go slow, give it time, and avoid trying any quick fixes."

Check out this thread for information on clean up crew members: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/choosing-cleanup-crew-critters.258695/

 

[WWC]

Hello Dave,

Yes if you can posy some photos that will be fantastic. That is still normal in a tank so young.

 

[wtdenk]

Trochus snails were fantastic for my diatom bloom after cycle. You should start preparing your wife for much more difficult algae battles in the future. Managing expectations is the key to life.

 

[Dave-T]

Here are some pictures:

 

[WheatToast]

Trochus snails were fantastic for my diatom bloom after cycle. You should start preparing your wife for much more difficult algae battles in the future. Managing expectations is the key to life.

+1
As for the sandbed, try conchs. They are good sand sifters (though a group of Nassarius snails, which are not algae eaters, could better churn a large area of sand as they can be stocked more heavily) and look hilarious when grazing on algae with their elongated proboscises.

 

[Dave-T]

I think I’ll start with some banded trochus snails. Any suggestions for how many, for a 240 gallon tank, 400 gallon system total?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Patience is the key. Avoid the urge to add any chemicals to "manage" the normal algae cycle (which for a tank started with dry rock can last 6-18 months on and off...).
It's during the early life of your tank that the different bacteria, archea, algaes, etc, compete for nutrients and find a balance. Unnecessarily disturbing this process by trying to speed it up or eliminate certain things will only make it harder for your tank to fully mature.
This means you will have algae; and most of it will be unattractive. But you'll also start to see coraline algae growing, which will eventually take up the real estate used by other, nuisance, algae. Before you know it, the "uglies" will recede and you'll be on your way to a well-developed microbiome

You can always manually remove any algae, and a good cuc is a big part of managing this stage. The thing you don't want to do is chemically unbalance the system in such a way that the "new" balance is unsustainable. Water changes, adequate cuc, and regular maintenance of your filters, skimmer, etc are what will build stability long term.

Good luck

 

[Dan_P]

I have a tank that's just coming out of its cycle, it's been about a month since it had water in it. I have some brown algae growing in the tank, on the rocks and sand. It first started in the sump in the fuge section, because I had the fuge light on, even though I don't have any chaeto yet. (I later turned off that light).

So would this be diatoms? I've read that diatoms grow from silicates from tap water, but all the water in my tank came through my 7 stage RODI system.

I'm looking for ways to minimize the diatoms or whatever it is, along with any future nuisance algae. I know the ugly phase is normal, but my wife is already grumbling about this pretty light dusting of diatoms and I know the ugly phase can get a lot worse!

I do have a skimmer and UV sterilizer, both turned off at the moment while I was cycling. I have some GFO I could add. I also have an algae scrubber, that I turned on when the diatoms started.

The tank has a 2 inch sand bottom (Fiji pink live sand). My scape is Marco (dry) rock.

And I could use advise about cleanup crew, both for this purpose, and to have in the future. Caveat - I'm not crazy about having bristleworms in the tank, but could be talked into it, I guess...

Thanks!

- Dave

How did you cycle the system? I presume nothing has been added to the tank.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

This is an excellent source. The opening section is a nice introduction. Then, since your tank is already up and running, you'll need to scroll a bit to get to Section 5. That's where the different cycles are discussed.

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

This article was sponsored by @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com. Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean, but it is no...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Dave-T]

How did you cycle the system? I presume nothing has been added to the tank.

I added some ammonia (“Fritz fishless fuel”), and some bacteria in a bottle.

 

[Dan_P]

I added some ammonia (“Fritz fishless fuel”), and some bacteria in a bottle.

OK thanks.

And no living creatures added to the tank yet? Wondering why there would be diatoms.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

OK thanks.

And no living creatures added to the tank yet? Wondering why there would be diatoms.

Diatoms will start showing up in a cycled tank once the lights are on

 

[WWC]

One turbo snail per 1-2 gallons & one hermit crab per 5-10 gallons will help keep your tank algae free. You may want to look for more non-aggressive hermit crab species (Clibanarius tricolor, Calcinus elegans) and hardier snail species that are more capable of flipping themselves A few Mexican turbo snails and Conchs can also be good additions to the reef aquarium. Keep in mind hermit crabs can eat your snails for their shells so it's best to have much more snails than hermits or provide the crabs with empty shells.

-Keith

 

[Dan_P]

Diatoms will start showing up in a cycled tank once the lights are on

Where do they come from?

 

[WheatToast]

Where do they come from?

Off topic, but here is what I am thinking:
Old equipment can certainly be a cause. I am not an expert on phytoplankton, but maybe they could also travel by air? Mist from the aquarium store or spores of “terrestrial” diatoms might be viable, but this is all my speculation. For example, I have rain buckets that annually turn a shade of bright pink due to Cyanobacteria that I suspect rode in from the air.

 

[Lavey29]

You sure have a lot of windows near the tank. How much natural light is hitting the tank?

 

[Dan_P]

Off topic, but here is what I am thinking:
Old equipment can certainly be a cause. I am not an expert on phytoplankton, but maybe they could also travel by air? Mist from the aquarium store or spores of “terrestrial” diatoms might be viable, but this is all my speculation. For example, I have rain buckets that annually turn a shade of bright pink due to Cyanobacteria that I suspect rode in from the air.

I see your thought process. I assumed the OP was starting with new, clean equipment and dry sand and rock. My second assumption is that diatoms do not make spores. I guess that I need to learn more about diatoms.

 

[Dan_P]

Off topic, but here is what I am thinking:
Old equipment can certainly be a cause. I am not an expert on phytoplankton, but maybe they could also travel by air? Mist from the aquarium store or spores of “terrestrial” diatoms might be viable, but this is all my speculation. For example, I have rain buckets that annually turn a shade of bright pink due to Cyanobacteria that I suspect rode in from the air.

You got it in one

https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.891.2061&rep=rep1&type=pdf

 

[WheatToast]

My second assumption is that diatoms do not make spores. I guess that I need to learn more about diatoms.

I just typed up “spores” in my previous post without really thinking about it. I just searched it up and looking at this page: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resting_spore, I guess they can turn themselves into “spores” but once again, I am mostly unfamiliar with the specifics of diatom ecology.

Edit: You beat it to me in your latest post!