Diatoms: When do they go away?

[Breakthecycle2]

Is there any light in your sump? They are a type of algae which feed mostly from silica if I remember correctly and from my personal experience they don't show in a cycle until light it added.

There is a light in my sump. I also set up a QT tank back in February and I never once got Diatoms in there either. Is it possible that there were silicates in the trash can I bought and used to store the RO?

 

[Breakthecycle2]

If it is diatoms in the first picture, would it be normal for them to show up now that the tank is 2 years old?

It is if you haven't changed your RO filters,

Out of curiosity, what kind of sand did you use?

 

[jdpeters]

a young tank in my experience will go through various stages of algae. just give it time, keep up on your water changes. PATIENCE

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Would silicates be in a new trash can I bought to mix water?

 

[FL_Reefer]

Would silicates be in a new trash can I bought to mix water?

Water only in my experience, you will see pineapple sponges if they are present, they love them

 

[Breakthecycle2]

No, I meant in the plastic material used and when I store the water in there, could the water absorb it?

 

[nexenn]

It can be if you added anything new like live rock or sand or if you're getting some silicates in your RODI water. Have you tested your RODI TDS?

 

[Breakthecycle2]

I just bought a brand new RO/DI unit. My old one was only RO. They disappear at night and then come back in the morning.

 

[FL_Reefer]

No, I meant in the plastic material used and when I store the water in there, could the water absorb it?

I don't think so.

 

[JUSTINSREEF]

I just bought a brand new RO/DI unit. My old one was only RO. They disappear at night and then come back in the morning.

Mines doing the same thing but I noticed my emerald crab ate one of my snails and took it under a rock the next day i could see brown reddish algae on the sand. You can start to see it when the lights come on and starts to go away when lights go out.

 

[nexenn]

Diatoms do that. You could try lights out and no food for a few days but youre getting extra nutrients from somewhere

 

[Reefing Madness]

Yea, if you've changed lighting recently. they usually rear their ugly head for a few weeks and disappear again.

 

[JUSTINSREEF]

Yea, if you've changed lighting recently. they usually rear their ugly head for a few weeks and disappear again.

.

I just put new led lights on mine.

 

[Reefing Madness]

There ya go. They will go away just like they did in a new tank, just takes alittle time.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Well, I don't know what to think know. I have these tentacle looking things coming out of them in spots on the sand bed now. If it's dino's, how could that be in a new tank?

 

[Reefing Madness]

Dinos would show strands of snot going up, with air bubbles in them. Can you post up a pic?

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Yup, thats what they look like. I started another thread

 

[Reefing Madness]

Holy crap!!

 

[Breakthecycle2]

what the heck do I do?