Diatoms: When do they go away?

Breakthecycle2 · May 16, 2015

FL_Reefer said:
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 · May 16, 2015

Mgoc said:
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 · May 16, 2015

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 · May 19, 2015

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

FL_Reefer · May 20, 2015

Breakthecycle2 said:
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 · May 20, 2015

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

nexenn · May 20, 2015

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 · May 20, 2015

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 · May 20, 2015

Breakthecycle2 said:
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 · May 20, 2015

Breakthecycle2 said:
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 · May 20, 2015

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

Reefing Madness · May 21, 2015

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

JUSTINSREEF · May 21, 2015

Reefing Madness said:
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 · May 22, 2015

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

Breakthecycle2 · Jun 2, 2015

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?