I hope I remember how to do this

Miami Reef · Sep 17, 2023

I really don’t think it’s the sodium hydroxide to blame.

Diatoms need silica to grow/flourish. I dose A LOT of silica and use sodium hydroxide for my alkalinity. I don’t even have diatom issues in my tank, lol.

I have diatoms on the back glass, powerheads, and front glass, but my rocks and bottom are clean.

Anyway, they have like 100% pure sodium hydroxide. I’m a big fan of sodium hydroxide.

Check your RO/DI water. Silicate is one of the hardest chemicals to remove from DI, and it’s one of the first to leach out once the DI is exhausted.

Ps, diatoms benefit a tank as long as they aren’t growing over corals or being too much of an eye-sore. They are genuinely beneficial for many types of organisms.

Here’s the sodium hydroxide I use for my 260-gallon tank. I test my silica regularly, and if I don’t dose it, it will drop to 0ppm

Sodium Hydroxide - Pure - Food Grade (Caustic Soda, Lye) (2 Pound Jar) https://a.co/d/eMtsQmX

cmaxwell39 · Sep 17, 2023

DI has recently been changed on schedule and RO always tests 0ppm. Not saying it can't be from another source, but this is the most logical thing since it is what has changed recently and everything had been stable for months before this change.

I got a different NaOH than the one you linked, so it is very possible that the one I got has silicates as a contaminant. I am not 100% sure, but it is my best guess right now. Will go back to last known point of stability and see if it corrects. Then I can re-evaluate how to move forward.

I appreciate the thoughts. How goes the battle against AEFW by the way?

Miami Reef · Sep 17, 2023

cmaxwell39 said:
DI has recently been changed on schedule and RO always tests 0ppm. Not saying it can't be from another source, but this is the most logical thing since it is what has changed recently and everything had been stable for months before this change.

I got a different NaOH than the one you linked, so it is very possible that the one I got has silicates as a contaminant. I am not 100% sure, but it is my best guess right now. Will go back to last known point of stability and see if it corrects. Then I can re-evaluate how to move forward.

I appreciate the thoughts. How goes the battle against AEFW by the way?

What’s the purity of the sodium hydroxide you chose?

The battle with AEFW is almost over. The acros in QT are clean and free from the flatworms.

I have 2 weeks left until I can add back my acropora.

cmaxwell39 · Sep 17, 2023

Awesome to hear on the flatworm battle. Hope you can move past it and enjoy acros in the tank again. I am working through your build thread right now.

It was labeled as 99% pure I believe. And if was labeled as good grade do I thought I would be good.

Time will tell if this is where the problem came from or not.

Miami Reef · Sep 17, 2023

cmaxwell39 said:
Awesome to hear on the flatworm battle. Hope you can move past it and enjoy acros in the tank again. I am working through your build thread right now.

It was labeled as 99% pure I believe. And if was labeled as good grade do I thought I would be good.

Time will tell if this is where the problem came from or not.

lol

Don’t worry about working through my build thread. Most if it is chatter. I was thinking of starting a new one when the acropora are back in and just documenting the tank.