Ideas/Help to fight some diatoms

Nemoreef

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Newly setup tank but used cycled dry rock. It's been cycled for 3 week now. Starting to see diatoms. I am trying to get through this without any chemicals or additives. So my only way is to starve them of silicate. But I am noticing that my Nitrate is also bottoming out[around 2PPM]. I do not have a phosphate checker yet. I will get it this weekend.

Here is what I tried so far.
Added a refugium with Chaeto. It's growing ok but the chamber walls are filled with diatom. Chaeto is doing ok. Added copepods and I also dose phyto. Pods are thriving. I have 2 Turbo snails Cerith and Nassariud and they do cleanup but not enough. No fish but I am feeding heavy to keep nitrates up. I tried the lights out method for 2 days but it is dropping PH to 7.8 during the day and I also realized that this will just prolong the algae since it is not using up any silicate. Is there any other ideas? Any other methods to lower silicate? I am assuming water change is not an option since the Nitrate is really low. Skimmer is off. Removed socks too. Other concern is Dino if Nitrate goes to 0
 

lapin

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Diatoms will be one of the first things to grow. In a week or 2 they will be gone and green things will start to grow. I would not do anthing. Its all part of the cycle of a living tank. Just keep feeding your critters.
 
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Nemoreef

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Diatoms will be one of the first things to grow. In a week or 2 they will be gone and green things will start to grow. I would not do anthing. Its all part of the cycle of a living tank. Just keep feeding your critters.
My concern is that if I bottom out Nitrates, it might lead to Cyano or Dino? What can I do to prevent that?
 

BetterJake

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Typically Dinos are from 0 Nitrate and 0 Phosphate

Diatoms are in all new tanks that use dry rock. Just wait it out, nothing to do and a good sign of a maturing tank. That being said, make sure you are using 0 TDS top off water and 0 TDS water for water changes. If not that can introduce more silicates and prolong the Diatoms
 
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Nemoreef

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Typically Dinos are from 0 Nitrate and 0 Phosphate

Diatoms are in all new tanks that use dry rock. Just wait it out, nothing to do and a good sign of a maturing tank. That being said, make sure you are using 0 TDS top off water and 0 TDS water for water changes. If not that can introduce more silicates and prolong the Diatoms
Yes I am using RODI water and Neomarine salt which is not supposed to have any silicate in it.
Dino is my worry as I am unable to keep Nitrate up.
Also I was just curious. If I do not do water change and the Diatoms use up all the silicate, how do I export that? Won't that silicate stay in the system and cause issues later on?
 

BetterJake

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Yes I am using RODI water and Neomarine salt which is not supposed to have any silicate in it.
Dino is my worry as I am unable to keep Nitrate up.
Also I was just curious. If I do not do water change and the Diatoms use up all the silicate, how do I export that? Won't that silicate stay in the system and cause issues later on?
Nope, the diatoms consume the silicate. That's how they grow :)

Once the diatoms use up all the silicate in the tank they will have nothing else to eat and they die out. So it really does solve itself
 

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