New Tank Different Diatom Behavior

[tpirovol]

Hi Everyone,

I setup a Fluval 13.5 for my son and it has been about 1 month so far. I am seeing something really odd with his diatom bloom. His sand will go from little spots of brown during the day to pretty covered by the time the lights turn off. Then during the night the CC crew clean it up but it also seems to just mostly disappear. Every night his filter floss will be brown and I will swap It out.

It acts like diatom in that I can just blow it off the rock and sand.

Is this normal diatom behaviour or something else? I took a sample from the floss but didnt really see anything to interesting. He has a UV sterilizer from another tank I just haven't setup yet that we could use.

Thoughts?

edit with photos

 

[Danroo]

Seems like Dino’s, does the tank has 0 nitrates and phosphates?

 

[tpirovol]

Ok here is from the nastiest part of the spong

 

[X-37B]

Dinos. What is your no3 po4 levels.

 

[tpirovol]

Nitrate was either 0 or .50, and phosphate looks like 0 or .03

 

[X-37B]

Get no3 above 1 and po4 above .05 <.1.
Keep levels above 0 and dont let them bottom out.
Feed your fish more.

 

[tpirovol]

Ok so 3x times a day type of thing from 1?? Also pellets or frozen?
I have a UV??

 

[tpirovol]

So I got a Hanna tester and I have .03ppm and 5-10ppm nitrate with not changing anything so I don’t think I was zero