Question ML sodium silicate dosing

[Clown2Fish]

I bought a 500 mL bottle of sodium silicate, Brand N.

What dose would you recommend for a 25-gallon aquarium?
Specifically, how many mL should I dose
I am currently fighting Small Cell Amphidinium

Like how many ML to got 1ppm ?

Thank you?

 

[Beachbilly]

If your trying to create a diatom bloom, forget it. I dosed and never got one. That doesn't mean silicate wouldn't work for dinos tho. I cringe everytime I say or hear the word. Question are dinos in the sand bed or on the rock? I had them both. If rock, raise po4 and run uv get it in the water column and only run carbon if cuc dies. Change floss and other media daily, no water changes till they go away. If in the sand sounds like your on the right track. I would syphon top layer of sand every week into a filter sock and toss it, you can always buy more. Might take a month or so. I used more silicate than recommended, more pods and phytoplankton than I could afford. Believe me I know what your goung through. I think 1 ml for your tank is good for starters and use water from your display for some reason it mixes better. Either rock or sand species, remember no water changes you want detectable po4 .13 (lower after dinos go away) and no3 10-20 up to 25. I sent my water in for icp test about 2 weeks before sand dinos disappeared and my silicate reading was off the charts.

 

[Beachbilly]

Here's what mine looked like I think they were the same as yours

 

[Beachbilly]

BTW I shove the syphon hose into the plastic tube of a turkey baster for a more narrow area to catch them buggers.

 

[Clown2Fish]

If your trying to create a diatom bloom, forget it. I dosed and never got one. That doesn't mean silicate wouldn't work for dinos tho. I cringe everytime I say or hear the word. Question are dinos in the sand bed or on the rock? I had them both. If rock, raise po4 and run uv get it in the water column and only run carbon if cuc dies. Change floss and other media daily, no water changes till they go away. If in the sand sounds like your on the right track. I would syphon top layer of sand every week into a filter sock and toss it, you can always buy more. Might take a month or so. I used more silicate than recommended, more pods and phytoplankton than I could afford. Believe me I know what your goung through. I think 1 ml for your tank is good for starters and use water from your display for some reason it mixes better. Either rock or sand species, remember no water changes you want detectable po4 .13 (lower after dinos go away) and no3 10-20 up to 25. I sent my water in for icp test about 2 weeks before sand dinos disappeared and my silicate reading was off the charts.

Thank you really much for the advice!
I really appreciate it!
How do you know when to stop dosing silicate when they start to disappear?

 

[Beachbilly]

What are your no3 and ph4 now?

 

[Beachbilly]

Secret behind fighting dinos is out competing them.... Just try to syphone them out moderately while keeping tank water in water column without introducing new salt water and raising nutrients. ATO water is Ok. Just no water changes at all. Try to create or increase biome via increasing population of pods and phytoplankton. Do you have any coral or just fish?

 

[Beachbilly]

I dosed silicate ONLY bc I had sand dinos

 

[Beachbilly]

Are dinos in sand or rock?

 

[Clown2Fish]

Are dinos in sand or rock?

They are kinda everywhere glass, sand and rock. But with microscope, the glass and sand start to have more diatoms then dinos.
But rock seem to have more small amphidinium compare to diatoms.

Also I might still be in the ugly stage since my tank is 1 month olds

My nitrate is 10 and Phosphate 0.1

 

[Beachbilly]

Are you running a uv sterilizer? If you can I'd strongly advise. Not only can it help with dinos but algae bloom in water column

 

[slingfox]

They are kinda everywhere glass, sand and rock. But with microscope, the glass and sand start to have more diatoms then dinos.
But rock seem to have more small amphidinium compare to diatoms.

Also I might still be in the ugly stage since my tank is 1 month olds

My nitrate is 10 and Phosphate 0.1

This is a very modest case of the uglies. It can get a lot worse!

That said, it makes sense to keep on top of maintenance. In addition to using UV (probably one of the most important tools to battle Dino’s), siphoning out the sand and rocks, and dosing silicates, you should look into dosing a high quality bacteria blend—specifically Microbe Lift Special Blend. All this is gears towards reducing the Dino pollination while increasing the population of microbes which compete against Dino’s.

 

[Clown2Fish]

Are you running a uv sterilizer? If you can I'd strongly advise. Not only can it help with dinos but algae bloom in water column

No I wasn’t using one. But I’ll put on right now