Ugly stage or bad water?

[SolarReefer]

Hello! This is my first post and my first reef tank. my tank is 2-3 months old and I have diatoms all over the tank sand. When I siphoned it during my last WC, it came right back. Most likely it’s just the ugly phase however I’m wondering if there’s any possibility it could be my water. The water to my house is fed from a well that’s only 20-30 feet deep and tested 700+ TDS out of the faucet last time I tested it. My tank water is ran through a 7 stage RODI filter and comes out 0 TDS. Is there anything else in the water I should be testing for so I know it’s safe and not affecting my tank? I can attach photos if necessary buts it’d be just your basic brown sand picture.

 

[Subsea]

Welcome to r2r and to Reefing community.

It would help if you gave more background information.. like I started with dry sand & dry rock and added bacteria from a bottle. A full tank shot picture under white light would also help us help you. Include present live stock in tank. What are nitrate & phosphate?

Diatoms are a normal ugly phase, once they use up iodine, their numbers will decrease

PS. My well water comes from an ancient inland sea that was full of diatoms, so when they died, iodine is included in 950 TDS from 1000’ deep water well in Trinity Aquifie. Well water goes strait into my tank. 75G display set up for 25 years.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Welcome to the forum!
This is likely the ugly phase, but post your nitrate and phosphate levels to make sure nothing is too high.

 

[Dave1993]

probs just caused by new sand i had it in my 90 look at it all over the sand i don't have them now

 

[SolarReefer]

Welcome to r2r and to Reefing community.

It would help if you gave more background information.. like I started with dry sand & dry rock and added bacteria from a bottle. A full tank shot picture under white light would also help us help you. Include present live stock in tank. What are nitrate & phosphate?

Diatoms are a normal ugly phase, once they use up iodine, their numbers will decrease

PS. My well water comes from an ancient inland sea that was full of diatoms, so when they died, iodine is included in 950 TDS from 1000’ deep water well in Trinity Aquifie. Well water goes strait into my tank. 75G display set up for 25 years.

I started with Caribsea life rock dry, live sand and a bottle of mircrobacter 7. Just added an icecap nano skimmer. I have the Red Sea test kit, nitrate goes up to 50 ppm on those test kits. When i took the test the results immediately came back 50+. Phosphate was 0 according to my Hanna phosphate checker. That makes me feel a bit better about my water however I’m just worried that since it’s a shallow well, is there more pollutants/fertilizers/chemicals in the water that the RODI filter isn’t capable of filtering out. Thank you for helping me out and responding to this thread, I don’t personally know anybody that can answer these questions for me.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Those nitrates are likely fueling the algae - reduce that and the algae should go away.

 

[SolarReefer]

My nitrates are very high. They surpass the max 50ppm that is read on the Red Sea test kit. I just installed a nano skimmer. Any recommendations on naturally lowering nitrates? Thank you everyone for the replies.

 

[Troylee]

My nitrates are very high. They surpass the max 50ppm that is read on the Red Sea test kit. I just installed a nano skimmer. Any recommendations on naturally lowering nitrates? Thank you everyone for the replies.

Water changes, carbon dosing, growing chateo in the sump etc.

 

[dstockwell]

Welcome to the Reef

 

[damsels are not mean]

Hello! This is my first post and my first reef tank. my tank is 2-3 months old and I have diatoms all over the tank sand. When I siphoned it during my last WC, it came right back. Most likely it’s just the ugly phase however I’m wondering if there’s any possibility it could be my water. The water to my house is fed from a well that’s only 20-30 feet deep and tested 700+ TDS out of the faucet last time I tested it. My tank water is ran through a 7 stage RODI filter and comes out 0 TDS. Is there anything else in the water I should be testing for so I know it’s safe and not affecting my tank? I can attach photos if necessary buts it’d be just your basic brown sand picture.

If you put bare rocks underwater with light you will get algae. You're not doing anything wrong. It's ugly phase.

 

[Subsea]

Get your well water tested. I use a regional agriculture lab

Water Analysis - Ward Laboratories, Inc.

www.wardlab.com

W-5. Household Complete Mineral Test​

We offer a package that includes the cost of this test, plus a convenient testing kit that includes shipping labels and packaging.

Bicarbonate, Calcium, Carbonate, Chloride, Fluoride, Iron, Magnesium, Nitrate, Potassium, Sodium, Sulfate, Total Hardness (CaCO3), Total Alkalinity (CaCO3), Electrical Conductivity, pH, Est. Total Dissolved Solids, Cation/Anion Balance

$30.00 USD
(sample analysis only)

PS: Your water well is very shallow. Do you drink this water? If your concerned about agriculture or industrial pollutants, talk with lab manager at Ward Lab and ask for specific individual test.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

My nitrates are very high. They surpass the max 50ppm that is read on the Red Sea test kit. I just installed a nano skimmer. Any recommendations on naturally lowering nitrates? Thank you everyone for the replies.

Water changes

 

[Subsea]

You might consider using granulated activated carbon media to help with any DOC (dissolved organic carbon) compounds that may be in your well water. Ward Lab has more individual water test

INDIVIDUAL WATER ANALYSIS​

ALUMINUM

$7.00

AMMONIUM

$7.00

BORON

$7.00

CALCIUM AND MAGNESIUM (HARDNESS)

$7.00

CARBONATE / BICARBONATE

$8.00

CHLORIDE

$7.00

COPPER

$7.00

FECAL BACTERIA

$20.00

FLUORIDE

$7.00

IRON

$7.00

IRON RELATED BACTERIA

$19.25

MANGANESE

$7.00

MOLYBDENUM

$7.00

NITRITE

$7.00

ORTHO PHOSPHORUS

$7.00

POTASSIUM

$7.00

SILICA

$7.00

SODIUM

$7.00

SULFUR

$7.00

TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS (GRAVIMETRIC)

$10.00

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON

$8.00

TOTAL NITROGEN

$8.00

TOTAL PHOSPHORUS

$7.00

TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS

$10.00

ZINC

$7.00

Heavy Metals​

ARSENIC

$20.00

CADMIUM

$20.00

CHROMIUM

$20.00

COBALT

$20.00

LEAD

$20.00

NICKEL

$20.00

SELENIUM

$20.00

 

[Sharkbait19]

As said, water changes are the best method for nitrate reduction…unless its coming out of the tap that high (it shouldn’t be).

 

[Subsea]

To reduce nitrate naturally, add Chaetomorphy & light. The Chaeto will absorb nitrogen & phosphorus in ratio of 32:1. Make sure you have some phosphate in your system, otherwise Chaeto will not grow. As Chaetomorphy grows, it will absorb major & minor nutrients, In my larger systems, I use ChaetoGrow to make up trace minerals.

Partial water changes will reduce nitrates and make up trace minerals..

 

[SolarReefer]

Thank you all so much you have been incredibly helpful. One more question, I am getting a media basket tomorrow. What would you guys recommend to put inside?