Control of Diatoms

[curator]

My tank is experiencing an overgrowth of diatoms. Will someone please tell me what causes this - and what measures I may take to not only get rid of the problem, but also how to prevent it?

Thanks very much,

John

 

[linda lee]

~ Increase or redirect flow
~ Feed tank less
~ RO water instead of tap
~ Decrease light cycle

 

[ckwatson]

I think Linda covered just about every thing I did when I had that problem

 

[harleyguy]

Add sand sifters, like: sand sifting stars, watchman Goby's, Sea Cucumbers...

 

[sa1sachica]

Yeap! We picked a pink spotted goby last night to help control our diatom issues! Hope it works!

 

[stroid]

Diatoms should not be a consistent issue...usually only happens in the beginning of the cycling stage of a tank. They increase in your tank due to silicates and silicic acids. Many of the things we put into our tanks contain these things. There is always a concern for using sand that is "silicate free" imo I doubt you will find such a thing. Water change and patience is the key to getting rid of diatoms. Take a look at this great article I found

 

[humptrax]

if you have snails, to a certain extent, you need diatoms. it is a large portion of a turbo snail's diet.

 

[sa1sachica]

we had a few mexican turbos but they bulldozed over the coral so we traded them.

Ziad thanks for the TDS meter - we got a reading of 4. that's not too bad right? Let me know where to meet you to return the meter. Thanks again!

 

[stroid]

cookie that is a good reading ideal is 0 but 4 is pretty darn close. From my personal experience snails have not done much for diatoms..granted I didnt have turbos in the tank when I went through a diatom outbreak.

 

[sa1sachica]

the turbos left HUGE messes in the corners, we thought the nassarius snails would mix the sand up but they just graze over the sand like tiny tanks.
RODI water change tonight!

 

[linda lee]

Believe certain angelfish eat diatoms too, but it's hit or miss. And John's tank may not be big enough for an angel. But again, that would just be addressing the symptom and not the cause anyway.

A picture would help also... to make 100% sure these are diatoms and not something else.

 

[FutureInterest]

Having some diatoms is good for your tank imo as its a basic food source for a lot of creatures. Having a lot is an eyesore. Typically, the limiting agent in their growth is silicates. So if you're experiencing an explosion of diatoms you are likely introducing silicates in some manner or form. Usually its from your water source... although it can also be from introduction of new live rock with dead sponges on it or some sort of event that kills your tank's sponges.

As for how do you get rid of em... Patience is the only method that really works well. You can throw in silicate removers but they are ineffective ime. Basically, the best method is to starve them out. Prevent them from getting new silicates and eventually the diatoms will die out as your sponges start to grow and absorb your silicates.