Diatom Problems

[lebloom]

These guys won't go away. My 75gal FOWLR tank has been hit with these guys and I don't know what to do. I change 10 gals every week about. Now they're changing in color, to a reddish black. Is the coraline taking them over? I have had this setup for over 3 years and this problem has been this bad. The diatoms always came and went but now they won't go. What should I do to stop this? :help:





1 Yellow Tang
1 Coral Beauty Angel
1 Yellowtail Damsel
3 Common Clownfish
120# LS
100# LR

[YoFishboy]

Diatoms/cyanobacteria feed off phosphates and Nitrates in the tank. Your tank, as it matures, is increasing the amount of dissolved organic materials in it. Are you using any filtration other than the live rock? There are a fair amount of fish in there - test your nitrates/phosphates. Since it is a fish only tank, do larger (25% or more) water changes. What kind of water are you using for changes? Most tap water is loaded with phosphates. You should use R/O water. The wrong lighting can also affect red slime growth as well. Here is a good article to start with - http://netclub.athiel.com/cyano/cyanos2.htm - I have had problems with brown and red slime in the past with my reef tank - hang tough, keep up with the water changes - you can get ahead of it! There are also products - resins, chemicals, etc. to help out, but begin with the water changes first and see if it works. Good luck!

[lebloom]

I do use R/O water and only R/O in my tank. I did use tap water at first but then I was having other poblems so I decided to go all R/O. I am using a skimmer also and my filter is strictly for water movement no filter media used. Thats about it other than 2 powerheads. My lighting is a PC 2 65W bulbs. I would like to upgrade to higher power but money is a little problem.

[lebloom]

My substrates is still pretty poor looking even after I changed 15 gal. I plan to do it again now but that red slime is something I never had problems with till just lately, why? I have been using total R/O water when I do my changes. I use a skimmer. Could it be my lighting? Its a PC with 2 65W bulbs. I only feed once a day. I did notice my filter was really getting filled up with something and I just cleaned it out last night. I don't and filter media so its only for movement.

[MarkLehr]

Another extremely helpful tip here on the topic. It is very important that you clean your filter pads on a daily basis when fighting any types of algae outbreaks. This means your prefilter in the sump, filter pad inside a canister filter, filter pad in a hang on filter, and sponge prefilters on powerheads.

The reason is to control phosphate buildup. The explanation is a longer topic. Just be aware that cleaning filter pads will help keep phosphates low. In fact, I have seen several cases of cyno being eliminated when the only change in routine was a daily filter pad cleaning.

[lebloom]

I use no filters. I quit using a filter when I changed my tank into a reef setup. All I have running is a skimmer, 2 powerheads and a filter with no media in it at all. I have up'd the amount of water I have been changing to about 25% from 10 gal to 15 in my 75 gal tank.

[lebloom]

I really need some help here with this one. This cyno problem just won't go away and I have up'd my water changes to over 25%. Would it help just to remove the LS in the areas where this is bad or not? I think I have compounded my problem by cleaning out my filter and skimmer and when I started them back up they spit out debri.

[YoFishboy]

Hey lebloom..sorry you're still having troubles - what are your water test readings? Nitrates? Phosphates? Give us your overall water parameters,along with any other information that you haven't mentioned yet, and maybe that will offer more clues...one thing I noticed...you only have 2 power heads..its a little harder for algae to take hold with lots of water movement...I have 3 power heads and a media free Aquaclear 300 providing flow in my 25g mini-reef tank. Just a thought...

[FloridaBoy]

Yes, well this illustrates the pitfalls of the more recent trend of removing all filter material from our systems doesn't it? On the one hand, we are no longer trapping debris/detritus, but on the other hand, where is it all going?
The skimmer is not getting it all/not doing its job or getting overwhelmed... is it removing a cupful of coffee colored waste every 24-48 hours? If not then it's not working! Tune it or replace it. Your skimmer is the heart of your system it must be efficient at all times. Also it sounds like you have a lot of suspended waste material in your system and it needs to be removed. You may need to use a filter pad for a while to do this. The cyanos are feeding on phosphates and organics; so cut down on both. Try a phosphate sponge. What is current bio load? As usual, I suspect the problem lies in a stagnating substrate, slow water movement and inefficient skimming, please describe substrate.

[lebloom]

No, there no cup of waste in my Aqua C skimmer every 24 hrs.