Diatoms(Brown Dust Algae)

ThomasAllen

ThomasAllen

AC Members
Jan 23, 2016
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Louisiana
Real Name
Thomas Allen
I'm having lots of trouble with diatoms. It's a 55 Gallon with 2 20-40 gallon marineland hob filters, marineland led bar on a timer, 8 hrs of light daily. Seachem flourite substract, dwarf sag and dwarf hairgrass only plants I have and growing fast. There is plenty of water circulation, no still water spots. Only have 2 mollies. Tank has been running for 3 months now. Diatoms came turned the water a nasty brown color, added nirate snails and brushed everything clean immediately afterwards did a 50% water change and 2 days later it started to come back again, same process and and same results but this time it is a lot worse. Can someone please explain what am I doing wrong and how do I get rid of it for good. I have a lot of experience with aquariums around 10 yrs of having aquariums and never had this problem.
 
Wait it out. Diatom outbreaks usually resolve on their own in short time. You could try some GFO in the filter to expedite the silicate removal process from the water column itself, but I wouldn't use it permanently since you have live plants that require Po4.
 
I'll try waiting and see how it goes, I'm concerned that it comes back again. I had it clear for 2 days and it started showing up again. Nitrate snails is doing a great job removing it. Very big noticeable change since last night.
 
I see you only have 2 mollies in this 55g, but what are your water parameter readings in ppm for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?
 
Ammonia is 0ppm, nitrite is 0ppm,.Nitrate is 20ppm. When I cycled the tank all the decor and filters was ran in my other tank for a month and put into the 55gal without being rinsed. The mollies are only 2 weeks old. Took them cause thier parents killed all the other fry. I want to put 6 black kuhli loaches but afraid of them digging up the plants, never had kuhli before so I only know as much as what people say and everyone says something different
 
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Sounds good. I gear my weekly water changes such that my nitrate doesn't go beyond 20ppm. It's tough to differentiate 5, 10, 20 from the API kit anyway.. Main thing is it's never red or reddish on the test tube. Like said, if it's indeed diatoms, it should go away. What type of LED light bar do you have? Is it intended for plants? (proper "K" range, etc.)
 
I use tetra test strips and I have an app on my phone to read the colors with the camera and it tells me the ppm. it is a marineland 21 inches, 6500K white and 460nm blue leds. I have a longer one put up in storage but when I used the longer light when I first originally got the aquarium the plants didn't do so well, switched to the 21 inch one and they do excellent.
 
Interesting! Is this a 4ft 55g tank?
 
Yes, with the big light the plants will only grow up. Once it grows tall to a certain height it stops and just produces new leaves. With the small light it does the same but it grows runners but with the big light it will not produce runners.
 
I have the same problem. I got some nerrite snails and ottos's. The otto's are truly amazing. My plants are clear, still get brown om my filter intakes.
I also have seachams flourite for substrate.
I had the once before when I was using pool filter sand. I changed the substrate to moon sand and the brown disappeared. I think it substrate related just my 2 cents.
Before the otto's

DSCN0034.JPG
 
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