Instant Ocean

[joshwaggs]

Does anyone use Instant Ocean salt? If you do, do you have problems with diatoms?

 

[redfishbluefish]

It is the number one salt. I've been using it for years without issues. Your diatoms are not because of the salt you are using.

 

[joshwaggs]

It is the number one salt. I've been using it for years without issues. Your diatoms are not because of the salt you are using.

If it is silicate, then I don’t know where it’s coming from.
If it isn’t the salt the only thing left is an unbalance in phosphate to nitrate. I don’t think that is the problem though (my phosphate test has been expired for a while, so I haven’t checked it.
Nitrates are too low right now, so that might be it. I have been feeding more to get them up, but the diatoms just keep diatoming.

 

[Flippers4pups]

If it is silicate, then I don’t know where it’s coming from.
If it isn’t the salt the only thing left is an unbalance in phosphate to nitrate. I don’t think that is the problem though (my phosphate test has been expired for a while, so I haven’t checked it.
Nitrates are too low right now, so that might be it. I have been feeding more to get them up, but the diatoms just keep diatoming.

What's your source water?

 

[joshwaggs]

4 Stage ro/di. New filters and membrane.

 

[KyleC.]

I’ve used IO RC since the beginning 3yrs +, and have never had any issues.

Source water & quality, and tank age?

 

[joshwaggs]

I used Instant Ocean for 3 years, then tried reef crystals until I read an article that showed it actually had less trace elements than regular instant ocean. Then switched back.

Water is ro/di,
PH is 8.4
Nitrate is less than .5
Temp is 78
Salinity is 35
Tank is 13.5 nano and only 3 months old. Diatoms came with cycle and temporarily went away.

 

[Rick.45cal]

It’s a young tank, was the rock dry rock when you started the tank? There’s probably leftover food sources in/on the rock from before it got dried. You won’t know if your source water has Silicate in it unless you test for it. Sometimes it slips by DI resins. If it is sneaking passed your DI you can get a “silica buster” cartridge from spectrapure and that will take care of it.

Your Nitrate level is pretty low, likely your phosphates as well. (Won’t know until you test though, and you shouldn’t assume). Generally when nutrients drop to low levels some of the more primeval singular cellular organism really thrive so their population explodes.

I’ve used Instant Ocean for at least 3 decades and have never had an issue with it causing anything but happy corals . I’d start with testing your DI water with a silicate test kit.

 

[Flippers4pups]

IO here as well for a couple decades with nothing but great results.

 

[joshwaggs]

Good info. Thanks. I didn’t know there was stuff to get rid of silicates, or even test for it.
The rock is definitely something to think about. I used liferock (not sure it that is the name of it), which is the man made rock that comes purpled. I also use a couple pieces of reef saver rock.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

The diatoms will use up the easily available silicate and eventually pass.
If the problem persists , you may need an additional DI stage. Silicate can pass through them sometimes. It’s the di stage that removes it.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

unbalance in phosphate to nitrate. I

This is not true of any problem alge or cyano etc.

 

[acro-ed]

I use I/O and have no diatom issues.

 

[joshwaggs]

This is not true of any problem alge or cyano etc.

I read a study about the ratio and its affect on algae and cyano. It was pretty in depth. If I can find it, Ill link it.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I read a study about the ratio and its affect on algae and cyano. It was pretty in depth. If I can find it, Ill link it.

Ok. It’s been proven false time and time again here by the experts and scientists, But I’ll read it.

 

[joshwaggs]

Ok. It’s been proven false time and time again here by the experts and scientists, But I’ll read it.

I cant find the one I read, but its basis was the Redfield ratio, which, as far as I (and google) found, it hasnt been disproven.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I read a study about the ratio and its affect on algae and cyano. It was pretty in depth. If I can find it, Ill link it.

Another thing to think about as well is , cyano dinos and few other algaes. And such , don’t derive their phosphate , nor carbon from from the organic Po4 and co2 , they use inorganic phosphates and inorganic carbons from Rock and sand. A few rooting algaes donthe same.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I cant find the one I read, but its basis was the Redfield ratio, which, as far as I (and google) found, it hasnt been disproven.

Redfield is uptake of a specific plank tonic alge. Many are quite similar but , read the above post.
Def read the original redfield study and the annotated white papers that follow it.

Diatoms are not an algae or bacteria btw.

 

[joshwaggs]

Another thing to think about as well is , cyano dinos and few other algaes. And such , don’t derive their phosphate , nor carbon from from the organic Po4 and co2 , they use inorganic phosphates and inorganic carbons from Rock and sand. A few rooting algaes donthe same.

Thats what I didnt get. If it were the rocks, and the diatoms came and went, wouldnt that mean the po4 was leeched and gone? Instead, they came back in numbers.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Thats what I didnt get. If it were the rocks, and the diatoms came and went, wouldnt that mean the po4 was leeched and gone? Instead, they came back in numbers.

Phosphate comes in several forms. Organic and inorganic. (We test for organic) Although they may use some of one or the the other as well as nitrate (I feel the are primarily driven by this and Ammonia), the need silicate to build thier skeletons. Thus, when they appear it’s generally due to silicates.
https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/1/aafeature1


https://www.jstor.org/stable/1538545?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents