This is Diatoms - correct?

RaymondL

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 3, 2022
Messages
861
Reaction score
335
Location
Miami
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi everyone: still new at all of this and turning here for help.

At night when the lights go out, and in the morning all the brown pictured here is nowhere to be seen. When the lights come on and ramp up in PAR, the substance reappears like magic. is this how diatoms behave? Originally, I thought I saw red/purple and thought Cyano, but I don't see any filming on the substrate.

I'm assuming this is a behavior of diatoms, and please have a look at the pictures below. My Nitrates is 7.9ppm, and Phosphates is 0.03ppm - tank is just 10 months old.

20240414_171639_resized.jpg 20240414_171731(0)_resized.jpg
 
Last edited:

Lavey29

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 29, 2021
Messages
13,117
Reaction score
14,356
Location
United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
OP
OP
R

RaymondL

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 3, 2022
Messages
861
Reaction score
335
Location
Miami
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Looks to thick for diatoms and at 10 months a tank typically doesn't get diatoms unless you have abundant silicate. .03 phosphate may actually be 0 phosphate with test error ratio and bottomed out nutrients cause issues. Dinos disappear at night also.

Thanks - I forgot I have a microsope! I don't see any bubbles like formations at all unless it's not necessary to have which is an indication of Dinos
 

Lavey29

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 29, 2021
Messages
13,117
Reaction score
14,356
Location
United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks - I forgot I have a microsope! I don't see any bubbles like formations at all unless it's not necessary to have which is an indication of Dinos
Cool use your microscope and check your RODI for silicates if you haven't changed filters in awhile.
 

Idech

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 21, 2021
Messages
3,631
Reaction score
3,268
Location
Canada
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Diatoms don’t disappear at night, they remain the same with or without lights.

Dinos do though and by the color of it, it looks like dinos. You need to find out which type with a microscope. Unless you want to start with the easiest techniques like peroxyde and blackout, then change your approach if it doesn’t work.
 
OP
OP
R

RaymondL

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 3, 2022
Messages
861
Reaction score
335
Location
Miami
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Diatoms don’t disappear at night, they remain the same with or without lights.

Dinos do though and by the color of it, it looks like dinos. You need to find out which type with a microscope. Unless you want to start with the easiest techniques like peroxyde and blackout, then change your approach if it doesn’t work.
I posted separately here with pictures:


Thanks
 
OP
OP
R

RaymondL

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 3, 2022
Messages
861
Reaction score
335
Location
Miami
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Cool use your microscope and check your RODI for silicates if you haven't changed filters in awhile.
Please see here:

 

Lavey29

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 29, 2021
Messages
13,117
Reaction score
14,356
Location
United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Please see here:

If they are the type that go into the water column at night UV will help. If they go into the sand at night I would add a bazillion pods and dose PNS probio weekly. Get nitrates 10 to 15 and phosphate to .1. Reduce lights to 6 hours with blue and uv only no whites. Siphon up during water changes.
 

nanoreefer23

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
May 27, 2024
Messages
27
Reaction score
7
Location
Piscataway
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Diatoms don’t disappear at night, they remain the same with or without lights.

Dinos do though and by the color of it, it looks like dinos. You need to find out which type with a microscope. Unless you want to start with the easiest techniques like peroxyde and blackout, then change your approach if it doesn’t work.
Yeah, I checked mine under a scope and they were definitely your standard marine diatom and disappeared at night, or at least appeared to under low light.
 

saltyhog

blowing bubbles somewhere
View Badges
Joined
Jan 2, 2014
Messages
9,411
Reaction score
25,069
Location
Conway, Arkansas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I posted separately here with pictures:


Thanks

Those are LCA (Large Cell Amphidinium). They are best treated by silicate dosing (water glass, not SpongExcel). 0.2 ml of water glass/15 gallons of tank volume daily. Mix each dose with a good amount of RO/DI water. Improving biodiversity is also helpful.
 
Back
Top