Diatom outbreaks typically occur as a tank is completing the nitrogen cycling or if a new "mini cycle" begins (by way of introduction of new live rock or if your tank has been left in a state of neglect. I'm guessing, in your case, it is the end of the cycle
What is happening now, is you are seeing a bloom of yet another fun, single celled, organism, taking up something in your system. In this case, silicates. It's taking them from the rock, sand, and some feel, even from the glass itself. Eventually, they too will crash like Rome, and you will be done with it...unless you neglect your system (this includes using poor fresh water for top off or mixing).
Now, with that said, as this bloom waxes and wanes, it will most likely be replaced with yet another visitor; green algae. So, don't be discouraged. Reduce your photoperiod, if you have it lit at all, because this will feed both diatoms and green algae, and continue to let the system finish the cycle.
By the way, when you get through diatoms, and then get into green algaes and THEN begin to see them reduce, increase that photoperiod again. You will then begin to see purples, red, etc... the Coraline that everyone wants
Diatom outbreaks typically occur as a tank is completing the nitrogen cycling or if a new "mini cycle" begins (by way of introduction of new live rock or if your tank has been left in a state of neglect. I'm guessing, in your case, it is the end of the cycle
What is happening now, is you are seeing a bloom of yet another fun, single celled, organism, taking up something in your system. In this case, silicates. It's taking them from the rock, sand, and some feel, even from the glass itself. Eventually, they too will crash like Rome, and you will be done with it...unless you neglect your system (this includes using poor fresh water for top off or mixing).
Now, with that said, as this bloom waxes and wanes, it will most likely be replaced with yet another visitor; green algae. So, don't be discouraged. Reduce your photoperiod, if you have it lit at all, because this will feed both diatoms and green algae, and continue to let the system finish the cycle.
Dave
Should I be concerned that the cycle seems to be making it's way towards the end after a mere 9 days? That seems awful short.
Also, one of my live rocks has a white film of dead matter on it covering I'd say 50% of the rock. Would it be OK to take it out of the tank and scrub some of it off in a small tank of RO water? Mostly it looks gross, but I also think removing it may be good for the tank to get rid of that much waste.
Some tanks, using established rock, sand and a percentage of mature water will never truly 'cycle'.
But wait.. you need to ensure you are thinking in the right terms.. the Nitrogen cycle, happening with the water in your tank, may be nearing an end (on this journey.. you will continue to have "mini cycles" when you add life, that provides fuel for the fire). The tank is now conducive to hosting a certain set of life. In this case, it is the right environment to host simple, single celled, silicate based diatoms. Even at this point, your system is not "matured". You need to continue to take things slow...
Again, you will then see the diatoms begin to die off as the "free" silicates from your rock, sand etc. start to reduce. There will always be silicates in the rock and sand, but they will eventually become "fixed" and the diatoms can't get to them. Right now, the "fractured" sand, and rock, are leaching these silicates. The rock and sand we use are processed and during this processing, they are not treated very nice This allows for the fracturing and in some cases, pulverizing of the media which results in silicates enabled for dissolving into the water. Again, when this supply is gone, the diatoms have nothing to utilize in creating their cell walls, and they begin to die off.
Now, when they die off, and dissolved silicates are now reduced, the next "army" moves in. These are the green algae that care little about silicates, but require the phosphates, irons and other stuff in our systems. Mix that, with the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate or other like "fertilizers" + light and you are in trouble. Adding "bioload" in the form of fish and other inverts at this point provides said fertilizer. At this point, we wait some more, and let the green begin to bloom, utilize dissolved nutrients, deplete them, starve, and begin to die off as well. The only healthy additions now are those "clean up crew" types that will help reduce the green algae during this phase; hermit crabs, snails etc.
Therafter, as you see the green algae begin to starve off and become controlled by your clean up crew, you can add a fish, or two, depending on size. Now, you have another source of ammonia, and there tends to be a mini cylce, as mentioned above. You may not even detect it, but your system is in "reaction mode" to this new source, and quickly increases in populations of the various bacteria to handle it. Too many fish at once, and your system can't handle it and BOOM, breakout of something nasty.
Do this over and over again, taking your time, until you get a balance of stock in your system. As you introduce new life, be cognizant of changes in your system. If you see more algae break out in the form of hair algae, green film algae, or cyano, slow down.
Do you have a camera? I'd like to see that "white film" to figure it out. If it is calcerous, it's probably just bleached coraline. Leave it be. If it is a slimy film, yeah, I'd siphon it out.
Do you have a camera? I'd like to see that "white film" to figure it out. If it is calcerous, it's probably just bleached coraline. Leave it be. If it is a slimy film, yeah, I'd siphon it out.
Dave
I don't think I can merely siphon it out. It's kinda stuck to the rock. Not stuck in a rooted sense, but it seems to be slightly sticky to the point where it wouldn't simply let go due to the pull created by the siphon. It'd need a little more force to remove it. But I don't think it's calcerous. I will try to take a picture when I get home. I don't think it will come out good enough for you to see though. On page five of this thread, there are a bunch of pictures of my tank. The side view picture is of the rock in question and that pic is about as close as I can get to the rock with my camera. The fact that the white film is not real visible in that picture makes me think there is no way to accurately show it to you.
But as far as clean up crew goes, should I add them now to start cleaning up? I am sorta confused as to whether or not this is the time you are supposed to add them. Is it now, or do I wait until the green algae shows up and the silicates that form the brown algae are fixed? Ammonia has peaked and dropped. Nitrite is all the way down to .25 and the Nitrate which was at 50 is down to zero again. I was thinking of adding 5 dwarf hermits and 5-6 cerith Snails when the time came, but I don't want to add them too soon. But if they are needed now, I will have to add them I guess.
You say Ammonia 'peaked and dropped'. To what? even at .2 your fish, snails etc. can be harmed. Ammonia burn stinks!! Ammonia is the biggest concern here. Nitrate, you can export (probably is being exported by the algae bloom(s)) by differing means.
If Ammonia is zero and Nitrite (actually not a big concern with salt water) is at .2... you COULD be okay. I'm going to assume the Nitrate is not truly zero if you still show Nitrite, but 'undetectable'. It's probably "locked" by the algae bloom(s).
You COULD add some janitors now, but don't stop testing water. Personally, I'd wait for a full 3 weeks to be sure. I've had tanks cycle and ready themselves in three weeks, but that was with fully cured rock, a mix of new and older (live) sand and water from an established tank. The 26 bowfront that I have now, took two months to fully mature.
Hi Dave. I just did my water test for the day and Ph is 7.8 , Ammonia is .25 ppm. The others are 0. I just wanted to know if the reason my ammonia is up is from not having a skimmer in the tank. I plane on waiting anther 3 weeks or more before getting the clean up crew in the tank.
You say Ammonia 'peaked and dropped'. To what? even at .2 your fish, snails etc. can be harmed. Ammonia burn stinks!! Ammonia is the biggest concern here. Nitrate, you can export (probably is being exported by the algae bloom(s)) by differing means.
If Ammonia is zero and Nitrite (actually not a big concern with salt water) is at .2... you COULD be okay. I'm going to assume the Nitrate is not truly zero if you still show Nitrite, but 'undetectable'. It's probably "locked" by the algae bloom(s).
You COULD add some janitors now, but don't stop testing water. Personally, I'd wait for a full 3 weeks to be sure. I've had tanks cycle and ready themselves in three weeks, but that was with fully cured rock, a mix of new and older (live) sand and water from an established tank. The 26 bowfront that I have now, took two months to fully mature.
Dave
Cool. I was planning on waiting at least that long anyway. I just started seeing things at 9 days that people were saying was going to take 3 weeks. I am not getting antsy or anything. I have no problem waiting. I just wanted to be sure about the algae bloom and with my pretty good water readings so early, was wondering if I was in a position where I SHOULD add a clean up crew. My ammonia is definitely at zero, and has been for a few days now. The nitrite has been steady at .25 for a couple days. Nitrate is probably undetectable. I already have a couple snails living in there that hitched a ride on my live rock (one of which looks like a Banded Trochus Snail) and I have seen at least 3 different Tiger Tail cucumbers (they were all 3 out at the same time). So there is life in there as it is right now. The first 22 pounds of rock I got were primo, cured (better be at 7 bucks a pound). That's where all the critters I've seen thus far live.
I'm probably gonna lightly scrub that other rock a little tonight. If for no other reason than aesthetics.
Keith... ammonia is not fun. Burns fish gills, burns scaleless fish. Even burns fish with armor
Yeah, I would guess that you have a lot of stuff dying off the rock and such when setting up the system and a) you are performing aggressive water changes, reducing the healthy bacteria, so it can't catch up to the cycle, or b) The die off is pretty strong, due to real "raw" live rock, and it's going to just take more time.
I'm amazed that your Nitrate and Nitrite readings are zero. Personally, I feel that testing
This allows for the fracturing and in some cases, pulverizing of the media which results in silicates enabled for dissolving into the water. Again, when this supply is gone, the 