NanaReefer
Well-known member
Well I crumbled and started a ChemiClean treatment tonight. Then got real ambitious and cleaned my skimmer. Here's hoping all is for not 
Help Please!
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N1Husker
RF Staff
Good luck, but I don't know that chemiclean will help with diatoms. You need something like Seagel to remove silicates. Chemiclean is for cyanobacteria, for that it's great.
NanaReefer
Well-known member
See that's just it. I'm not 100% sure it is Diatoms. It acts more like Cyano. Goes away at lights out and gets worse the longer lights are on, glues sand together.
At least if this doesn't work! I can rule Cyano out. I've ordered a Media Reactor so I can run a Silicate remover of some type.
Either way I'm getting rid of this crap if I have to remove the entire SB-lol.
At least if this doesn't work! I can rule Cyano out. I've ordered a Media Reactor so I can run a Silicate remover of some type.
Either way I'm getting rid of this crap if I have to remove the entire SB-lol.
Diatoms will also die back in opposition to the light cycle.
This article (really short) http://www-marine.stanford.edu/profiles/diatoms.htm notes their use of silica, and that they are photo synthetic
This one notes Iodine as a possible cause also https://joejaworski.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/the-real-scoop-on-brown-algae/
and this one http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/5/tips tells you how to grow them by dosing silcate
This article (really short) http://www-marine.stanford.edu/profiles/diatoms.htm notes their use of silica, and that they are photo synthetic
This one notes Iodine as a possible cause also https://joejaworski.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/the-real-scoop-on-brown-algae/
and this one http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/5/tips tells you how to grow them by dosing silcate
NanaReefer
Well-known member
Thanks spieszak....I've actually read them already-lol. I'm big on research. Sooooo I now know it definitely isn't Cyano as the ChemiClean did nothing.
I vacuumed the SB again with WC. Now I get to wait for my skimmer to get back to normal.
Really not much else I can do now. Waiting on Reactor. I'll put another bag of PhosGaurd in the sump. Just wish I knew the best area to put it to get the best results.
I vacuumed the SB again with WC. Now I get to wait for my skimmer to get back to normal.
Really not much else I can do now. Waiting on Reactor. I'll put another bag of PhosGaurd in the sump. Just wish I knew the best area to put it to get the best results.
N1Husker
RF Staff
I don't use any type of reactor. In my sump, where the water flows over the last baffle as it enters the refugium, I place a 1 liter bag of Seagel in a holder I made out of eggcrate. The water flows over and through the bag of Seagel. I have 3, 100ml bags of Purigen on top of the Seagel. When the diatoms are starting to show up on the sandbed, I dump out the old Seagel and pour another 1 liter bottle in the bag and I am good for another theree or four months. The diatoms just disappear. I did the same thing when my diatoms started to show up, I researched what they were and finding out that they were the shell of a type of algae, made up of 100% silicate, I looked for a silicate remover. I use the Seagel because of cost. The 1 liter size is cheaper to buy than 3 bags of Chemipure and I think does as good a job if not better. I have been real happy with it and I have snow white sand. I have a 120 gallon tank with a 29 gallon sump, so I figure I have about 100 to 110 total volume and I have 16 fish and about 50 to 60 corals.
It looks much better in person, I just don't have a very good camera. I couldn't afford a reactor, so I did mine on the cheap. I am retired and money control is a must.
It looks much better in person, I just don't have a very good camera. I couldn't afford a reactor, so I did mine on the cheap. I am retired and money control is a must.