J-Dog Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 I just read something about plastic materials being added to your tank may cause silicate levels to increase. If this is true, could that be causing my diatom problem? I purchased a few frags that were attached to plastic golf tees. They've been in my tank for about 6 months, but I'm not sure if the plastic is somehow degrading. Your opinion would be greatly appreciated, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandinga Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Have u taken them off the tees yet? Definitely do that. I don't know the chemical composition of golf tees,but it's possible they could leach silicates. I'd just glue the frags to your rock and get rid of the possibility. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finch6013 Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 I would get rid of the tees just because they are ugly. If your tank is fairly new you will get some diatom algae for a while. New tanks always go through algae stages until everything in the tank balances out. Just keep up and tank maintenance and do your water changes with RO/DI water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandinga Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 His tank is over a year old. And he does weekly changes with RO water... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finch6013 Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 I thought His tank was newer than that. What type of substrate do you have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MVPaquatics Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 I have often thought about that with eggcrate...can it leech things? and I swear the stuff grows algae very well as a substrate hahaha...after all, that is how most plastics decompose...photo-degradation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-Dog Posted May 11, 2011 Author Share Posted May 11, 2011 I thought His tank was newer than that. What type of substrate do you have? Not really sure.....bought live sand from the LFS. Why would the type of substrate matter? What's funny is I never had any algae problems in the first 6 months my tank was running....so I have no idea why I'm having problems now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhowe Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Not sure about plastic leaching into tanks. But to fix the diatoms I would keep doing the water changes and throw in some more snails. More snails seemed to help control the diatoms when I first cycled my tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitchell Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I wouldn't worry about plastic. Plastic is a mainstay in marine aquariums and it would be impossible to avoid it. Ceramic will leach silica and so will your sand. Diatoms are like a male and female rabbit locked in a garden full of vegetables, eventually there will be too many rabbits and not enough food and all of the rabbits will die off. Diatoms will do the same thing, they will use up all the silicates and then die off. Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Diatoms are a natural part of a reef. My 75gal was 5 years old and still got diatoms, but i had critters to eat em up. Are we talking a little on the glass or sand here and there or are we talking diatoms covering everything? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGooseWhisperer Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I've been feeding a lot havier lately and have added some coral foods too. After 2 years of being diatom free I now have a touch here and there. No biggie just how things go...I'll get 1 more snail to cut it down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akambience Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Kent ceramic phosphate sponge is a little spendy but it will remove silicates after it removes all the phosphates. not a long term fix, but the option is there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewisriverfisherman Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 J dog how old are your lights? This could also be a factor of why you have diatoms. The color in our bulbs change when they get older producing a lower K rating which can encourage growth. It seems like diatoms are mostly caused by a high nutrient system. How often are you changing your water? Have you checked your nitrate test kit with one from a lfs? It would seem like you answered the light question in the other thread you started. Edit: I went back and read your other thread, do you use any other power heads in your systems besides the pumps? You might not have enough circulation in your system. Do you have any sand sifting fish or starfish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-Dog Posted May 13, 2011 Author Share Posted May 13, 2011 Not sure about plastic leaching into tanks. But to fix the diatoms I would keep doing the water changes and throw in some more snails. More snails seemed to help control the diatoms when I first cycled my tank. I do weekly water changes and have a ton of snails already. I have ceriths, nassarius, and a big turbo snail.....what other kinds would I need? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-Dog Posted May 13, 2011 Author Share Posted May 13, 2011 Diatoms are a natural part of a reef. My 75gal was 5 years old and still got diatoms' date=' but i had critters to eat em up. Are we talking a little on the glass or sand here and there or are we talking diatoms covering everything?[/quote'] I am talking about diatoms covering half my substrate (and now getting some on the lower live rock). When the lights come on, they grow thicker and thicker, until the lights go off. Then they seem to die down to hardly anything, until the next time the lights come on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-Dog Posted May 13, 2011 Author Share Posted May 13, 2011 J dog how old are your lights? This could also be a factor of why you have diatoms. The color in our bulbs change when they get older producing a lower K rating which can encourage growth. It seems like diatoms are mostly caused by a high nutrient system. How often are you changing your water? Have you checked your nitrate test kit with one from a lfs? It would seem like you answered the light question in the other thread you started. Edit: I went back and read your other thread, do you use any other power heads in your systems besides the pumps? You might not have enough circulation in your system. Do you have any sand sifting fish or starfish? I have two Koralia 1's w/wavemaker for extra flow......I don't have any sand sifters. I used to have a dragon goby (bought it for the first diatom outbreak) but it died for no apparent reason. I didn't really think sifters were really needed to keep the substrate clean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhowe Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I hate dragon gobies. Make a mess of the tank, buried corals all the time. I celebrated when I walked in and saw him dead in the tube anemone. Circle of life was rough for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewisriverfisherman Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I didn't really think sifters were really needed to keep the substrate clean. I would invest in a Diamond Goby if I were you, IMO they are the best worker out of all the sand sifters. I would never be with out a sand sifter in my tank of some kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhowe Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Agreed diamond goby rocks. Not nearly the mess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-Dog Posted May 13, 2011 Author Share Posted May 13, 2011 I would invest in a Diamond Goby if I were you' date=' IMO they are the best worker out of all the sand sifters. I would never be with out a sand sifter in my tank of some kind.[/quote'] I appreciate all of the advice, but is a Diamond Goby the answer to my diatom problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewisriverfisherman Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Do you have anything in your sand bed doing any work for you ie Nassarius snails, sand sifting starfish, sandsifting cucumber or anything like that? I am no expert by any means but it seems like all the issues that would cause your problem have been addressed. I do know that having some workers in your sand is a good thing. If I am wrong can we get some others that have more experience than I to chime in an help with this problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoobtoSalt Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Well seeing that I'm much more experienced than you...(laugh) (Brandon has helped me out a lot over the past year or so) I would have to agree with you. I can't even count how many snails I have in the tank anymore. I do have 1 tigertail cucumber and also a sand sifting starfish. I have always had bad luck with gobys (great jumpers). Do you have anything in your sand bed doing any work for you ie Nassarius snails' date=' sand sifting starfish, sandsifting cucumber or anything like that? I am no expert by any means but it seems like all the issues that would cause your problem have been addressed. I do know that having some workers in your sand is a good thing. If I am wrong can we get some others that have more experience than I to chime in an help with this problem.[/quote'] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitchell Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Can we see some pictures to see how bad it is? I get a little algae on my sand were it doesn't get much flow, but I just stir it up when I do a water change and it go away. A goby will stir up your sand, but you can do the same thing, so if you don't want a goby don't get. A goby is not a necessary part of a reef tank. Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-Dog Posted May 13, 2011 Author Share Posted May 13, 2011 Do you have anything in your sand bed doing any work for you ie Nassarius snails' date=' sand sifting starfish, sandsifting cucumber or anything like that? I am no expert by any means but it seems like all the issues that would cause your problem have been addressed. I do know that having some workers in your sand is a good thing. If I am wrong can we get some others that have more experience than I to chime in an help with this problem.[/quote'] If u look at page 2 of this thread, I said that I have tons of snails....but not sand sifters. My goal is to stop what's causing the diatoms, not mask the problem by stirring up the sand. Can we see some pictures to see how bad it is? I get a little algae on my sand were it doesn't get much flow' date=' but I just stir it up when I do a water change and it go away. A goby will stir up your sand, but you can do the same thing, so if you don't want a goby don't get. A goby is not a necessary part of a reef tank.[/quote'] Here is my original thread about my diatoms (pictures included)....it's 5 times worse since I took these pics.....http://www.pnwmas.org/forums/showthread.php?26884-Algae-identification-problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-Dog Posted May 13, 2011 Author Share Posted May 13, 2011 Do you have anything in your sand bed doing any work for you ie Nassarius snails' date=' sand sifting starfish, sandsifting cucumber or anything like that? I am no expert by any means but it seems like all the issues that would cause your problem have been addressed. I do know that having some workers in your sand is a good thing. If I am wrong can we get some others that have more experience than I to chime in an help with this problem.[/quote'] If u look at page 2 of this thread, I said that I have tons of snails....but not sand sifters. My goal is to stop what's causing the diatoms, not mask the problem by stirring up the sand. Can we see some pictures to see how bad it is? I get a little algae on my sand were it doesn't get much flow' date=' but I just stir it up when I do a water change and it go away. A goby will stir up your sand, but you can do the same thing, so if you don't want a goby don't get. A goby is not a necessary part of a reef tank.[/quote'] Here is my original thread about my diatoms (pictures included)....it's 5 times worse since I took these pics.....http://www.pnwmas.org/forums/showthread.php?26884-Algae-identification-problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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