Diatoms!!!

[Gietz]

According to my research tanks goes through a couple of cycles before they reach 1 year.  I'm almost at a year and I'm getting diatoms on my sand bed like crazy!! Anyway to get rid of this or do I have to let nature take its time lol

My water parameters are fine and phosphate are 0-1

I did just start zeovit amino acids

Does this sound like a cycle and what can I do?

 

[Darryl_V]

the nitrogen cycle is happening all the time in an aquarium. 

Its probably normal.  Saying phosphates are 0-1ppm really doesnt tell us too much though since they should be kept below .05ppm or so.  1ppm is kinda getting up there.  Could be the AA's are adding to the problem too.....I would lay off those.  Why are you using them?  Do you have pale corals?

 

[AdInfinitum]

Right on! Darryl none of the cycles end they just reach equilibria...

Diatoms are constantly living in all aquariums part of the phyotplankton spectrum.  The limiting factor on their growth unlike many other blooms is available free silicates which form their skeletons.  small quantities of silicate are constantly leaching out of the rocks and sand in the tank and maintain the necessary population for a healthy tank.  Blooms happen when the quantity of silicate in the water allows it.  New tanks with new substrate, rock etc. or rocks that have been cleaned etc. release large amounts into the water causing the inevitable new tank diatom bloom which ends when the free silicates are bound into dead diatom skeletons (diatomaceous earth) and their population reaches equilibrium with the silicates gradually and constantly being released.

You need to look for sources of silicates as the cause of a later bloom...source water (tds@or near 0?) BTW some silicates are very small molecules and can pass through membranes relatively easily and are often "under-read" by non-laboratory TDS meters...silicates are often added to water systems to precipitate iron when "red water" becomes a problem and are flushed through municipal systems periodically as an anti-corrosive.  Also is high in ground water after spring melts and heavy rains...

Added any new sand or rocks lately?

I would really hope that any aquarium product would be silicate free but we all know that companies don't always do what's best for our systems...in the amino additives...who knows...

I know back to my "old school" stuff...but one of the side benefits of Kalkwasser (more-so in the old tap-water days) is that it precipitates silicates out of solution (part of the sludge left behind) and lets you "get away with" less than perfect membrane integrity...   

 

[Gietz]

I'll check TDS!!  I might need to change out a filter or DI. I did in fact add new reef rock rubble to make pod piles and add more rock into my sump.  So that could cause it then? And I'm using amino acids for growth and to mend a couple broken corals

 

[AdInfinitum]

Yes, if the silicates just came from a "finite" source, probably the rubble etc.  the bloom will just die back as long as added water isn't providing an ongoing source.

Regarding additives...diatoms use silicates the way that corals use Ca and Alk.  No matter what other nutrients, foods, etc. that you add, if they don't have what they need to form their skeleton, they can't grow.

 

[spyd]

The addition of rock is definitely what caused the bloom. Don't worry about it though. Diatoms will starve themselves out. Even adding dry rock can cause a diatom bloom. Make sure you are using 0 TDS water as well to ensure you are not providing any addtional nutrients for them. They should disappear within a week or 2 tops.

 

[Darryl_V]

+2