Can you do too many water changes with diatoms

no1bubba · 06/26/2012, 03:54 PM

I suppose this is just dumb but I am doing 25% water changes every other day to help get rid of the diatomsl I am also using filter socks on the intakes of my bio pellets and carbon so that I am not sucking the brown dust into my reactors. This is a 5 year old tank and we just moved it up to 125, saved the water, rocks but not the sand and I now have 7 dead fish, all my coral looks sick and about 1/3 of my coral is just dead. Have already had the green hair algae and got it cleared up but the diatoms are my sorrow now. Bubba

kissman · 06/26/2012, 04:02 PM

probably going through a mini cycle because of the sand.

Sk8r · 06/26/2012, 04:08 PM

MOve your live specimens out to clean new saltwater qt until you resolve this.

SushiGirl · 06/26/2012, 07:22 PM

Diatoms will go away on their own, but Sk8r is right, get what you can out until you find out what is going on. My guess would also be a mini cycle because you lost a lot of beneficial bacteria in the old sand.

From what I've read all over boards like these is "instant" upgrades usually don't work...you still need to ensure enough bacteria to handle the bioload, which you lose by replacing the sand. The flip side is those who try to keep the old sand stir up bad stuff that also kills. Also, keeping the water doesn't do anything bacteria-wise.

What size did you upgrade from?

no1bubba · 06/26/2012, 08:47 PM

75 gal..All of the fish I have now have ALL had ick and are doing great. My DT was my QT. Do you think that I am changing water too much? Should I be letting the brown water flow instead of using filter socks?

SushiGirl · 06/26/2012, 09:00 PM

I'd start by checking all your parameters to see exactly what you've got going on in there.

no1bubba · 06/27/2012, 05:30 AM

nitrates are the only thing out of line and they are not bad. I did add three pukani rocks from BRS but I cured them in acid for 4 months..could it be that I need to get them out of there and re-cure them? Bubba

SushiGirl · 06/27/2012, 01:06 PM

What are your parameters? Good doesn't tell us anything, we need numbers.
Are things still dying?
Why would you need to do anything with the rock? If you pull that rock, you'll be pulling out more necessary bacteria.

Slow down, take a deep breath.

1. Diatoms are from the new sand, they will go away on their own. Water changes do nothing for them.

2. Did you let the tank cycle before putting everything in it? If not, things likely died
from ammonia poisoning. Your old sand had nitrifying bacteria in it. When you used new sand, you lost a lot of your biological process. If you put all the livestock in immediately, the bacteria could not keep up with ammonia production & ammonia kills.

3. It's not necessary to cure rock in acid for 4 months. You give it an acid wash/dip, soak/rinse it extremely well in water, then cure it in saltwater. Did you take it straight from the acid to the tank with no soak/rinse?

06/26/2012, 03:54 PM	#1
no1bubba Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Lancaster PA Posts: 405	Can you do too many water changes with diatoms I suppose this is just dumb but I am doing 25% water changes every other day to help get rid of the diatomsl I am also using filter socks on the intakes of my bio pellets and carbon so that I am not sucking the brown dust into my reactors. This is a 5 year old tank and we just moved it up to 125, saved the water, rocks but not the sand and I now have 7 dead fish, all my coral looks sick and about 1/3 of my coral is just dead. Have already had the green hair algae and got it cleared up but the diatoms are my sorrow now. Bubba

06/26/2012, 04:08 PM	#3
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	MOve your live specimens out to clean new saltwater qt until you resolve this. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

06/26/2012, 07:22 PM	#4
SushiGirl Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Fort Worth, TX USA Posts: 8,267	Diatoms will go away on their own, but Sk8r is right, get what you can out until you find out what is going on. My guess would also be a mini cycle because you lost a lot of beneficial bacteria in the old sand. From what I've read all over boards like these is "instant" upgrades usually don't work...you still need to ensure enough bacteria to handle the bioload, which you lose by replacing the sand. The flip side is those who try to keep the old sand stir up bad stuff that also kills. Also, keeping the water doesn't do anything bacteria-wise. What size did you upgrade from? __________________ Visit my Homepage or "My Albums" (via Profile) for hitchhiker pics. Current Tank Info: 55g softy/LPS tank & 20L reef tank

06/26/2012, 09:00 PM	#6
SushiGirl Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Fort Worth, TX USA Posts: 8,267	I'd start by checking all your parameters to see exactly what you've got going on in there. __________________ Visit my Homepage or "My Albums" (via Profile) for hitchhiker pics. Current Tank Info: 55g softy/LPS tank & 20L reef tank

06/27/2012, 01:06 PM	#8
SushiGirl Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Fort Worth, TX USA Posts: 8,267	What are your parameters? Good doesn't tell us anything, we need numbers. Are things still dying? Why would you need to do anything with the rock? If you pull that rock, you'll be pulling out more necessary bacteria. Slow down, take a deep breath. 1. Diatoms are from the new sand, they will go away on their own. Water changes do nothing for them. 2. Did you let the tank cycle before putting everything in it? If not, things likely died from ammonia poisoning. Your old sand had nitrifying bacteria in it. When you used new sand, you lost a lot of your biological process. If you put all the livestock in immediately, the bacteria could not keep up with ammonia production & ammonia kills. 3. It's not necessary to cure rock in acid for 4 months. You give it an acid wash/dip, soak/rinse it extremely well in water, then cure it in saltwater. Did you take it straight from the acid to the tank with no soak/rinse? __________________ Visit my Homepage or "My Albums" (via Profile) for hitchhiker pics. Current Tank Info: 55g softy/LPS tank & 20L reef tank

06/26/2012, 04:02 PM	#2
kissman Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Lynchburg, Va Posts: 2,963	probably going through a mini cycle because of the sand.

06/26/2012, 08:47 PM	#5
no1bubba Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Lancaster PA Posts: 405	75 gal..All of the fish I have now have ALL had ick and are doing great. My DT was my QT. Do you think that I am changing water too much? Should I be letting the brown water flow instead of using filter socks?

06/27/2012, 05:30 AM	#7
no1bubba Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Lancaster PA Posts: 405	nitrates are the only thing out of line and they are not bad. I did add three pukani rocks from BRS but I cured them in acid for 4 months..could it be that I need to get them out of there and re-cure them? Bubba