Brown Algae/Diatom help in 125G FOWLR

holdyourlight · 02/03/2015, 07:29 PM

Tank has been up and running for 5 months. It's a 125 FOWLR and was set up with dry Tropic Eden sand and dry CeramEco Vida rock. This brown algae or diatoms showed up 10 weeks ago and showing no signs of slowing down. I've tried running HC GFO for over a month (no effect), tried 3 days lights out tank wrapped in garbage bags (that has worked on other algaes in the past, zero effect here), RODI is TDS 0, all new filter media as of 8 weeks ago. I'm willing to wait it out as long as it takes, but wondered if i might try some Algaefix or maybe some carbon dosing? Any ideas are much appreciated. Thanks

Dustyboots · 02/03/2015, 09:55 PM

Check your parameters (nitrate and phosphate) first.

oscarinw · 02/04/2015, 12:51 PM

GAC might help a bit. Look into GFO. My personal recommendation is wait it out. 5 months is little for a reef. Do water changes in the afternoon/evening and syphon the diatoms out. Are you being consistent and thorough with water changes?
You'll get there

holdyourlight · 02/04/2015, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oscarinw

GAC might help a bit. Look into GFO. My personal recommendation is wait it out. 5 months is little for a reef. Do water changes in the afternoon/evening and syphon the diatoms out. Are you being consistent and thorough with water changes?
You'll get there

Yep, i've been running GAC and HC GFO. Doesn't seem to make a difference. If it is indeed diatoms then the culprit would be silicate and water changes could add fuel to the fire.

I'm certainly prepared to wait it out, was just wondering if vinegar dosing or algaefix might just wipe it out. This is a fish only, so i am not worried about corals in this case...

holdyourlight · 02/10/2015, 06:10 PM

almost 3 months now of diatoms in full force. here's what it looked like in November right before they started

02/03/2015, 07:29 PM	#1
holdyourlight Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Posts: 984	Brown Algae/Diatom help in 125G FOWLR Tank has been up and running for 5 months. It's a 125 FOWLR and was set up with dry Tropic Eden sand and dry CeramEco Vida rock. This brown algae or diatoms showed up 10 weeks ago and showing no signs of slowing down. I've tried running HC GFO for over a month (no effect), tried 3 days lights out tank wrapped in garbage bags (that has worked on other algaes in the past, zero effect here), RODI is TDS 0, all new filter media as of 8 weeks ago. I'm willing to wait it out as long as it takes, but wondered if i might try some Algaefix or maybe some carbon dosing? Any ideas are much appreciated. Thanks

02/03/2015, 09:55 PM	#2
Dustyboots Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 104	Check your parameters (nitrate and phosphate) first. __________________ Using Tapatalk

02/04/2015, 12:51 PM	#3
oscarinw Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Western Massachusetts Posts: 1,091	GAC might help a bit. Look into GFO. My personal recommendation is wait it out. 5 months is little for a reef. Do water changes in the afternoon/evening and syphon the diatoms out. Are you being consistent and thorough with water changes? You'll get there

02/10/2015, 06:10 PM	#5
holdyourlight Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Posts: 984	almost 3 months now of diatoms in full force. here's what it looked like in November right before they started