Chaeto vs Diatoms

tzylak · 03/19/2015, 10:07 AM

I established a mini fudge (2g container in the sump) with a flow, lighting and a handful of Chaeto. After several weeks the container walls and floor turned brown and bubbly with Diatoms. Now my Chaeto is turning brown, like being smothered by the Diatoms.
In a way that's bad for the Chaeto. On the other hand, the growing Diatoms are removing the nutrients out of the water, which is what I was after in the first place. My Nitrates dropped from 15-20 range down to 0-5 :-).
All I do now is wash the container and rinse the Chateo once every week.

Is there anything wrong with cultivating Diatoms over Chaeto to lower Nirates? -I hate to be heading in a wrong direction, like a tank crash or an infestation. If so, how do I grow one and not the other????
BTW, the DT is pristine, as always.

Fish: Ocellaris Clown, B&W Clown, Firefish Goby, 6-Line Wrasse, Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, Fire Shrimp, Corral Banded Shrimp, Peppermint Shrimp, Bristle Worms and CUC.
Reef: 150 lb. Sand, 70 lb. Rock, Frog Spawn, Button Polyps, Mushrooms, Kenya Trees, Brain, Leather Toadstool, Cheato and several aiptasias. . . .
Tank: 50g hex with overflow, 20um sock filter, 23 gal sump with DSB, 2 return pumps, 3 in-tank circulators, 5 UH fluorescent, chiller 650, heater 150W, skimmer 65.
I got the tank on 7/18/2014 but it has been established for over 15 years!! -I added a larger sump after the “room” addition.
I do weekly water test and 5-10g changes.
pH 8.0, NH3 0, NO2 0, NO3 0-5, PO4 0, Ca 360-400, Alk76-8, 77-79F, sg 1.021-23
47 sec. video: http://www.dropbox.com/s/4rzehzt3k3e...arium.wmv?dl=0

BigCountry74 · 03/19/2015, 10:23 AM

diatoms love new stuff. new tanks, new sand, new pumps. Hell anything with silica (plastic in it). give it some time, the sump tank will clear out. long as your DT looks clean who cares what the sump looks like, its doing its job

tzylak · 03/19/2015, 12:16 PM

Hmm, the tank is not new, it is well over 15 years old. I am NEW!!! Well, 8 months into it.
My concern has to do with the Chaeto being smothered, possibly soon to expire.
If Diatoms have such domination over Chaeto then all the other reef creatures might be affected by that too.
-Just because I might seem paranoid does not mean that the Diatomas are NOT out to kill my tank inhabitants. . . . 8-).
Thanks!

BigCountry74 · 03/19/2015, 12:46 PM

A fuge only running for a few weeks is new though? I'm confused lol

03/19/2015, 10:07 AM	#1
tzylak Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Oceanside, CA Posts: 457	Chaeto vs Diatoms I established a mini fudge (2g container in the sump) with a flow, lighting and a handful of Chaeto. After several weeks the container walls and floor turned brown and bubbly with Diatoms. Now my Chaeto is turning brown, like being smothered by the Diatoms. In a way that's bad for the Chaeto. On the other hand, the growing Diatoms are removing the nutrients out of the water, which is what I was after in the first place. My Nitrates dropped from 15-20 range down to 0-5 :-). All I do now is wash the container and rinse the Chateo once every week. Is there anything wrong with cultivating Diatoms over Chaeto to lower Nirates? -I hate to be heading in a wrong direction, like a tank crash or an infestation. If so, how do I grow one and not the other???? BTW, the DT is pristine, as always. Fish: Ocellaris Clown, B&W Clown, Firefish Goby, 6-Line Wrasse, Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, Fire Shrimp, Corral Banded Shrimp, Peppermint Shrimp, Bristle Worms and CUC. Reef: 150 lb. Sand, 70 lb. Rock, Frog Spawn, Button Polyps, Mushrooms, Kenya Trees, Brain, Leather Toadstool, Cheato and several aiptasias. . . . Tank: 50g hex with overflow, 20um sock filter, 23 gal sump with DSB, 2 return pumps, 3 in-tank circulators, 5 UH fluorescent, chiller 650, heater 150W, skimmer 65. I got the tank on 7/18/2014 but it has been established for over 15 years!! -I added a larger sump after the “room” addition. I do weekly water test and 5-10g changes. pH 8.0, NH3 0, NO2 0, NO3 0-5, PO4 0, Ca 360-400, Alk76-8, 77-79F, sg 1.021-23 47 sec. video: http://www.dropbox.com/s/4rzehzt3k3e...arium.wmv?dl=0

03/19/2015, 10:23 AM	#2
BigCountry74 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 1,761	diatoms love new stuff. new tanks, new sand, new pumps. Hell anything with silica (plastic in it). give it some time, the sump tank will clear out. long as your DT looks clean who cares what the sump looks like, its doing its job __________________ 135g mixed reef (retired) http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2132815 Current 40g reef http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2483250 Current Tank Info: 40g bare bottom reef

03/19/2015, 12:46 PM	#4
BigCountry74 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 1,761	A fuge only running for a few weeks is new though? I'm confused lol __________________ 135g mixed reef (retired) http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2132815 Current 40g reef http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2483250 Current Tank Info: 40g bare bottom reef

03/19/2015, 12:16 PM	#3
tzylak Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Oceanside, CA Posts: 457	Hmm, the tank is not new, it is well over 15 years old. I am NEW!!! Well, 8 months into it. My concern has to do with the Chaeto being smothered, possibly soon to expire. If Diatoms have such domination over Chaeto then all the other reef creatures might be affected by that too. -Just because I might seem paranoid does not mean that the Diatomas are NOT out to kill my tank inhabitants. . . . 8-). Thanks!