Is This Really Just Diatoms?

For the first five months my tank was fairly low tech (no C02 and only basic fertilisers).

I had plenty of algae but no Diatoms.

Then just as I bought a pressurised CO2 system and got a better understanding of NPK, CSM+B fertilisers my Fluval Planted 2.0 lights broke.

The tank had three weeks without lights. Most of the plants died.

Then I started again with a Fluval Planted 3.0, C02 injection and modest fertilisers.

Over the last month I've switched to dry fertilisers and E.I. Dosing.

Plants are doing great.

But ever since I turned the lights back on I've been getting crazy Diatoms.

Every Saturday I clean them away - they clean up easy, and by Thursday they look like this:




It only effects the front of the tank. But a panel about 5 inches deep runs the whole length.

Is this really just Diatoms?

 

Bro I think you you may have to clean the gravel a bit or get some bottom feeders this looks like diatoms they say that if the substrate which maybe nutrient rich is not moved regularly it causes diatoms which could slowly cause blue green algae to form which isn't safe note I got this info from aquarium co op also get corydoras they would be best to tackle this problem

 

Diatom Algae looks more like brown dust sprinkled over the decor. The pictured brown fibrous growth in your tank looks more like a fungus. I think maybe a nutrient overload is causing the problem.

 

Diatom Algae looks more like brown dust sprinkled over the decor. The pictured brown fibrous growth in your tank looks more like a fungus. I think maybe a nutrient overload is causing the problem.

That's interesting and makes some sense as it has really taken off in parallel to my E.I. Fertilisers dosing.

But I thought the whole point of E.I. was to go over the top on nutrients, flush them at the end of the week, then start again.

I'm dosing KNO3, KH2PO4 and CSM+B (alternate days) three times a week, at the amount suggested by Rotala Butterfly.

Do you really think this is causing a fungus growth?

Here's a shot of the whole tank:




Vishaquatics SeattleRoy -Mak-

 

Very pretty tank. It looks like fungus to me. Harmless, but ugly. Hopefully an aquagardner will chime in. Chanyi.
I wish I could be more help. The only thing I grow in my tanks are big rocks. Lol.

 

I can help out...

I'll need you to give some more information though.

pH of tank water with no CO2 injected - Test before the CO2 comes on for the day. - Or, if you are using tapwater, set some out for 24-48 hours and test. Don't test directly out of the tap, let it degas over a day or two. Straight from the tap = false reading (CO2 can build up in tap water changing pH).

pH of tank water when you CO2 has been running for a few hours.

The difference in pH needs to be a full 1.0 drop - CO2 dissolved in water creates carbonic acid (weak acid) thus drops pH. Harmless to livestock because it's not a change in pH do to minerals / strong acids or bases.

Now, next step would be to setup the lights to correspond to the CO2. You should aI'm for a full 1.0 drop by the time your lights come on for the day, if not within an hour (or within the ramp-up time of an LED light if you are using this feature).

Dose the CSM+B daily.... if your pH is above 7, double up the Iron (targeting the 0.15ppm per dose 3x per week) using 11% DTPA Iron... Easy to source and cheap. Or use Ferrous Gluconate (Seachem Flourish Iron). Dosing daily is more desirable. Divide weekly total from rotalabutterfly into or 7 days, and dose accordingly to match weekly totals.

Now, dealing with these issues, lights should be on 5 hours a day max until the issues are improving. Consider a glutaraldehyde dosing regime to discourage algae and protein film growth... Seachem Flourish Excel dosed daily at the "after water change" rate... or Met14 equivalent.

Next, and arguably the MOST important aspect of ridding a planted tank of algae, is tank cleanliness. Uber clean conditions are what's needed. Substrate vacuuming, filter cleaning, plant pruning.... you name it. The cleaner the better. Obviously clean out filter media in old tank water, but do this at every water change. Consider running intake sponges and clean the, as much as possible, Fluval makes good ones or make your own from course sponge.

This is a start...

 

If you add more aggressive growing plants in the foreground like dwarf sag or pearlweed, I can almost guarantee this stuff will be gone. It doesn't look like diatoms, but some sort of brown algae. Likely the result of high light and high organics.

 

I can help out...

I'll need you to give some more information though.

pH of tank water with no CO2 injected - Test before the CO2 comes on for the day. - Or, if you are using tapwater, set some out for 24-48 hours and test. Don't test directly out of the tap, let it degas over a day or two. Straight from the tap = false reading (CO2 can build up in tap water changing pH).

pH of tank water when you CO2 has been running for a few hours.

The difference in pH needs to be a full 1.0 drop - CO2 dissolved in water creates carbonic acid (weak acid) thus drops pH. Harmless to livestock because it's not a change in pH do to minerals / strong acids or bases.

Now, next step would be to setup the lights to correspond to the CO2. You should aI'm for a full 1.0 drop by the time your lights come on for the day, if not within an hour (or within the ramp-up time of an LED light if you are using this feature).

Dose the CSM+B daily.... if your pH is above 7, double up the Iron (targeting the 0.15ppm per dose 3x per week) using 11% DTPA Iron... Easy to source and cheap. Or use Ferrous Gluconate (Seachem Flourish Iron). Dosing daily is more desirable. Divide weekly total from rotalabutterfly into or 7 days, and dose accordingly to match weekly totals.

Now, dealing with these issues, lights should be on 5 hours a day max until the issues are improving. Consider a glutaraldehyde dosing regime to discourage algae and protein film growth... Seachem Flourish Excel dosed daily at the "after water change" rate... or Met14 equivalent.

Next, and arguably the MOST important aspect of ridding a planted tank of algae, is tank cleanliness. Uber clean conditions are what's needed. Substrate vacuuming, filter cleaning, plant pruning.... you name it. The cleaner the better. Obviously clean out filter media in old tank water, but do this at every water change. Consider running intake sponges and clean the, as much as possible, Fluval makes good ones or make your own from course sponge.

This is a start...

Thank you ChanyI

My PH is 7.4, dropping to 6.5 with CO2 injection.

I dose KNO3 and KH2PO4 at E.I. Levels on Sat, Mon and Wed

I dose CSM+B on Sun, Tue and Thu.
The CSM+B includes 7% Fe EDPA, but I supplement this with 13% Fe DTPA

Every Saturday I do a 50% water change, including cleaning all the glass and a gravel vacuum.

My light is the Fluval Planted 3.0 which is on for 8 hours. The C02 starts two hours before the light and goes off one hour before the lights.

There is very little algae in the tank, except for this brown algae and some green dust algae on the front panel of glass.

Both these algae are very easily removed during the weekly water changes, but they do come back within 3 days.

 

If you add more aggressive growing plants in the foreground like dwarf sag or pearlweed, I can almost guarantee this stuff will be gone. It doesn't look like diatoms, but some sort of brown algae. Likely the result of high light and high organics.

Thank you Vishaquatics

I will try to pick some up, or take some cuttings from my Hygrophila polysperma and temporary plant them along the front panel (this stem plant grows fast).

In the meantime I picked up 6 Zebra Nerite snails at lunchtime - hopefully they can clear some of the brown algae