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Constant presence of diatoms

Jaap

Jaap

Member
Joined
30 Sep 2011
Messages
1,068
Location
Nicosia
Hi,

I have been running this tank for a year now. It has its ups and downs but one thing constant is the presence of diatoms. I do more water changes they are there, I do weekly water changes they are there, I do 50% water changes they are the, I do 80% water changes still there, added purigen still there, removed fish and they are there, decreased/increased lights....still there.

What could be the problem?

Thanks
 
Sounds like too much light... Or maybe sunlight hitting the tank?
 
Jaap can you not get some Otto's Daitoms will go in two days just be prepared to vacum the substrate for Otto poos!
 
Yes it can be to much light, but it also is a competition issue.. :) Like my tank is next to a window and a window in front of it, no direct sun because it is all on the north side of the house, but still extra daylight is comming in. My tank is about twice as much planted as yours and without the dry start added it's about 2 months running now. And i see diatoms building in the soil at both window sides in the first 4 weeks. The other 2 sides have none and are spot on clean. The competition thing in my case is, the rooting plants are not yet rooted enough to compete with the daitoms in the soil at the window side. I used black tape at those 2 sides to give them a hard time and let the plants root, roots don't like light anyway so the tape will also be beneficial for that.. Above the soil the first cleaning crew to arive in my tank were indeed 7 Oto's and 7 shrimps and till now there is no daitom to spot above the soil.. Having daitoms is Oto heaven, so if you want to make some fish happy you got the perfect place to offer for that with a nice pack of Oto's:). You could also (temporarily) trow some Egeria Densa in the tank, you don't need to stick it in the soil, just let it float and grow. They do well with what they get from the water collum, cost nearly nothing grow like crazy and compete. Like Jay is saying :) keep it clean, poop is daitom firt.
 
IME it has always been a matter of too much detritus on the tank/filter/substrate... and of course its combination with high light, an environment in which things happen faster.

Jordi
 
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