Brown Diatoms or...?

MFM

Piranha
MFK Member
Jun 22, 2009
2,790
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SD
Hello everyone!

So, recently I’ve been having anissue in my tank, which I believed to be drown diatoms. My tank has small brown specks which are free floating in the tank and don’t seem to really stick to anything like the brown diatom algae does. These float freely and seem to just settle on areas with less flow. These floating objects look similar to saw dust and every time I vacuum them off the sand, they return the next day. Any information would be greatly appreciated! Let me know if I missed any info....

Tank Specs:
75 Gallon (Running for about 6 months)
Fluval 3.0 Light
Fluval FX4 (No carbon, filter has been running for about 1 month, media used from previous filter)
Aquaclear 110 (No carbon, contains purigen)
Black Diamond Blasting Sand (Low in silicates)
24w UV internal sterilizer (always on)
50% or more water changed weekly

Parameters:
80 Degrees F
pH 7.8
Ammonia 0 ppm
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 10ppm approx.

Fish:
4 Geophagus Winemilleri 4”
1 Satanoperca Daemon 3”
6 Green Fire Tetras
2 Blue Phantom Plecos 2”
1 Emperor Pleco 3”
1 Butterfly Pleco 3”

Plants:
Amazon Swords
Vallisneria
Anubias
Aquarium Co-op Easy Green and Easy Iron used once a week

Pictures:

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2FDF7A48-7C68-4A97-9322-E9FA8EF004FC.jpeg

A198CD44-4949-4D46-B092-CB322D3D9D78.jpeg

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deeda

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Mar 26, 2008
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Medina, Ohio
Maybe tiny pieces of driftwood from the plecos rasping?

Does any of the driftwood have softer spots that may be getting dislodged?
 

MFM

Piranha
MFK Member
Jun 22, 2009
2,790
78
81
SD
Maybe tiny pieces of driftwood from the plecos rasping?

Does any of the driftwood have softer spots that may be getting dislodged?
Good idea... I can move it around and see. One of the wood pieces is older than the tank so I’ll check that one out.
 

MFM

Piranha
MFK Member
Jun 22, 2009
2,790
78
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SD
The piece is Malaysian Driftwood and I’ve had it for years and it’s been in multiple different tanks, being soaked, dried, and soaked again, so maybe it is breaking down. I’m going to see if I can take it out and scrub it without damaging the Anubias.
 
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TwoHedWlf

Potamotrygon
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Mar 2, 2017
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It definitely doesn't look like diatoms. Some of it looks like poop, maybe it's all just bits of debris? What's your filtration like?
 
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MFM

Piranha
MFK Member
Jun 22, 2009
2,790
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It definitely doesn't look like diatoms. Some of it looks like poop, maybe it's all just bits of debris? What's your filtration like?
Yeah some of it is... I have an AC 110 and a Fluval FX4. I clean the AC 110 weekly and the FX4 monthly. Both filters weren’t too dirty when I cleaned them last week. The crazy thing is that it just consistently builds up, even after I clean it and get the flow set right to sleep up the debris. The particles are shaped like the circled one below and sometimes they clump together... I ordered some micron pads for the FX4 to see if they help cut down on the problem. Also going to inspect the wood tomorrow as that sounds like the likely culprit at the moment.

The picture is very zoomed in to show it better*

53CC95D6-9200-4180-B34A-7CCABD52C3B8.jpeg
 

MFM

Piranha
MFK Member
Jun 22, 2009
2,790
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81
SD
Removed the driftwood from the tank and it was falling apart in my hands, shedding tiny wood flakes like crazy so I removed it for good. Pretty sure this was the cause so time to clean the tank and wait to see...
 
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deeda

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Mar 26, 2008
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Medina, Ohio
Thanks for the update and sorry about the wood decay.

You may want to consider adding filter floss or Poly-fil Traditional batting to either filter to help trap the debris until it clears. There will probably still be a fair amount floating through the water until you get it under control.
 
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MFM

Piranha
MFK Member
Jun 22, 2009
2,790
78
81
SD
Thanks for the update and sorry about the wood decay.

You may want to consider adding filter floss or Poly-fil Traditional batting to either filter to help trap the debris until it clears. There will probably still be a fair amount floating through the water until you get it under control.
Of course, it’s first time I’ve experienced something like that. Thanks for help... and I have some micron pads on the way to help clear the water up!
 
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