Diatom takeover.

[Yohanon]

I Will filter my water because it is incredibly hard

If you've ever seen a walrus up close, they truly are amazing!

 

[Chockful O Phail]

Agreed. Overfeeding can exacerbate the issue. My tank is just now getting over some diatom problems that began soon after the tank finished cycling. My approach to dealing with it was to attack it from all directions. I added a phosphate filter to my sump. I also added a hang-on-back filter with UV sterilization to supplement the sump. Add to that a dozen otos, 2 bristlenose plecos and 2 dozen nerite snails. There is still a little bit left that I'm sure the critters will deal with in due time. The tank is looking great now. It is heavily planted. I tested my water parameters yesterday: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, nitrates are so low, they barely register, ph 7.0. Oh, I forgot, when doing water changes, I run my water through a filter. Our local tap water is rather hard. Diatoms thrive on phosphates and silicates. Find a way to diminish both and your problem should abate. Good luck

Pardon the thread derail, what do you use to filter your water? My tap has been getting worse over the last couple months and I'm looking for something to help.

 

[Yohanon]

Pardon the thread derail, what do you use to filter your water? My tap has been getting worse over the last couple months and I'm looking for something to help.

I went lowes and bought a filter that screws onto the gooseneck that the showerhead attaches to and fill from there. I believe it is called a sprite shower water filter, $20.

 

[Fat Homer]

Pardon the thread derail, what do you use to filter your water? My tap has been getting worse over the last couple months and I'm looking for something to help.

What do you mean by worse and worse? Coz you could consider using an RO unit to supplement the water, otherwise, may need to add some nutrients back into just pure RO water...

 

[Chockful O Phail]

I was thinking of using an ro unit but I've heard its bad for the fish to use it straight. My tap fluctuates at least 2 ph up and down and although the water company says it's only 10 nitrates, it comes out near or above 20. Not to mention the .2 ammonia.

I'll have to look at that shower sprite, it probably won't be enough but it's probably better than the straight tap atm

 

[ECW]

If you've ever seen a walrus up close, they truly are amazing!

Cool. I like turtles.

 

[Frank Castle]

Yes reduce lighting, make sure you aren't overfeeding, and maybe get an algae eater like some otocinclus, a chinese algae eater, or a small species of pleco. Small ramshorn snails should clear it off too.

Might want to have the store run some water chemistry to see if you are overfeeding.

They will only eat healthy green algae.....but snails might eat brown.

I am new to fish keeping and have only been running this tank for four months now. It has been completely taken over by diatom algae. I can clean the glass but it is covering the substrate and I'm not sure what to do.

Is any sunlight hitting the tank?

Agreed. Overfeeding can exacerbate the issue. My tank is just now getting over some diatom problems that began soon after the tank finished cycling. My approach to dealing with it was to attack it from all directions. I added a phosphate filter to my sump. I also added a hang-on-back filter with UV sterilization to supplement the sump. Add to that a dozen otos, 2 bristlenose plecos and 2 dozen nerite snails. There is still a little bit left that I'm sure the critters will deal with in due time. The tank is looking great now. It is heavily planted. I tested my water parameters yesterday: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, nitrates are so low, they barely register, ph 7.0. Oh, I forgot, when doing water changes, I run my water through a filter. Our local tap water is rather hard. Diatoms thrive on phosphates and silicates. Find a way to diminish both and your problem should abate. Good luck

This is really good info right here. Great post. Great safeguarding as well. With age comes knowledge and wisdom

Cool. I like turtles.

I am soooooooo DONE keeping tutles. This video was hilarious when i saw it a number of years ago lolol Zombie kid w/ A.D.D./A.D.H.D./"Selective Hearing" that likes tutles

 

[Pomatomus]

They will only eat healthy green algae.....but snails might eat brown.

Look up some studies and you'll see that feeding on diatoms is well-documented. In the study I read 83% of the pleco subjects had diatoms in their guts. I suppose it will vary by species, but at the very least they will clean it off while they forage for other algae.

 

[Yohanon]

Look up some studies and you'll see that feeding on diatoms is well-documented. In the study I read 83% of the pleco subjects had diatoms in their guts. I suppose it will vary by species, but at the very least they will clean it off while they forage for other algae.

I have brislenose plecos and otos, as well as nerite snails. They ALL like to feed on diatoms. I also have a few glass shrimp, but they don't show much interest in it.

 

[Beetlebug515]

If the substrate is silica based, diatoms will flourish. Something many people forget.