Silicates and Diatoms

[SarcasticWit]

I have been fighting what appears to be a losing battle with brown algae (diatoms) in my Green Terror tank. I don't seem to have this issue with my other tanks, so I am at a loss.

I have done a lot of reading and have found disparate information as to whether or not silicates actually contribute to this issue or not, and at this point, I am just trying to get a handle on it.

I contacted my water department and while they stated they do not test for silicates or silicon, as they are not required to, the last time they tested for them (in 2013), these were the results:

Silica 13.1 mg/L
Silicon 8.19 mg/L

Should I go ahead and invest in either Chemi-Pure or some other filter material?

I do weekly water changes and have a pleco, but again, I just can't seem to get ahead of it in this tank, which is about a year old. Lighting is just the generic LED that are in the stock top fin hood, and are on for approximately 8-10 hrs a day, and there is no direct natural light on the tank.

And thoughts, ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated...

 

[TheNonEuclidean]

If the tank is new, brown algae is very common. There are 4 options: wait a few months for it to dissipate, shorten the light period, or get a phosphate remover (will remove silicates) or otocinclus cats (wont last long with a GT)

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

I have been fighting what appears to be a losing battle with brown algae (diatoms) in my Green Terror tank. I don't seem to have this issue with my other tanks, so I am at a loss.

I have done a lot of reading and have found disparate information as to whether or not silicates actually contribute to this issue or not, and at this point, I am just trying to get a handle on it.

I contacted my water department and while they stated they do not test for silicates or silicon, as they are not required to, the last time they tested for them (in 2013), these were the results:

Silica 13.1 mg/L
Silicon 8.19 mg/L

Should I go ahead and invest in either Chemi-Pure or some other filter material?

I do weekly water changes and have a pleco, but again, I just can't seem to get ahead of it in this tank, which is about a year old. Lighting is just the generic LED that are in the stock top fin hood, and are on for approximately 8-10 hrs a day, and there is no direct natural light on the tank.

And thoughts, ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated...

Best investment is getting some cheap RO (4~5 stages filter) system.
Also, depend on your substrate sand content ton of silica, at some point silica will get consume at your tank ages. If you are using tap water for water change then you will never win algae war
*Note: How and how long you keep your tank light is another contribution to algae problem.

 

[SarcasticWit]

If the tank is new, brown algae is very common. There are 4 options: wait a few months for it to dissipate, shorten the light period, or get a phosphate remover (will remove silicates) or otocinclus cats (wont last long with a GT)

It has been set up for about a year now...

 

[SarcasticWit]

Best investment is getting some cheap RO (4~5 stages filter) system.
Also, depend on your substrate sand content ton of silica, at some point silica will get consume at your tank ages. If you are using tap water for water change then you will never win algae war
*Note: How and how long you keep your tank light is another contribution to algae problem.

Not sand, gravel...My concern about an RO system, which I have looked at, is the amount of wasted water that they create...and I only seem tom have the problem with this one tank...