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Thread: Diatoms on scrubber screen?

  1. #1

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    Diatoms on scrubber screen?

    Was wondering if the brown algae growing on my scrubber screen is diatoms or something else. Heres why. I have been scrubber only on my 125 for 4 months now. I have never had an algae problem in DT only cyano (which was cleared in 3 days with scrubber). I started tank with 99% marcos rock. So I never had a variety of algaes in my tank. Right now Im getting A diatom bloom on my sand. Im assuming my silicates are high because I have no detectable nitrates and .01 phospahates (on hanna meter). Anyway What I have noticed is my scrubber will grow whatever im battling with at the time FIRST on the screens. EX: I grew alot of cyano at first. Then slowly I start to grow Greener algae on top of that Effectively killing of the first layer of growth. I have been cleaning every 7 days because i want the best scrubbing possible with the greener algae. So if the brown algae is diatoms should I be cleaning the screen every 3 days to remove the nutrients such as silicates from my tank? Or let the green come in?

  2. #2
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    Your lights are way to weak if your screen is growing any diatoms. Let's see pics.

  3. #3

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    Heres the pics. Left screen is 2 days old right side was cleaned today. Im using 4 plusrite 3000k 24w t5ho
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version

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  4. #4
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    How old are the bulbs?

    Let it grow 14 days.

  5. #5

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    Bulbs are 2 weeks old.
    Will Any algae growing on screen consume silicates?

  6. #6
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    What kind of algae is it?
    150G. Reef/Mix
    125G. 3 Regular Oscars/1 Jack Dempsey
    75G. 20+ Africans
    40G. Fish/Reef. Algae Scrubbers on ALL my SW
    10G. SW Fish/Reef.
    10G. SW Hospital/new fish quarantine/pod breeder tank
    6 stage RO/DI system 200 GPD.

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by kerry View Post
    What kind of algae is it?
    On screen i'm getting brown algae first then green hair like algae on about 30% of screen.

  8. #8
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    No silicates.

    Do the 14 days.

  9. #9

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    water?

    Where did you get your water to fill your tank?
    I have the same problem and was at the LFS and he showed me his tanks on one side of the store that have the same problem as he used tap water to fill, introducing silicates. The other side of the store was RO without the problem. Now he keeps it in check with bottom feeding Blemmy's, one in each tank and he showed me one tank that he hasn't put one in yet and there was the brown dust covering of algae on it.
    My problem happened because of several factors, RO (reverse osmosis) filter change was way over due, got a Yellow tang and he poops allot and I was over feeding.
    Remedy is adding a power head with it directed at my return, better feeding habits, water change once a month AND maintaining my RO system.

    Good luck
    David S.

  10. #10

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    I top of using a ro/di system with a tds meter on it and it reads 0 ppm. I also dose kalk at night. Im still trying to figure out where the silicates are being intoduced. I have a dragon goby that sifts the sand but hes been lazy for a couple weeks. I havent done a water change in about 5 months do to zeros on my tests. If The algae we are growing on the screen doesnt consume silicates I wonder if were getting a build up in our systems from food, kalk, top offs of water etc...I dont have a silicate test but im going to order one soon.

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