What can eat Diatom's ? Help

[jessiedart]

So, Im going on almost a Month with a Huge Diatom outbreak in my Fancy Goldfish 50 gal tank. Im doing large water changes each week and the really hard part is the cleaning of all my decorations and plants. Its a hugely time consuming task.
The Diatoms come back more and more in 4-5 days after the cleaning and change of water.
At its highest levels all my decorations are almost completely Brown YUK !
Can I add something to the tank thats safe for the Goldies and that will eat this stuff ??

Here are some shots BEFORE the outbreak...I miss a clean tank :)

The Bubble dragon is now 70% Brown...

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[Aeonflame]

Is this a heated tank? if so, you can add a bristlenose cat. Just be prepared to feed it after it eats the diatoms.

Alternatively, you can try increasing the light intensity, which has worked for me. Diatoms also tend to disappear on their own after the tank establishes itself.

[Lady Hobbs]

Diatoms are normal in new tanks and they just have to live out their life, which is in a couple months. It's simply due to an imbalance of nutrients, silicates, phosphates, etc.

Just wipe your stuff off and clean the glass with the paper towel and do large water changes. It only gets out of hand if you let it.

[jessiedart]

Is this a heated tank? if so, you can add a bristlenose cat. Just be prepared to feed it after it eats the diatoms.

Alternatively, you can try increasing the light intensity, which has worked for me. Diatoms also tend to disappear on their own after the tank establishes itself.

I thought More light makes the break out worse ?
I read to keep the lights off more as the Diatoms feed on light..Yes/No ?
Should I add some snails...

[Aeonflame]

For some reason I don't quite remember at this time, intense light can clear them up. Tested effective. Aeonflame stamp of approval.

Or you could simply wait them out, like Lady Hobbs suggested.

[Lady Hobbs]

Siamese Algae Eaters and Otto's will eat it but don't forget it will be gone on it's own in a couple months. You may be sorry if you get snails or you may replace one short-term problem with a long-term problem.

Have you checked your nitrates? High nitrates will also produce diatoms so large water changes weekly will help there.

(Do not get Chinese Algae eaters thinking they will help with diatoms. They won't.) :)

[Pulmonatus]

If your tank is coldwater, your options are more limited, but some amano shrimp would hoover those diatoms right up if there's nothing tastier in the tank. I wouldn't recommend snails for the reasons others have discussed above. If you develop other "new tank" issues such as bacterial bloom (cloudy white water) or algal bloom (cloudy green water) you could also consider adding some daphnia. They'll clear up suspended food and make it available to your fish :)

[Fizgig]

No on the Pleco someone recommended. All Plecos have a taste for the slime coating on Goldies. The bigger the Pleco, the more likely it is to attack Goldies at night and they inflict major damage which often leads to bacterial infections and open wounds.

As far as an algae eater, I use and recommend only Olive Nerite snails. They're plant and fish safe, do not multiply in fresh water, and are true algae eaters unlike Plecos who only eat algae if there is nothing else to eat. Stocking levels vary by typical amt. of algae... If you constantly have algae you can go for 3-5 Olive Nerites per US gallon of water. My Goldie tank (Goldie Haven) has 3 Olive Nerites per gallon, BUT, there are two types of phosphate control mediums in the mechanical filter. My tropical tank has 5 Olive Nerites per US gallon and no phosphate control media (since they don't get fed nearly as much as my big Goldies).

You might also add a phosphate controller to your filter's media to starve out some of the algae as well.

On a side note, you should have a heater for those Goldies. Orandas don't do well in waters consistently cooler than 72˙F.

[fish4me98]

I think I had the same proablem I used acurel f to clear it up

[jessiedart]

No on the Pleco someone recommended. All Plecos have a taste for the slime coating on Goldies. The bigger the Pleco, the more likely it is to attack Goldies at night and they inflict major damage which often leads to bacterial infections and open wounds.

As far as an algae eater, I use and recommend only Olive Nerite snails. They're plant and fish safe, do not multiply in fresh water, and are true algae eaters unlike Plecos who only eat algae if there is nothing else to eat. Stocking levels vary by typical amt. of algae... If you constantly have algae you can go for 3-5 Olive Nerites per US gallon of water. My Goldie tank (Goldie Haven) has 3 Olive Nerites per gallon, BUT, there are two types of phosphate control mediums in the mechanical filter. My tropical tank has 5 Olive Nerites per US gallon and no phosphate control media (since they don't get fed nearly as much as my big Goldies).

You might also add a phosphate controller to your filter's media to starve out some of the algae as well.

On a side note, you should have a heater for those Goldies. Orandas don't do well in waters consistently cooler than 72˙F.



Arrrrh... Still the brown yucky stuff continues.
Im scrubbing everything once a week and it takes a looooooooooong time.
After 3-5 days of crystal clear water and tank items those little Brown SOB's are forming all over everything again and again.
Maybe I'll just wait it out, however its been a month now and no signs of it letting up even a little bit. If anything, I see it coming back stronger each week.
Im doing 50% water changes each week and all my numbers are all aok.
This has been more work than keeping up with my tank as it was cycling ...Yuk Yuk Yuk.

Oh.. And I though all Goldies liked colder waters ?
Everyone I asked said i didn't need a heater. Yes/no ?

[mommy1]

This site says 65-78 degrees:
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This site says 65-75 degrees:
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This site says 65-72 degrees:
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This site says 65-72 degrees:
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This site says 65-75 degrees:
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I don't know why fizgig keeps saying oranda's should be in warmer water. Every site I look at says they like their water on the cooler side.

[Fizgig]

I don't know why fizgig keeps saying oranda's should be in warmer water. Every site I look at says they like their water on the cooler side.

Not one of those sites is a reputable Goldfish care site... Check out place like Aquapuppies ([Only Registered Users Can See Links.]), The Gab ([Only Registered Users Can See Links.]), and Pet Goldfish ([Only Registered Users Can See Links.]) for most accurate care info....

Granted, I only have 20+ years of experience keeping, caring for, breeding Goldies. So, must be me who doesn't know what they're talking about. Also know that there is a difference between a fish TOLERATING a certain temp. range and a fish THRIVING in a certain temp. range. I don't care what the fish can tolerate when I give folks info. about Goldie care... What's important is in what conditions the fish will thrive. Like the difference between existing and living in people... Which would you prefer to do?

:hmm3grin2orange:

Keep them at temps. below 72˙F on a consistent basis and most will develop swim bladder issues, have poor color, be very lethargic, and not eat properly which leads to weight loss and improper growth.

My 2¢... I gave the info., use it or not, it's your fish ;) Will leave it at that.

[Lady Hobbs]

Is that Lucky Bamboo in your tank real or a fake? If it's a real plant, it's not an Aquatic plant and will die unless the top is out of the water. If it's a fake one, it's a good likeness to a real plant.

[mommy1]

Well let's see, the first link I used was pet goldfish so I didn't bother going there.
I did look at aquapuppies. A thread titled 10 most common beginner mistakes mentioned nothing of temperature, you think it would since everyone but them is doing it wrong. I did find this:
"The optimum temperature subject is up for debate. Goldfish are extremely adaptable to a wide range of temperatures. There is evidence however, that suggests they do better in the mid to high 70 range."
Here: [Only Registered Users Can See Links.]
Not the 80 degree temps you are suggesting all over this forum.

On thegab's home page it says:
Keep a stable temperature around 76F
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And EVERY other site visited says 68 to somewhere in the mid 70's.
I did notice that none of the sites you mentioned are very active, perhaps you are here to attempt bring in some business for them, just a thought.

20+ years experience means nothing. There are many people out there who have kept fish longer and still don't know a thing about fish. There are some, who have kept fish less than a year and know more than people who have kept them for years. How long you have kept fish means nothing, the information you give us in your posts here is all I care about, and much of the information in your posts is questionable at best.

[Cliff]

I've always found the below site to be very useful and reputable. I've also been a little guilty of promoting it from time to time.

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jessiedart: cleaning it off and a few extra water changes has always worked for me when dealing with diatoms provided your water parameters are fine.

[Fizgig]

Won't comment further on this than to say 2 things... I don't promote forums sites. Second, I never said to keep Orandas at 80 degrees.

And with that... You do whatever you want with your fish and algae covered tank. I'm done. Seems like you're more interested in questioning everything than actually doing something, so good luck to ya. :hmm3grin2orange:

[mommy1]

Second, I never said to keep Orandas at 80 degrees.

After a quick search, I realize I am wrong about you saying to keep their water at 80 degrees. I apologize for misquoting you.
You do say, they must or should be kept in no less than 72 degrees, and this I still contest. Every book I have read, every website I have visited (including the sites you said were reputable), and fish keepers that have proven themselves knowledgeable, all say temps of 65 to the mid to high 70's (a few even say in the 80's) are what they need. While 72 certainly falls within this range, it is not necessary.

[Lady Hobbs]

To get back on topic...........

Different fish eat different algaes as well. I didn't have an algae eater of any kind for my first seven years of keeping fish and I would never buy one simply to take care of diatoms that will be soon gone, anyway. IMO, I see no reason for any algae eater in a tank with fake plants.

You simply need to stay on top of the diatoms for a couple months and they will go away on their own. I removed my decorations,(fake plants) soaked them in a mild bleach water and allowed them to either air dry outside for awhile or soak them in dechlorinated water before putting them back in the tank. Wipe the glass off every few days with a paper towel, do large water changes and keep the filter media rinsed off in old tank water.

You can also remove some of those decorations until after the diatom stage. Goldies have no use for pagoda's and all that stuff anyway. In fact, they have been known to get inside of decorations like that and get stuck. They may be nice for you to look at but are dangerous to all fish other than very small fish.

Have you checked for ammonia/nitrites/nitrates? You tank looks a bit cloudy so I was wondering if it was still trying to cycle? That will delay diatom stage, too.

[jessiedart]

To get back on topic...........

Different fish eat different algaes as well. I didn't have an algae eater of any kind for my first seven years of keeping fish and I would never buy one simply to take care of diatoms that will be soon gone, anyway. IMO, I see no reason for any algae eater in a tank with fake plants.

You simply need to stay on top of the diatoms for a couple months and they will go away on their own. I removed my decorations,(fake plants) soaked them in a mild bleach water and allowed them to either air dry outside for awhile or soak them in dechlorinated water before putting them back in the tank. Wipe the glass off every few days with a paper towel, do large water changes and keep the filter media rinsed off in old tank water.

You can also remove some of those decorations until after the diatom stage. Goldies have no use for pagoda's and all that stuff anyway. In fact, they have been known to get inside of decorations like that and get stuck. They may be nice for you to look at but are dangerous to all fish other than very small fish.

Have you checked for ammonia/nitrites/nitrates? You tank looks a bit cloudy so I was wondering if it was still trying to cycle? That will delay diatom stage, too.


All levels are aok..These were earlier pics when the tank was still cycling.
Now the water is so crystal clear it looks like the tank is filled with air. Its amazing how clean the water is.. It just the Darn brown fuzz all over thats killing me...
I think I may just keep up what Im doing and wait it out. I just hate looking at all that muck LOL :)


Here is what it's like now..After scrubbing the Brownies off of course...

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Thanks for all the info...